Arranging a school group visit
Individuals wishing to arrange a school group visit should contact the library at least two weeks in advance. All group visits are coordinated through Karie Antell (kantell@ou.edu).
Classes in grades 10-12 are accepted if they have a substantial library research assignment. We suggest that lower grades use their school or local public library where more age appropriate materials are available.
Group size should be limited to 30 students. We recommend one adult supervisor for every 15 students.
The first eight weeks of the semester are heavily scheduled with OU classes and the last two weeks are final study times. However, every effort will be made to accommodate all requests. Please have alternative dates and times in mind when requesting a visit. Groups will be scheduled on a first-come basis with priority given to OU students.
When you contact us to schedule a visit, we will need:
- The name of the class/group and school
- The contact person's email address and phone number
- Date and time of visit and alternatives
- Number of students and adults attending
- Purpose of the visit. Please supply information about research topics so we can better prepare the instruction session.
What is included in an instruction session?
Groups will be given a brief tour of Bizzell Memorial Library followed by an instruction session in the library’s classroom. The session will be tailored to the students' research assignment and will include searching for books in the catalog and articles in library databases. Sessions usually last about an hour.
Preparing for your visit
A library visit will be more meaningful if your students have clearly defined topics to research. We recommend that your students review the University Libraries website and do some basic searching in the Catalog prior to your visit.
Please contact the University’s parking office at (405) 325-3311 for instructions on where to drop off students and where to park.
Services available
Circulation
Persons under 18 years of age with no OU affiliation are not allowed to check out library materials. Oklahoma residents who are at least 18 years of age may apply for a Borrowers Permit for an annual fee of $50.00.
Computer use
Computers in the Library Instruction Room will be available for student use during the visit. To use computers throughout the library, students must present a photo ID at the Help Desk to obtain a guest log-in.
Printing and Scanning
It is recommended that visitors bring a USB flash drive that they can use to save materials accessed through the library's databases. The library's scanners are free to use for saving scanned materials to a USB flash drive. Visitors needing to use a printer should ask for assistance at the Help Desk.
Appropriate behavior during the visit
Out of consideration for other library users, visiting students are expected to work quietly and behave in an appropriate manner. The supervising teacher will assume full responsibility for the behavior of the group.