Reference Librarian

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Reference Librarians Meeting August 1, 2003
WeTALC

• Jeanine Akers, Instructional Service Librarian, U
  of M
• Mary Ellen Pozzebon, Reference Instruction
  Librarian, JSCC

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Information Literacy Consortial Models

• Shared Values
• Shared or Similar Resources
• Shared or Similar Challenges
• Varied and diverse abilities, ideas, expertise

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Shared ValuesInformation Literacy

• Information Literacy is a set of abilities
  requiring individuals to recognize when
  information is needed and have the ability to
  locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed
  information.

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Shared ValuesGuiding Principles

• ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards
• ACRL Guidelines for Instruction Programs in
  Academic Libraries
• Institute for Information Literacy
  Characteristics of Programs of Information
  Literacy that Illustrate Best Practices

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The ACRL Competency Standards
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Guidelines for Instruction Programs in Academic
Libraries
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Characteristics of Programs of Information
Literacy that Illustrate Best Practices A
Guideline
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Characteristics of Programs of Information
Literacy that Illustrate Best Practices A
Guideline
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Common Tutorial Components

• Choosing and refining topics
• Using reference materials
• Using library catalogs
• Using periodical indexes
• Using the WWW
• Creating search strategies
• Evaluating information
• Using information legally and ethically
• Others?

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Shared or Similar Challenges

• Many of us have distance education students who
  never set foot in the physical library building
• Many of us are unable to reach all or even a
  majority of our students via traditional
  bibliographic instruction methods
• Many of our students would benefit from a
  self-paced tutorial
• Many of us need to look at new ways of assessing
  our students learning in regards to information
  literacy
• Many of us are overwhelmed by the idea of
  creating and maintaining a web tutorial on our
  own (time, technology, etc.)

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Shared or Similar Resources

• Some of us share catalogs
• TEL Databases
• Reference Resources
• Web Resources

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Varied and Diverse Abilities, Ideas, Expertise

• Varying technology skills
• Varying writing strengths
• Varying pedagogies
• An automatic editorial board
• Strength in numbers!

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Cooperatively Created TutorialsProcess,
Problems, Possibilities

• TILT http//tilt.lib.utsystem.edu/
• Internet Navigator (course)http//medlib.med.utah
  .edu/navigator/
• CSU Information Competence Projecthttp//www.lib.
  calpoly.edu/infocomp/modules/index.html
• ALICE (material repository)http//alice.acaweb.or
  g/
• Reports of projects currently underway in
  Illinois and Rhode Island
• Possibility of upcoming TEL tutorials

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Online Tutorial Technology

• Various software exists for developing online
  tutorials
• ACRLs internet Education project has many good
  examples http//cooley.colgate.edu/etech/iep/
• Design can be as important as content in getting
  your message across

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Online Tutorial Technology

• Most tutorials use html, java scripts, and
  various graphics, menus, and buttons
• A few good ones use Flash
• Assume different skills by the users some
  explain basic pc skills, some jump right into
  advanced concepts and strategies
• Lets look at a few examples

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This tutorial provides some basic instruction
and just uses html
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This University library explains the use of
resources using Java Script
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This librarian has created a series of
instructional videos in various formats
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These two excellent plagiarism tutorials use
Flash and are very effective.

• http//www.scc.rutgers.edu/douglass/sal/plagiarism
  /intro.html
• http//library2.fairfield.edu/instruction/ramona/p
  lugin.html

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New Technologies

• There are some new tools in the shed.
• Today well look at
• Dreamweaver/Coursebuilder
• WebCT
• Camtasia/SnagIt

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Dreamweaver/Coursebuilder

• Dreamweaver is part of the Macromedia suite of
  web development software
• http//www.macromedia.com/
• Coursebuilder is a free extension of Dreamweaver
• Coursebuilder is a web based training program

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Dreamweaver/Coursebuilder

• Allows you to create tutorials with quizzes and
  other interactions that are tracked and compiled
  for grading
• Used with Macromedias other web development
  tools, it can create effective tutorials that do
  not require log-in

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This tutorial uses Coursebuilder to provide a
quiz at the end of the section
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WebCT

• WebCT is used by many school to provide
  instruction electronically
• WebCT course tools include communication tools
  (discussion, mail, chat), quizzes results,
  syllabus, and modules, among others
• Some libraries use WebCT to create stand-alone
  courses

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This library is using WebCT to create
information competence modules and quizzes.
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WebCT Course Features

• This course, at CSU, Sacramento includes
• Survey, pre-test, modules, post-test, quizzes
• Scores are reported to course instructor and
  included in final grade
• A stand-alone course is in development,
  reflecting the systems emphasis on information
  competence

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Camtasia and SnagIt

• Camtasia is a tool to create PC video
  presentations
• www.techsmith.com
• Can be used to create video demonstrations of
  search actions
• SnagIt allows you to incorporate screen shots and
  other graphic material into your web pages or
  power points
• Useful because they help reach visual and
  auditory learners

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Camtasia and SnagIt

• Good compression
• Highly regarded for software training
• Works with PCs and Macintosh
• Quality, clarity
• Highly regarded as tool for streaming video
• Works with Macromedias Flash
• Output can be in several formats AVI, Flash,
  QuickTime and others

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This library has enhanced their tutorial with
Camtasia videos in RealPlayer format.
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Access Issues

• Information literacy tutorials must address
  issues of access to materials
• Issues are multi-faceted
• Shrinking materials budgets
• More reliance on various kinds of electronic
  materials
• Retrieval options are more complicated

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Access issues

• Number one reason that access issues should be
  part of information literacy is the prevalence
  of off-campus programs.
• RODP or other online programs
• Distance Centers
• Students in multiple categories
• Discussions about resources and access to
  resources should be integrated.

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Brainstorming

• What we would like to see
• Roles of each institution