Library and Information Skills Training in the 21st Century

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Library and Information Skills Training in the
21st Century
Technology opening minds with a new set of keys
(anonymous)
A presentation by Kat Johnson 1 June 2007
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The Library in the 21st Century is a New World
A Physical Space
A Virtual Space
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Whats new?

• The formats in which information is packaged
• Digital delivery
• The rapid growth of information
• The need to learn a new set of skills to access,
  use and manage information

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What isnt new - Our Mission

• We continue to need information
• For Learning our Postgraduate Training
• Effective learning promotes Good Practice
• For Clinical Practice
• Good practice means satisfied clients and
  successful funding
• For Research our unique approach
• Good research leads to greater understanding and
  the advancement of knowledge in the discipline

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Skills Needed to Negotiate 21st Century
Libraries?

• IT skills
• (Word, Emails, File Organization)
• Use of the Internet
• Competent Use of Library Tools
• (OPACS, Databases, and Using Electronic
  Documents)
• Social Web Skills
• (Chat Rooms, Discussion Forums, Podcasts, Wikis,
  RSS Feeds and Mash Ups)

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A Model of Good Information Skills
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Observations from the Library 2007

• Despite efforts to publicize, promote and train,
  our users continue to need significant support
  using
• (see Appendix 1 for statistics)
• Our Library Catalogue
• Our Electronic Journals Collection
• The main databases in the discipline

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What effect does this have?

• Awareness and use of our resources are not
  optimal
• Users have a limited understanding of the world
  of information in this discipline
• Users do not stay up to date with
  research/information
• There is a lot of panic around doing literature
  searching
• The Library struggles to cope with the rate of
  user enquiries due to the poor standard of
  information skills.
• A recent survey indicated that the annual cost
  of very basic enquires at the Issue Desk totals
  at well over 80,000 per year. This money would
  be much better spent on other library services.

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The Diagnosis

• Users need better ICT skills
• Users need a different type of training to learn
  these skills
• Training needs to be supported at strategic level

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The Remedy

• A set of discreet graduated training sessions
  aimed at building confidence and skills together
• Embed training into the curriculum timetable
• Delivered at the point of need just in time
  rather than just in case
• Use Moodle to provide a blended learning
  approach
• Information skills training as a course
  requirement -not an option

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Hands on training in a dedicated training space
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Tell me, I forget.Show me, I rememberInvolve
me, I understandA Chinese Proverb
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I have a dream

Martin Luther King (and Kat Johnson)

• Users who
• Competently use our OPAC
• Skillfully access our huge journal collection
• Identify the best databases and retrieve relevant
  documents
• Use Internet Search Engines with Awareness
• Subscribe to and manage current awareness
  services
• Use Moodle as a learning resource and
  communication tool

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Where do we go from here?
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Thanks for listening!

• Please contact Kat Johnson in the library if you
  have any comments, feedback or suggestions

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References

• LOGAN, D (2007), Information Quotations available
  at http//www.deblogan.com/quo.html accessed
  23/05/2007.
• BOND, R. (2007), Ralph Talk Videos the first
  recorded IT professional, available at
  http//www.twango.com/media/RalphTalk.videos/Ralph
  Talk.10038 accessed 23/05/2007.
• CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and
  Information Professionals) (2004), available at
  http//www.cilip.org.uk/informationadvice/services
  /learningreading/informationliteracy/definition/de
  fault.htm accessed 29/05/2007.
• PARKER, R.(2007),Lessons learned in an
  information skills training programme for a
  mental health trust, Health Information and
  Libraries Journal, 24, pp 58-61.
• SCONUL (Society of College, National and
  University Libraries) (2004) available at
  http//www.sconul.ac.uk/groups/information_literac
  y/sp/model.html accessed 29/05/2007.
• SMITH, F.A. (2007), Games for Teaching
  Information Literacy Skills, Library Philosophy
  and Practice, April, available at
  http//digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/117
  accessed 23/05/2007.
• TINDER, V. et al (2007), Evaluating the impact of
  library user training programmes across Thames
  Valley Strategic Health Authority in the UK,
  Health Information and Libraries Journal, 24,
  pp.34-40.

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Appendix 1 Diagnostic Evaluation of Students
requesting one to one training (Dissertation
Students)

• Can you find a book, video, journal article,
  thesis, or other item using the Tavistock and
  Portman NHS Foundation Trust Library online
  catalogue?
• Yes 20
• No 40
• Dont know 40
• Can you identify which journals we subscribe to
  and how you can access them?
• Yes 20
• No 40
• Dont know 40
• Can you access the full text of the journals we
  subscribe to that are available online using your
  Athens Account login details?
• Yes 40
• No 60
• Dont know 0
• Do you know how to use the Search Operators AND,
  OR, NOT to effectively narrow your searches and
  increase search result relevancy?
• Yes 0
• No 80

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Appendix 1 Diagnostic Evaluation of Students
requesting one to one training (Student
Dissertations)

• Can you save your searches for future use?
• Yes 20
• No 60
• Dont know 20
• Can you set up search alerts with a database
  provider which instruct the database to email you
  if any future documents are published that match
  your search strategy?
• Yes 0
• No 80
• Dont know 20
• How would you describe your current level of IT
  Skills?
• Novice Intermediate Competent
• 40 60

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Appendix 2 Recommended Training Programme
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Appendix 2 Recommended Training Programme