Library User Education Research Articles

User Education in Libraries. Nancy Fjällbrant , Malcolm Stevenson

Previous articleNext article No AccessReviewsUser Education in Libraries. Nancy Fjällbrant , Malcolm StevensonStuart W. MillerStuart W. Miller Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Library Quarterly Volume 49, Number 2Apr., 1979 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/630147 Views: 1Total views on this site Copyright 1979 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

User Education in Libraries (Book Review)

User Education in Libraries (Book Review)

A project-based approach to the use of biological literature

A course is described which has been designed to increase students' ability and willingness to use and read the scientific literature, and ultimately to enable them to make their own contributions to the literature in an acceptable style and format. The objectives and methods of the course differ from those of traditional library-use courses by concentrating on making students read and evaluate the literature rather than on information retrieval per se. Reactions have been favourable. Students make more and better use of the literature and the standard of presentation of written work has improved. The work habits generated by the course assist students throughout their academic careers. The course may have considerable implications for other library user-education programmes.

Should we educate our users?

This article came about because of an attempt to plan a seminar on user education in special libraries. While there are any number of user‐education studies in educational institutions, there is a singular lack of them in special libraries and industrial information services. Aslib very properly wanted to do something to fill the gap on the practical side, to complement the survey it was sponsoring.

Planning a Programme of Library User Education

During recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on the educational role of the academic library. Many libraries have developed coures of user education ( Mews 19721 ; Lubans 19742 ; Fjällbrant 19753). Librnrics and librarians have become increasingly aware that users need instruction in how to use the wealth of information stored within the library system. In order to cope with the ever-increasing volume of knowledge, students need to understand the patterns of communication and how to organize their methods of informa tion retrieval efficiently.

Evaluation in a User Education Programme

This article is an attempt to provide an introduction to evaluation in library user education. The purpose of evaluation is discussed and this is followed by a brief description of the targets, scope, methods and timing. Examples of previous evaluation of library user instruc tion are then given. The final part of the article is an account of the evaluation work carried out in connection with the development of a programme of user education at Chalmers University of Technology Library, Gothenburg, Sweden. This work is related to the para meters of evaluation described in the first part of the article.