Navjit Brar
Reference and Instruction Services (RaIS) Coordinator
Continuing Education Librarian
Professional Responsibilities
- Collaborate with teaching faculty to provide course-integrated instruction on finding, evaluating, and using information in course assignments; Create course and subject guides; Provide faculty research consultation; and Assist in ordering & evaluating library resources in print and electronic format to support CE curriculum.
- Offer students in-person and/or virtual assistance with their simple to complex research or library related questions.
- Explore, develop, and implement new models of physical and virtual reference service.
- Evaluates and selects ready reference and general reference resources in print/electronic format.
- Develop and implement library workshops for teaching faculty in collaboration with information technologist, library faculty, and center for teaching and learning director.
- Collaborate with College Librarians in developing a first year library experience program and the library literacy (iSkills) throughout the curriculum.
Higher Education
Master of Library and Information Science, San Jose State University, CA (1992)
Master of Arts in Sociology, Panjab University, India (1985) (Honors - Silver Medal for Highest Academic Achievement)
Master of Library Science, Panjab University, India (1983) (Honors - Gold Medal for Highest Academic Achievement)
Recent Scholarship & Invited Lectures
Brar, N. and Paula Popma (2007). From Theory to Practice: Implementing RFID Technology. Poster Session presented at Association of College and Research Libraries, Baltimore, MD.
Somerville, M.M., and Brar, N (2006). Collaborative Co-Design: The Cal Poly Digital Teaching Library user Centric Approach, Proceedings of the International Conference on Digital Libraries, New Delhi, India, December 5-8, 2006.
Brar, N. (2006). E-Metrics – an Assessment Tool. Presented at California Library Association, Electronic Resource Management Pre-conference, Sacramento, CA, November 2006.
Research Interests
- Digital Libraries as a physical and virtual space.
- Use of new technologies to manage user centered services and resources.
- User-centered services and systems planning and outcomes-based assessment.
- Enterprise Thinking and Systems Thinking.
- Evidence-based practice.
