The UIC library recognized the opportunity for its librarians for whom teaching is a substantial part of their librarianship to identify documentation approaches suitable to their own teaching conditions. These conditions include invitations to teach one or two class sessions in a semester, teaching workshops, or the teaching that arises out of reference interactions. The benefits of documentation include systematically developing one's own teaching ability, tracking one's activities and achievements for evaluation and career development, and building an understanding of instructional activities among one's colleagues.

In order to develop documentation processes, the Library's Faculty Executive Committee appointed a Teaching Documentation Task Force in the summer of 1996. During 1996-1999, the Task Force developed complementary approaches to documentation which were refined through small pilot projects. These approaches were accepted by the library faculty for use in promotion and tenure processes. Librarians who teach are also encouraged to use them regularly for annual evaluations and for their own self-development. The three approaches are:

1. a student evaluation form with required elements and room for customization for instruction sessions

2. a process for peer evaluation

3. a set of instructions for compiling a portfolio that integrates self-evaluation, student evaluations and peer review in a reflective way.

In addition, the Task Force developed a set of criteria for administrators and/or evaluation committees to use in reviewing the documentation.

As it became clear that the work of this Task Force should continue as a responsibility of the faculty, The Task Force proposed a new faculty committee, The Teaching Support and Documentation Committee. The Faculty approved the formation of the new Committee in 2000, and elected its membership in February 2001. At this time, the Committee was composed of Jo Dorsch, Joan Fiscella, Melissa Koenig, and Carol Scherrer. John Shuler replaced Melissa Koenig in August 2002. As of April 2002, the Committee has made its teaching documentation information available at Http://uic.uic.edu/depts/lib/staff/commwork/teaching.