Presented at LILAC 2024.

1. Thriving Overseas:
Finding the Niche as an
Instruction Librarian in a
Foreign Land
April Manabat, RL, MLIS
Teaching and Learning Support Librarian
Nazarbayev University
Astana, Kazakhstan
25-27 March 2024
Leeds Beckett University
Leeds, UK

2. Talking Points
• About me
• Experiences and challenges (Teaching
anxiety, imposter syndrome, CRT in library
instructions)
• How do I thrive? Practical tips (!)
• Discussion

3. Hello! I am April!
• Teaching and Learning Support Librarian / IL Program
Coordinator / Liaison Librarian for SSH (Nazarbayev
University, KZ)
• Part-time Faculty Member (PUP & WVSU, Phils.)
• Doing my PhD in Development Education (Phils.)
• 1st-timer in LILAC (onsite) ; presented in FestivIL in
2021 (online)
• Surviving overseas since 2019
• More than a decade as a licensed professional librarian

4. Nazarbayev
University
4
• Located in Astana, Kazakhstan
• Established in 2010
• English-speaking, research university
• 7000+ students
• 68% international faculty
• 8 schools
• Foundation, UG, Graduate (MA &
PhD), Advanced training programs
• Top 501-600 range of the 2024 THE
World University Rankings
https://nu.edu.kz/alumni/successtory/nu-enters-the-world-university-rankings-scores-top-30-of-international-research-universities

5. What I Do As An
Instruction Librarian?
Responsibilities

6. As an Instruction Librarian...
• Spearhead the revision of the IL Program which highlights a 3-
tier learner levels (Fall 2023);
• Design and develop lesson plans with learning outcomes, active
learning activities, and assessments for open library sessions
• Conduct embedded sessions for Writing Center, NU School of
Sciences and Humanities, Center for Preparatory Studies, and
NU School of Medicine since 2020
• Reference librarian responsibilities
6

7. Why being an
Instruction Librarian
might be stressful?
Challenges

8. Challenges : Teaching anxiety
and Imposter Syndrome
• "Disconnected" from the academic community (faculty, students, staff)
• Lack of teaching training
• Rebranding/renaming of the department
• Increasing workloads and demands
• The work is taxing and may be susceptible to burn out
• The problem with "Fake It Till You Make It"
• Feeling like a "fraud" (inadequate, underserving)
• Expectations as an expert in the librarianship field
• Misrepresentations and academic status
• Lack of motivation
8

9. Challenges: Fostering
Culturally Responsive
Teaching Library Instructions
9
• How to incorporate CRT in one-shot sessions
• Language barrier
• Lack of knowledge / awareness of cultural
differences
• Lack of preparation
• Implicit biases / prejudices
• Cultural blindness
• Teaching anxiety and imposter syndrome

10. How To Thrive?
Confidence-building strategies (?) / Practical
Tips
(adopted from Seaman, P. et al, 2021 and Foster, 2018)

11. How To Thrive?
11
PREPARATION COMMUNICATION FACILITATION REFLECTION

12. PREPARATION
12
• Acknowledge that each classroom is different
• Treat each session as a fresh opportunity
• Self-reflection / Reflective practice - Iterative and heuristic
• Lesson planning
• Practice if needed
• Knowledge sharing
• Power dressing

13. COMMUNICATION
13
• Prioritizing introductions
• Familiarity with the words/languages
• Use text, images, and examples familiar to students
• Use simple terms and lessen the use of library jargon
• Verbal and nonverbal communication (e.g. eye contact, gestures, facial expressions,
voice pitch)
• Use of library resources, guides, videos to complement the discussion
• Active listening

14. FACILITATION
14
• Setting the tone and laying out learning objectives
• Incorporating active learning activities (e.g. group activities, pass the ball, etc.)
• Involve students and professors in the discussion
• Being vulnerable - setting myself as an example

15. REFLECTION
15
• Incorporate a feedback loop
• Find a buddy
• Self-reflection / Reflective practice - Iterative and heuristic
• Practice cultural humility
• Don’t be hard to yourself

16. DISCUSSION : CASES

17. CASE 1:
An Economics professor requested to do a library session on Term
Paper Writing on Labor Economics since she will be away for a
training. You suggested the Writing Center but the professor
preferred your session. Will you accept that request? If yes, how
will you ensure that the session will be interesting for the students?
17
Insights: opportunity/motivation to grow, acceptance of risks,
prepare, incorporate active learning activities

18. CASE 2:
The Graduate Office of your university is planning to organize a
Graduate Studies Forum for both Masters and PhD, including
international students. They asked you to do a session that
demonstrates the value of the library especially in research. How
will you ensure that the international and local students are both
engaged in the discussion?
18
Insights: opportunity/motivation to grow, acceptance of risks,
prepare, incorporate active learning activities

19. CASE 3:
You are asked to conduct a library session on literature reviews and
you are following a well-polished lesson plan that you have been
using for years. One of the students asked you about a topic that is
a bit related but not part of the discussion. How will you take the
question and respond?
19
Insights: opportunity/motivation to grow,
redesigning/updating the lesson plan, ask experts

20. CASE 4:
After the session on Zotero, a student approached you as he was
struggling to follow the steps in exporting references despite you
repeatedly asking questions. What would you do?
20
Insights: teachable moment, offer personalized help

21. CASE 5:
You are invited to provide a session for a group of faculty about
citing and referencing generative AI. An hour before the session,
you received an email that some post-docs and researchers would
like to join the session. How will you ensure that the session will be
useful for both audiences?
21
Insights: set the objectives clear, update the flow of discussions if
possible, make room for discussions

22. YOUR THOUGHTS?
Similar experiences?
Practical tips?

23. "It's good to be afraid occasionally.
Fear is a great teacher."
Michael Ignatieff
Professor, Writer, Politician
23

24. REFERENCES
Booth, C. (2011). Reflective teaching, effective learning: Instructional literacy for library educators. American Library Association.
Corrall. S., Delaney, M. & Cleary, A. (2019). Librarians as teachers: Reframing our professional development. [Presentation]. LILAC 2019 Conference.
https://www.slideshare.net/infolit_group/librarians-as-teachers-reframing-our-professional-development-cleary-corrall-delaney-146713788
Foster, E. (2018). Cultural competence in library instruction: A reflective practice approach. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 18(3), 575-593. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2018.0034
Garrett, T. (2011, Nov. 4). The ins and outs of multicultural library orientation. In F. Baudino (Eds.), Brick and click: An academic library symposium (pp. 10-17).
https://soar.wichita.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/f4db9e49-9140-4d42-bf38-bbd3858b7e52/content
Hamdani, M. (2023). Breaking through the concrete ceiling: Surviving a difficult start as a new professional. [Presentation]. LILAC 2023 Conference.
https://www.slideshare.net/infolit_group/hamdani-m-breaking-through-the-concrete-ceiling-surviving-a-difficult-start-as-a-new-professional
Hickman, H. (2019). ‘I f**k up too’: Imposter syndrome, new professional identity and destabilising your position of authority with intent. In: LILAC: The Information Literacy Conference,
Nottingham 2019 Conference Programme, LILAC. https://www.lilacconference.com/files/Nottingham%202019/LILAC%2019%20 final%20v%202.pdf
Lacey, S. & Parlette-Stewart, M. (2017) Jumping into the deep: Imposter syndrome, defining success, and the new librarian. Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and
Research, 12(1) 1-15. https://journal.lib. uoguelph.ca/index.php/perj/article/view/3979/3994.
Lincoln, H. & Chiu, T. (2023). An ‘enabling role’: Student perceptions of librarian-teacher identity. [Presentation]. LILAC 2023 Conference. https://www.slideshare.net/infolit_group/lincoln-h-chiu-t-
an-enabling-role-student-perceptions-of-librarianteacher-identity
Maniates, R. (2023). How to start well: Strategic beginnings to your next IL-focused position. [Presentation]. LILAC 2023 Conference. https://www.slideshare.net/infolit_group/maniates-r-how-to-
start-well-strategic-beginnings-to-your-next-ilfocused-position
Reale, M. (2016). Becoming a reflective librarian and teacher : Strategies for mindful academic practice. American Library Association. https://ebookcentral-proquest-
com.ezproxy.nu.edu.kz/lib/astana/detail.action?docID=5109515
Seaman, P., Cowden, C., Copeland, S., and Gao, L. (2021). Teaching with intent: Applying Culturally responsive teaching to library instruction. University Libraries Faculty Scholarship. 141. pp. 231-
251. https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/ulib_fac_scholar/141
24

25. THANK YOU!
April Manabat, RL, MLIS
Teaching and Learning Support Librarian
Nazarbayev University,
Astana, Kazakhstan
april.manabat@nu.edu.kz