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Library instruction

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Library instruction, also called bibliographic instruction (BI), user education and library orientation, consists of "instructional programs designed to teach library users how to locate the information they need quickly and effectively. [It] usually covers the library's system of organizing materials, the structure of the literature of the field, research methodologies appropriate to the academic discipline, and specific resources and finding tools (library catalog, indexes and abstracting services, bibliographic databases, etc.)"[1]. 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.

History

Library instruction "began in the nineteenth century, with instruction in library use offered by a number of libraries in the United States between 1876 and 1910, and then ramped up in the early twentieth century"[2]. In a 1912 American Library Association survey, 57% of respondents offered required or elective library instruction courses.[3]

Relationship to information literacy

A related term, information literacy, "is the ability to identify what information is needed, understand how the information is organized, identify the best sources of information for a given need, locate those sources, evaluate the sources critically, and share that information. It is the knowledge of commonly used research techniques"[4].

Some debate exists within the library community about whether instruction on how to use library systems is necessary, or if efforts are better spent making systems easier to use such that they require no instruction.

Formats

Library instruction "occurs in various forms such as formal class settings, small group sessions, one-on-one encounters, written guides and brochures, audiovisual presentations,and computer-assisted instruction (CAI)"[5].

Some university libraries offer specialized instructional sessions. At these sessions the librarian works one-on-one with a user to assist him or her with specific research goals. These sessions are sometimes referred to as a "term paper clinic" or a "research consultation."

Another option for library instruction consists of one-shot instruction sessions. This slang term refers to "formal instruction given in a single session, as opposed to instruction extended over two or more sessions"[6]. These class meetings are often held just before a term paper is assigned, and the goal of the librarian is to orient the class to the best library sources for use in a term paper.

See also

References

  1. ^ Reitz, Joan (2004). "bibliographic instruction (BI)". Dictionary for Library and Information Science. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited. p. 71. ISBN 1-56308-075-7. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help); Unknown parameter |middle= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Grassian, Esther S.; Kaplowitz, Joan R. (2010). "Information Literacy Instruction". In Marcia J. Bates (ed.). Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, Third Edition. Vol. 3. Boca Raton, Florida: Taylor & Francis. p. 2429. doi:10.1081/E-ELIS3-120043277. ISBN 978-0-8493-9712-7.
  3. ^ Tucker, John (1980). "User education in academic libraries: A century in retrospect" (PDF). Library Trends. 28: 9–27. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |middle= ignored (help)
  4. ^ "Information Literacy - Home". University of Idaho. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  5. ^ Salony, Mary (1995). "The history of bibliographic instruction: Changing trends from books to the electronic world" (PDF). The Reference Librarian. 24 (51/52): 31–51. doi:10.1300/J120v24n51_06. ISSN 0276-3877. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |issn2= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |middle= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  6. ^ Reitz, Joan (2004). "one-shot". Dictionary for Library and Information Science. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited. p. 499. ISBN 1-56308-075-7. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help); Unknown parameter |middle= ignored (help)
  • Bishop, W. W. (1912). Training in the use of books. Sewanee review, 20 (July), pp. 265-81.
  • Davis, R. C. (1886). Teaching bibliography in colleges. Library journal, 11 (September), pp. 289-94.
  • Hopkins, F. L. (1982). A century of bibliographic instruction: The historic claim to professional and academic legitimacy. College and research libraries, 43 (May), pp. 192-98.
  • Lorenzen, M. (2001). Brief history of library instruction in the United States. Illinois libraries, 83(2), pp. 8-18.
  • Teifel, V. (1995). Library user education: Examining its past, projecting its future. Library trends, (Fall), 318-38.
  • University of Idaho. (2008). Information Literacy. http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/info_literacy
 

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