Publication Date
6-2026
Faculty Department
Libraries
Document Type
Book Chapter
Abstract
As a liaison librarian at an R2 university, I support three STEM departments in their teaching and learning needs. Like many liaison librarians, one of the main activities I do to provide that support is guest lecturing in classes on information literacy topics like finding, using, evaluating, and citing scientific information sources. Like many liaison librarians, I didn't get a lot of pedagogy instruction in library school, and had to learn by doing during my first year. And, like many teaching librarians, my desire to connect with my students in a genuine, authentic way is deep.
Going into the second year of my role, I made some changes to the ways I developed and implemented my lesson plans in my information literacy instruction sessions. Learning about and incorporating elements of a pedagogical strategy known as pattern teaching helped me to spend less time prepping for my courses and worrying about my lesson plans, and more time and energy in presence and community with my students in the classroom.
Tulley defines pattern teaching as a solution for faculty members who need parameters for preparing for their courses efficiently and effectively by developing a regular pattern or structure for their classes. Following pattern teaching, Tulley argues, helps an instructor know when they are done prepping for an upcoming class, allowing them peace of mind and more time back in their day.
In this chapter, I share how I came to learn about this pedagogical strategy, the work I did to intentionally and thoughtfully implement it during the fall 2024 semester, reflections on how it worked out for me, and ways in which the tenets of emergent strategy guided and supported my experiences inside and outside the classroom. Throughout the piece, I share excerpts from interviews with the colleagues who introduced this strategy to me: Alyssa Archer, Lisa Dinkle, and Barbara Tait.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Bayne-Lin, L. (2026). Less prep, more presence: Implementing pattern teaching in library instruction lesson planning to reduce stress. In Morin, L. & McClure, H. (Eds.) Emergent Strategy in Library Instruction: Stories, Reflections, and Imaginings (pp.111-131). Library Juice Press
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Library and Information Science Commons, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons
Comments
This book chapter was originally published by Litwin Books in the edited volume, Emergent Strategy in Library Instruction: Stories, Reflections, and Imaginings. These publication rights are fully non-exclusive, and the author retains all rights to republish, share, and use in any other way, as the holder of the copyright.