Design projects: librarians and faculty working together

The author outlines four case studies of civil engineering projects which utilize assistance from library staff to help faculty identify needed materials and instruct students in locating information. The design projects are semester-long courses in the civil engineering curriculum. Case studies included are the following projects: an Army heliport, a horse race track, a solid waste management plant, and a wastewater treatment plant. Two librarians have worked with the faculty and graduate teaching assistants on each project by completing computer searches, recommending purchase of materials, and presenting two lectures to students each semester. Some projects have needed special bibliographies while others have required obtaining materials from obscure sources. The author also discusses advantages and disadvantages of this instruction program and makes recommendations for other design projects in engineering and technology curricula