Library instruction

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Library instruction includes instruction on both how to evaluate information resources and how to use library resources such as the library catalog or other bibliographic databases. A related term, information literacy is used to mean the basic orientation of students and citizens in the use of information resources in general, including the fundamentals of library use.

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.

Some University libraries are offering specialized instructional sessions. This is when a librarian works one-on-one with a user to assist them with specific research goals. Sometimes referred to as a "term paper clinic" or "research consultation."

Other universities and colleges encourage their faculty members to sign their students up for a "one shot" library instruction session during the semester. 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.

[edit] References

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.
Tucker, J. M. (1980). Articles on library instruction in colleges and universities, 1876-1932. ERIC ED 187 330.