The 50 Minute Instructor is a workshop series on teaching and learning in libraries, sponsored by the Instructional Services Committee and the Training and Learning Advisory Committee of the Rutgers University Libraries. The series is designed to provide academic librarians who participate in library instruction programs with enhanced knowledge of the processes of teaching and learning. Many librarians who teach have no formal background in education; the 50 Minute Instructor is designed to help teaching librarians to fill the gaps in their knowledge of the theory and practice of education, and to foster the development of a community of practice for New Jersey librarians.

Series I was initiated in May of 2002, with an overview of theoretical and practical perspectives on library instruction and information literacy. The second workshop, produced in April of 2003, focused on planning issues for teaching librarians. Future workshops in this series are under development.