Library%20Instruction%20in%20North%20America

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Library Instruction in North America

• Library Orientation (before 1980)
• Tour of library, instruction in using card
  catalog, print indexes, reference works
• Bibliographic Instruction (1980-90s)
• Librarians teach research skills related to class
  assignments (course integrated)
• Librarians and teachers plan instruction together
• Search strategies for online catalogs and
  databases
• Single class session or research skills course
  (credit)
• Classroom instruction for new students in
  first-year seminar

By Eileen Saner, AMBS
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Library Instruction in North America

• Information Literacy 1990s to present
• To be information literate, a person must be
  able to recognize when information is needed and
  to have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use
  effectively the needed information.
• Ultimately, information literate people are
  those who have learned how to learn. They are
  people prepared for lifelong learning, because
  they can always find the information needed for
  any task or decision at hand.
• Information Literacy Competency Standards for
  Higher Education (Association for College and
  Research Libraries, 2000),
• http//www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/informat
  ionliteracycompetency.htm

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Associated Canadian Theological Schools
Research Strategies Courseby Bill Badke

• "A poorly planned research project will take
  three times as long to complete as you think it
  should. A well planned project will take only
  twice as long."-- Martin Raish
• Course Description
• A study of the basic strategies required for the
  effective researching of a wide variety of
  topics.
• Areas covered include topic viability, location
  of materials in several formats, computer
  database searching (including the Internet),
  reading strategies, note organisation, and the
  outlining and writing processes.

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Research Steps (1)

• Select a topic.
• Gather background information by reading about
  the topic in a specialized encyclopedia (print or
  online) or textbook.
• Develop a research question.
• Find relevant, high-quality internet sites.
• Search for books in the library catalog using
  keywords and established subject headings.

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Research Steps (2)

• Search for magazine and journal articles in
  online periodical databases.
• Enter citations in bibliographic software.
• Continue searching in other relevant online
  databases listed on the library website.
• Google Scholar
• Practice evaluating internet websites.

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Research Steps (3)

• Analyze an online journal article.
• Summarize
• State thesis and major arguments
• Evaluate evidence and strength of arguments
• Are all sides presented fairly?
• Evaluate organization of the article
• Determine credibility of the author
• Take Internet Detective online tutorial.
  http//www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/index.html
• Write final paper.

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Bill Badkes Online Resources

• Bill Badkes Online Research Strategies Course
  http//www.acts.twu.ca/lbr/research500.htm
• Resources for Information Literacy from William
  Badke
• An entire page of links
• Included in conference materials

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Information Literacy Competency Standards for
Higher Education

• The information literate student determines the
  nature and extent of the information needed.
• The information literate student accesses needed
  information effectively and efficiently.
• The information literate student evaluates
  information and its sources critically and
  incorporates selected information into his or her
  knowledge base and value system.
• The information literate student, individually or
  as a member of a group, uses information
  effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.
• The information literate student understands many
  of the economic, legal, and social issues
  surrounding the use of information and accesses
  and uses information ethically and legally.
• Information Literacy Competency Standards for
  Higher Education (Association for College and
  Research Libraries, 2000),
• http//www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/informat
  ionliteracycompetency.htm

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Performance Indicators for each Standard

• Standard Two. The information literate student
  accesses needed information effectively and
  efficiently.
• Performance Indicators
• The information literate student selects the most
  appropriate investigative methods or information
  retrieval systems for accessing the needed
  information.
• The information literate student constructs and
  implements effectively-designed search
  strategies.
• The information literate student retrieves
  information online or in person using a variety
  of methods.
• The information literate student refines the
  search strategy if necessary.
• The information literate student extracts,
  records, and manages the information and its
  sources.

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Outcomes for each Performance Indicator

• Standard Two. The information literate student
  accesses needed information effectively and
  efficiently.
• Performance Indicator 2. The information
  literate student constructs and implements
  effectively-designed search strategies.
• Outcomes
• Develops a research plan appropriate to the
  investigative method
• Identifies keywords, synonyms and related terms
  for the information needed
• Selects controlled vocabulary specific to the
  discipline or information retrieval source
• Constructs a search strategy using appropriate
  commands for the information retrieval system
  selected
• Implements the search strategy in various
  information retrieval systems using different
  user interfaces and search engines
• "Objectives for Information Literacy Instruction
  A Model Statement for Academic Librarians."
  American Library Association. 2006.
  http//www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/objectiv
  esinformation.htm

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How to use Information Literacy Standards

• Standard Two. The information literate student
  accesses needed information effectively and
  efficiently.
• Performance Indicator 2. The information
  literate student constructs and implements
  effectively-designed search strategies.
• Outcome e. Implements the search strategy in
  various information retrieval systems using
  different user interfaces and search engines
• Specific Skill 1 One Given a book citation, the
  student records the call number of the book in
  the AMBS Library.
• Specific Skill 2 Given a periodical citation,
  the student determines whether the item is
  available in the AMBS Library.

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Using the Information Literacy Standards

• A framework for understanding library instruction
  in the context of educating students to be
  competent users and managers of information
• A broad educational goal that cannot be achieved
  by librarians alone
• A basic component of the schools academic
  mission
• International recognition
• International Federation of Library Associations
  and Institutions

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International Federation of Library Associations
and Institutions

• Information Literacy Section
• http//www.ifla.org/VII/s42/index.htm
• International Information Literacy Resources
  Directory
• Curriculum resources submitted by registered
  users around the world. Open registration.
• Resources categorized by topic and country of
  submission
• Database Records Progress describes progress of
  directory by region.

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Information Literacy and Theological Education

• Since early 2000, information literacy workshops
  at conferences of American Theological Library
  Association. Bill Badke and others have
  presented their programs, various models.
• 2004 Article in ATS journal on information
  literacy by a librarian
• http//www.pitts.emory.edu/publications/infolit.pd
  f
• June 2006 Bill Badke and other librarians
  present workshop on models for information
  literacy instruction at Conference for ATS
  Academic Officers.
• September 2006, Guidelines for ATS Accreditation
• http//www.ats.edu/accrediting/HandbookSection9.pd
  f
• Sample question for institutional self study
  How are students staff, and faculty provided
  with information literacy skills, including the
  use of information technology?
• Association of Theological Schools in the United
  States and Canada

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Next Steps

• Use available resources (online)
• Learn from colleagues
• Shape programs to needs
• Develop your teaching skills
• Educate teachers and administrators
• Interview teachers regarding assignments and
  expectations
• Work with teachers who recognize that students
  need training
• Influence accreditation standards

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Eileens Recommended Program

• Pitts Theology Library Research Assistance
• Candler School of Theology, Emory University,
  Atlanta, Georgia
• Model program for information literacy in
  graduate theological education.
• http//www.pitts.emory.edu/RESEARCHASSIST/Infolit.
  html
• Douglas Gragg, Information Literacy in
  Theological Education. Theological Education,
  Vol 401 (2004) 99-111. http//www.pitts.emory.ed
  u/publications/infolit.pdf
• John Weaver, Database and Search Engines for
  Lifelong Learning. A slide presentation from the
  2006 ATLA Annual Conference that describes the
  instructional goals and content for four
  different instructional sessions 1) Library
  Orientation Class, 2) Single Class in a Course,
  3) Multiple Classes in a Course, 4) Library
  Workshop. http//www.pitts.emory.edu/ResearchAssis
  t/DatabaseSearchEngines.ppt