The proliferation or information, created and sustained with the help of technology, has placed increased pressure on librarians to teach/assist library patrons to use the…
Abstract
The proliferation or information, created and sustained with the help of technology, has placed increased pressure on librarians to teach/assist library patrons to use the information efficiently and effectively. With decreasing budgets and resulting smaller staffs, academic libraries have been hard pressed to meet the demand. In response to this need, the Ohio State University (OSU) Libraries has developed a microcomputer program that enables library users to identify, locate, evaluate, and select information independently. With the support of three federal grants and one private grant, the OSU Libraries has designed The Gateway to Information in order to guide users to the best information for their needs, regardless of format. The Gateway's evaluations demonstrate that it is an effective and user‐friendly information tool for a wide range of library patrons. The Gateway is now available on all of the Libraries' terminals.
The following annotated list of materials on instructing users in library and information skills covers publications from 1982. A few items have not been annotated because the…
Abstract
The following annotated list of materials on instructing users in library and information skills covers publications from 1982. A few items have not been annotated because the compiler was unable to secure copies of these items.
The following annotated list of materials on providing library orientation to users and instructing them in library and information skills is the tenth annual review of this…
Abstract
The following annotated list of materials on providing library orientation to users and instructing them in library and information skills is the tenth annual review of this literature and covers publications from 1983. A few items have not been annotated because the compiler was unable to secure a copy of these items.
Philip J. Smith and Virginia Tiefel
Effective problem solving in a complex society requires educated citizens who possess the ability to identify, acquire, and evaluate available information on a particular topic…
Abstract
Effective problem solving in a complex society requires educated citizens who possess the ability to identify, acquire, and evaluate available information on a particular topic, question, or problem. With the vast increase in the quantity of information available today, however, many people experience great difficulty with such information‐seeking activities. This difficulty is often exacerbated by the need to use cumbersome computer systems to gain access to much of this information.
It all began a very long time ago, sometime before 1876, that annus mirabilis of librarianship during which the American Library Association was founded, Library Journal debuted…
Abstract
It all began a very long time ago, sometime before 1876, that annus mirabilis of librarianship during which the American Library Association was founded, Library Journal debuted, and Samuel Green published in its pages the first article about reference librarianship. And it continues today. In April 1994, an unidentified library school student from the State University of New York at Buffalo queried the participants of the LIBREFL listserv, asking them, “Can you give a summary of the ‘hot’ library reference issues of the week? I'm working on a project for my Reference course, and would like to find out what is REALLY vital to refernce (sic) librarians out there today.” I was tempted to reply that all of that week's “hot” issues were identified in Green's 1876 article. In that article describing the phenomenon we today call reference service, Green touched on issues such as the librarian's obligation to provide information without injecting personal values, the inability of any librarian to know everything, the need sometimes to refer a patron to another information agency, SDI services, the value of proactive rather than passive service, the challenges of the reference interview, and, of course, what has come to be called the “information versus instruction debate.”
In this emerging computer‐information age, library instruction goes far beyond research familiarity with books. With the advent of both library OPAC (online public access…
Abstract
In this emerging computer‐information age, library instruction goes far beyond research familiarity with books. With the advent of both library OPAC (online public access catalogs) and end‐user searching of online and CD‐ROM (compact disk read only memory) databases, the need for improved instruction in library use approaches a new plateau. These new technologies are forcing libraries, as well as their patrons, to move from traditional information handling to a total information support system.
The following is an annotated list of materials dealing with information literacy including instruction in the use of information resources, research, and computer skills related…
Abstract
The following is an annotated list of materials dealing with information literacy including instruction in the use of information resources, research, and computer skills related to retrieving, using, and evaluating information. This review, the twenty‐second to be published in Reference Services Review, includes items in English published in 1995. After 21 years, the title of this review of the literature has been changed from “Library Orientation and Instruction” to “Library Instruction and Information Literacy,” to indicate the growing trend of moving to information skills instruction.
Structuring a sound freshman‐year experience has become an important retention and orientation tool on many campuses, and there are many different approaches; having a program of…
Abstract
Structuring a sound freshman‐year experience has become an important retention and orientation tool on many campuses, and there are many different approaches; having a program of instruction for the incoming first‐year class is not unique at top liberal arts universities. But Southwestern University chose in 1985 to begin providing its first‐year students with a common intellectual experience that goes beyond a three‐day or even semester‐long orientation to the university or college life. Southwestern chose rather to address a different scholarly topic each fall semester and to have all first‐year students attend the same lectures, do the same assignments, and break into smaller faculty‐led groups for discussion and class meetings. Library instruction has become an integral part of the university's Freshman Symposium, with library literacy a goal of the program and coordinated library involvement in at least one common assignment each year.
The following annotated bibliography of materials on orienting users to libraries and on instructing them in the use of reference and other resources covers publications from…
Abstract
The following annotated bibliography of materials on orienting users to libraries and on instructing them in the use of reference and other resources covers publications from 1981. A few items from 1980 have been included because information about them was not available in time for the 1980 listing. A few items have not been annotated because the compiler was unable to secure copies of these items.
The following is an annotated list of materials that discuss the ways in which librarians can provide library users with orientation to facilities and services, and instruct them…
Abstract
The following is an annotated list of materials that discuss the ways in which librarians can provide library users with orientation to facilities and services, and instruct them in library information and computer skills. This is RSR's 11th annual review of this literature, and covers publications from 1984. A few items from 1983 have been included because of their significance, and because they were not available for review last year. Several items were not annotated because the compiler was unable to secure them.