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CHAPTER ONE Introduction For over 15 years, I have been teaching online courses in library and infor- mation science (LIS), both gradu­ate courses in library schools and professional development workshops for librarians. It has been incredibly rewarding to work with so many committed librarians and information professionals, most especially my students who are just entering the profession. When I started teaching online courses, I was fortunate to have had classroom experience teaching information literacy and technology work- shops as an academic librarian. I had even taught a few credit courses in a first-­year experience program. But I still had much to learn. Some days teaching was exhilarating other days it was downright painful. Over the years, I benefited greatly from the advice of colleagues and honest feedback from students. This book provides a concise introduction to effective, engaging teaching within the library and information science field. It is particularly aimed at new faculty, ­whether full-­time or adjuncts, although experienced teachers may also find ideas of value. ­Because ­there is considerable overlap between gradu­ate education for library and information science and professional development for ­those already working in the field, this book is also relevant to librarians who teach colleagues in webinars, workshops, and short-­term online courses. Throughout the book, I take an evidence-­based approach, summarizing the research on learning, recommending effective practices, and illustrating how ­ those practices can be applied to LIS instruction. Each chapter ends with sug- gested readings for ­those who want to learn more. This book is meant to be a starting point, not an end point, in your journey to becoming an effective teacher.