Librarian Matchmakers: Using Speed Dating™ to Introduce Students to Library Databases

A cross between online dating apps and speed dating events, Speed Databasing gives students a chance to “meet” multiple databases during one class session. Librarians act as matchmakers by creating clever personal-ad style profiles for each database, and by reminding students that connecting with a database requires going beyond “first impressions” (i.e. the basic search page). Whether students find the “perfect match” for a current assignment or their “soulmate” in a database they will use throughout their academic career, Speed Databasing is an engaging and energizing approach to library resource instruction.