Going Beyond the Cardigan: Incorporating Extracurricular Interests into Instruction and Outreach

Many people picked up new hobbies and interests during the pandemic. For me, that new interest was watching soccer. From watching Premier League matches at 6:30AM to immersing myself in our local community of MLS supporters, soccer quickly transcended a hobby and became a passion. Initially I didn't think my weekend passion would interact with my weekday vocation of library instruction, but fortunately in Spring of 2022 I was assigned to work with a first year undergraduate course that studied the culture of soccer (football) through a sociocultural, global lens. It was a match made in information literacy heaven, as I worked with the instructor to not only offer research guidance informed by my knowledge of the subject but also set up non-traditional opportunities like bringing together a panel of local soccer supporters for the students to interview. While I have always been passionate about information literacy, I found that having a strong interest in this particular content helped me show students that research is more than just checking off requirements for a term paper. Furthermore, while it was easy to incorporate my extracurricular interests into that particular course, I was inspired by the experience to seek out ways to connect with students in other classes. Demonstrating how our personal passions connect to information seeking is a way of showing students that research is driven by curiosity, whether your passion lies with art, politics, or even soccer. It also empowers students to see themselves as researchers, removing the mental blocks many first year students have regarding traditional academic research. Attendees will leave this session encouraged to make their instruction more personal and interest driven. They will be inspired to think about how they can use their extracurriculars to connect with students. In doing so, they will make their classroom work with students more dynamic.