Building a digital repository of assignments: A collaborative initiative

Abstract

Librarians are often exposed to a wide variety of assignments through their work. Beyond applying their firsthand knowledge to better assist individual faculty members with assignment design, what role can librarians play in campus-wide faculty development programs? This article describes such an initiative at Lafayette College. The assignment repository—a collaborative project between the Center for the Integration of Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship (CITLS), the College Writing Program (CWP), the First Year Seminar (FYS) program, and the College Library—aims to archive and showcase excellent faculty assignments. Furthermore, it hopes to generate conversations, inspire new ideas and approaches for assignments, and encourage creative options that “extend critical thinking and deepen learning.” In this article, we will discuss the development and promotion of the repository, its features, selected assignments, informal feedback from faculty members, and lessons learned.