Library instruction: Difference between revisions

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'''Library instruction''', also called '''bibliographic instruction''', '''user education''' and '''library orientation''', consistsis ofthe "instructionalprocess programswhere designed to[[Librarian|librarians]] teach librarytheir userspatrons how to locate theaccess information theyin need quickly and effectively[[Library|libraries]]. [It] usuallyoften coversinvolves theinstruction library's system of organizing materials, the structure of the literature of the field,about research methodologies appropriate to the [[discipline|academic discipline]], and specific resources and findingorganizational tools ([[library catalog]], indexes and abstracting services, [[bibliographic database]]s, etcmethods.)"<ref>{{cite book| chapter=bibliographic instruction (BI) | page=71 | title=Dictionary for Library and Information Science |last=Reitz |first= Joan M. |publisher= Libraries Unlimited | ___location= Westport, Connecticut | year= 2004| isbn=1-59158-075-7 }}</ref> It prepares individuals to make immediate and lifelong use of information effectively by teaching the concepts and logic of information access and evaluation, and by fostering information independence and [[critical thinking]]. Above all they are aimed at equipping library users with skills to locate library sources and use them effectively to satisfy their information needs.

==History==

Library instruction began in the nineteenth century in the United States.<ref>{{cite book|chapter= Information Literacy Instruction |page=2429 |last=Grassian |first=Esther S. |last2= Kaplowitz | first2= Joan R. | title = Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, Third Edition |doi= 10.1081/E-ELIS3-120043277 |publisher= Taylor & Francis | ___location= Boca Raton, Florida| volume = 3| editor= Marcia J. Bates| year=2010 | isbn= 978-0-8493-9712-7}}</ref> In 1880, [[Justin Winsor]], president of the [[American Library Association]] (ALA), redefined the role of the librarian as also a teacher.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000962181|title=College libraries as aids to instruction|last=Robinson|first=Otis H.|last2=Winsor|first2=Justin|publisher=Govt. Print. Off.|year=1880|quote=The librarian becomes a teacher (...) to make the library the grand rendezvous of the college for teacher and pupil alike.}}</ref> In a 1912 ALA survey, 57% of respondents offered required or elective library instruction courses.<ref>{{cite journal| title=User education in academic libraries: A century in retrospect| last=Tucker |first=John Mark |journal= Library Trends |year=1980 |volume=28 |pages=9–27 | url= http://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/7115/librarytrendsv29i1c_opt.pdf?sequence=1}}</ref> There was little academic interest in the subject until the 1960s and early 1970s, when interest blossomed.<ref name=":0" /> During this time, library instruction had solidified into a system where librarians would teach their patrons not only how to locate information in a physical library, but how to interact with the material, how to learn it, and how to apply those skills to their everyday lives. <ref>{{cite book|chapter= Information Literacy Instruction |pages=2429–2430 |last=Grassian |first=Esther S. |last2= Kaplowitz | first2= Joan R. | title = Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, Third Edition |doi= 10.1081/E-ELIS3-120043277 |publisher= Taylor & Francis | ___location= Boca Raton, Florida| volume = 3| editor= Marcia J. Bates| year=2010 | isbn= 978-0-8493-9712-7}}</ref> The newfound rise in the popularity of [[Library and information science|library sciences]] precipitated the creation of the Library Orientation Exchange (LOEX), "a non-profit, self-supporting educational clearinghouse". With its collection of print and digital materials, the organization had over 650 members in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East in 1999.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal | last=Lorenzen |first= Michael |year= 2001 |title= A Brief History of Library Instruction in the United States of America| journal= Illinois Libraries |volume=83 |issue=2 |pages=8–18 |url=http://www.libraryinstruction.com/lihistory.html}}</ref>

In [[Research library|research libraries]], the bibliographic instruction started to be a mainstream and standard library service.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=ChadÏey|first=Otis|last2=Gavryck|first2=JacqueÏyn|date=1989|title=Bibliographic Instruction Trends in Research Libraries|journal=Research Strategies|volume=7|issue=3|pages=106–113|quote=Bibliographic instruction in research libraries has moved status as a flush-time luxury to that of a mainstream library service (...) BI has moved to center stage as standard service.}}</ref> Library instruction pioneer [[Miriam Sue Dudley]]'s library instruction materials, originally produced in 1970 for a [[Chicano]] student group at [[UCLA]], are an example of such materials now available online.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/dudleylibraryworkbooks|title=Miriam Sue Dudley's Library Workbooks|accessdate=11 December 2012}}</ref>

Library instruction is evolving to adapt to the changing concepts of information use and understanding. Model programs, in order to be meaningful and effective, should respond to the changing information environment. New methods of library instruction, such as the [[Cephalonian method]], reflect changes in [[instructional technology]] and [[education theory]]. Information and communication technology literacy (ICT) is an example of a modern approach to library instruction.<ref>Kenney, A.J. (2006). The final hurdle. ''School Library Journal,52''(3),63-64.</ref> ICT extends [[information literacy]] to the use of computer technology in a variety of forms to manipulate, deliver, and receive information and ideas. A model library instruction program utilizes complementary tools and resources to deliver memorable, interactive instruction. These resources are necessary to engage the attention of contemporary patrons immersed in a media environment.

ICT extends [[information literacy]] to the use of computer technology in a variety of forms to manipulate, deliver, and receive information and ideas. A model library instruction program utilizes complementary tools and resources to deliver memorable, interactive instruction. These resources are necessary to engage the attention of contemporary patrons immersed in a media environment.

==Relationship to information literacy==

According to the Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, [[Informationinformation literacy]] is the set of skills a person needs to be "able to recognize when information is needed and the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information."<ref>{{cite web| title= Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report| publisher= Association of College and Research Libraries (ARCL) | url=http://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/whitepapers/presidential |accessdate=December 18, 2013| date= 2006-07-24 }}</ref> In an academic setting, instruction in information literacy can take on a variety of forms, such as a long class or a project integrated into a course on related subject matter. LiteracyIn the United States, literacy competency standards are outlined by the [[Association of College and Research libraries|Association of college and Research Libraries]].<ref>Kasowitz-Scheer, A. & Pasqualoni, M. (2002) Information literacy instruction in higher education: Trends and issues. ''Eric Digest''. Retrieved from http://surface.syr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1032&context=sul</ref>

Currently{{Clarify timeframe|date=May 2025}} there are debates about whether instruction on how to use library systems is necessary, or if efforts are better spent making systems easier to use so that they require no instruction. A particular study published in the [[The Journal of Academic Librarianship|Journal of Academic Librarianship]] indicates that the most predominant model of teaching information literacy, the one-shot session model, is ineffective and doesn't really make a perceptible difference in the grades of the students. However, the same study also indicated that students who attended a longer class with a library instruction session scored significantly higher, indicating that it may not be the idea of the instruction that is flawed, but rather the method.<ref>Rinto, E. (2015) Library instruction and themed composition courses: An investigation of factors that impact student learning. ''The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 41''(1), 14-20.</ref>

==Formats==

Library instruction sessions can be held in person, through pre-recorded or written materials, or live over the internet.<ref name=":1">{{cite journal |last=Salony |first=Mary F |date=July 1995 |title=The history of bibliographic instruction: Changing trends from books to the electronic world |url=http://libsnap.dom.edu/Reserves/Removed%20Reserves/LIS764Cason/LIS764Cason_History.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=The Reference Librarian |volume=24 |issue=51/52 |pages=31–51 |doi=10.1300/J120v24n51_06 |issn=1541-1117 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719184050/http://libsnap.dom.edu/Reserves/Removed%20Reserves/LIS764Cason/LIS764Cason_History.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-19}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Martinolli |first=Pascal |date=2021-05-20 |title=Library Instruction in Pandemic Times: Early Morning Webinars |url=https://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/perj/article/view/6392 |journal=Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.21083/partnership.v16i1.6392 |issn=1911-9593 |doi-access=free |hdl-access=free |accessdate=2021-05-21 |hdl=1866/24056}}</ref> In-person sessions can, as part of a formal formal class, in small groups, or one-on-one.<ref name=":1" /> After 2015, [[Web conferencing|webinars]] began to be part of the library instruction programs. During the [[2020 COVID-19 pandemic]], this form of teaching became the norm for university libraries around the world.<ref name=":2" />

One-on-one sessions held by universities are sometimes referred to as a "term paper clinic" or a "research consultation."{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} Universities may also incorporate library instruction sessions as part of regular coursework, for example, as a ''one-shot'' class meeting held just before a [[term paper]] is assigned. The goal of the librarian is to orient the class to the best library sources for use in a term paper.<ref>{{cite book| chapter=one-shot | page=499 | title=Dictionary for Library and Information Science |last=Reitz |first= Joan M. |publisher= Libraries Unlimited | ___location= Westport, Connecticut | year= 2004| isbn=1-59158-075-7 }}</ref> Course-related instruction, while perceived as effective, is a staff-intensive process lead by [[Professor|professors]] and not librarians.<ref>{{cite journal| last=Teifel |first=Virginia M |date=Fall 1995 |title= Library user education: Examining its past, projecting its future |journal= Library Trends |volume= 44 |issue=2 |pages= 318–338 |url=http://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/8026/librarytrendsv44i2h_opt.pdf?sequence=1 }}</ref>

Library instruction can also benefit from the utilization of [[Video game|video games]] and gaming designed for information literacy. When incorporating [[Game design|design principles from gaming]] into information literacy instruction, instructional librarians can teach students how to succeed through long, complex, and difficult tasks<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Gamification of Library Instruction|last = Becker|first = Bernd|date = 2013|journal = Behavioral & Social Science Librarian|doi = 10.1080/01639269.2013.821372|publisher = Taylor & Francis Group|volume = 32|issue = 3|page = 199|issn = 1544-4546}}</ref> while still keeping the learning experience engaging. Library instruction and active learning information literacy workshops can also be facilitated by [[Theatre technique|theater techniques]],<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Furay|first=Julia|date=2014-06-03|title=Stages of instruction: theatre, pedagogy and information literacy|journal=Reference Services Review|language=en|volume=42|issue=2|pages=209–228|doi=10.1108/RSR-09-2013-0047|issn=0090-7324}}</ref> by the rules of [[hospitality]]<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Martinolli|first=Pascal|date=2019-10-28|title=De maître-élèves à hôte-invités : revisiter le cadre relationnel des formations en bibliothèque|url=https://papyrus.bib.umontreal.ca/xmlui/handle/1866/22410|journal=Colloque des Bibliothèques d'Enseignement Supérieur (BES)|language=fr}}</ref> or by [[Humour|humor]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Walker|first=Billie E.|date=2006|title=Using humor in library instruction|journal=Reference Services Review|language=en|volume=34|issue=1|pages=117–128|doi=10.1108/00907320610648806|issn=0090-7324}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Humor and information literacy : practical techniques for library instruction|last=Vossler, Joshua J.|date=2011|publisher=Libraries Unlimited|others=Sheidlower, Scott.|isbn=978-1-59884-533-4|___location=Santa Barbara, Calif.|oclc=751235479}}</ref>

=== Critical library instruction ===

Critical library instruction is rooted in the idea that knowledge is culturally situated, and thus, instruction must be as well.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Acardi|first1=M.|last2=Drabinski|first2=E.|last3=Kumbier|first3=A.|title=Critical library instruction: Theories and methods |date=2010}}</ref> Characterized by a [[Praxis (process)|praxis]]-based approach that is deeply connected to the context and information needs of the learner, critical library instruction always begins with an assessment of the learner's context and their information needs. Critical library instruction problematizes traditional methods of teaching information literacy skills as privileging particular ways of knowing in academic contexts,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Elmborg|first1=James|title=Critical Information Literacy: Implications for Instructional Practice.|journal=The Journal of Academic Librarianship|date=2006|volume=32|issue=2|pages=192–199|doi=10.1016/j.acalib.2005.12.004}}</ref> and instead advocates a method of teaching that emphasizes the learner's frame of reference and information needs.

Influenced by [[critical pedagogy]], an educational philosophy that address problems and questions of particular relevance to the lives of students, critical library instruction aims to provide the same approach to students’ information needs and practices. From [[critical literacy]], critical library instruction approaches literacy as political and literacy instruction as a political act;<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Luke|first1=A|last2=Kapitzke|first2=C|title=Literacies and libraries: archives and cybraries.|journal=Pedagogy, Culture & Society|date=1999|volume=7|issue=3|pages=467–491|url=http://eprints.qut.edu.au/5904/1/5904.pdf|doi=10.1080/14681369900200066}}</ref> thus, critical library instruction requires instructors to maintain awareness of power dynamics, [[Intersectionality|identity intersections]], and to challenge their own definitions of literacy in order to provide meaningful instruction to their particular students.

==See also==

* [[Accessibility]]

* [[CRAAP test]]

* [[Information cycle]]

* [[Information literacy]]

* [[Cephalonian method]]

* [[Usability]]

==Notes==