User Education Programs Research Articles

Effect of the User Education Programme on Undergraduate Students’ Library Exploration at the University of Ilorin

The essence of education, formal or informal, is the ability of the learner to put what he has learnt into practical use. Hence, the knowledge acquired must be reflected in the life of the learner. User education programmes are planned in tertiary institutions to ease the work of librarians and quicken the efforts of clientele in getting and utilizing the library materials. This work, therefore, investigates the use of the programme in the university studied. The investigation also sought to reveal the extent to which the objectives of the user were currently being met. It was discovered that much has not been achieved, as lots of improvements are necessary in the areas investigated. Suggestions for its improvement are given.

Designing DiLIS: a distance learners’ information service

Reports the preliminary results of a questionnaire survey, undertaken as part of the Continuing Vocational Education funded ‘Library Support for Distance Learners’ initiative at the George Edwards Library (GEL), University of Surrey. The study aims were: to identify the information needs and resource requirements of the University’s distance learners; to design a range of new or modified library services to address these needs; to assess the resource implications of the proposed library and information services; and to enable GEL to formulate a policy for distance learners. Describes how the GEL Management designed a Distance Learners’ Information Service (DiLIS) based on the findings of this study. DiLIS will offer a range of facilities including: a written policy that states the borrowing, reservation and renewal rights for all distance learning students; a World Wide Web based information gateway; a postal loan service; a document delivery service; a staffed telephone and electronic mail help line; remote literature searching facilities; a mediation service for negotiating access arrangements to alternative academic libraries; and modified user education programmes.

Reflections on a user education session with nursing students

Within the nursing profession, the introduction of diploma level education has resulted in a high demand for a wide range of information resources. Hand in hand with this comes the need for nurses to be able to question, evaluate and reflect on existing practice. Against this background the author became actively involved in setting up a user education programme. This paper explains the reasons and structure of the package and finishes with an evaluation of the project, which proved to be beneficial to the students, the lecturers and the library staff themselves.

The need for user education in secondary school libraries

Examines the importance of user education in secondary schools in Nigeria. Highlights the advantages derivable from such user education programmes. Locational, and information and study skills are identified as being essential to a successful use of the library. Recommends the provision of adequate libraries in secondary schools as a first step towards effective user education programmes in school libraries.

教育サービスの新展開 病院図書室の利用者教育 清水市立病院の場合

Shimizu Municipal Hospital moved and reopened in May 1989. It has put in computer materials and has begun providing user education in its new library. Our user education program for medical professionals mainly consists of a general library orientation with lecture and guided tour and counseling about computerized literature searching with lecture and practical exercises. User instruction programs with practical exercises have been held 15 times since they were started in 1993. Our library should hold user education continually with amendment of manuals for medical professionals to make the best use of the new media in our library. To ensure the best use of limited staff resources, it is important for hospital librarians to improve their ability to instruct medical professionals.

Educate: A user education program for information retrieval and handling

Educate: A user education program for information retrieval and handling

Integrating Library User Education with the Undergraduate Music History Sequence

ABSTRACT An important goal of the undergraduate music history sequence is to provide students with both knowledge and tools for life-long learning. Fundamental to this goal is the ability to use the library effectively. The authors established a library user education program for music majors, integrating it into the music history sequence. This graduated series of library assignments, with accompanying worksheets, can be reinforced from term to term, while the library program enhances the quality of student projects. Larger projects, e.g., a research paper, integrate and solidify the students' research techniques. The authors outline their program and its development as well as indications of its success.

Manpower Development Activities

The R&D and other S&T departments in general require information specialists who are abreast of current information technologies for providing adequate information support. The need for such information support is all the more important for DRDO where the technological expertise expected is very high. DESIDOC conducts training and user-education programmes on various important aspects of information science and technology. These programmes are designed to provide adequate knowledge and skill to the officers and staff working in the libraries technical information centres of DRDO labs/estts. http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dbit.11.2.3030

Educating library users at the Copperbelt University

In 1987 the library of the Copperbelt University in Zambia introduced a library user education programme as a course at the campus. The course was introduced with the objective of improving students' awareness of the available information resources, as well as adjusting them to the university style of learning. Describes the programme in detail, including: establishing the need for the course; planning the project; the course content and structure; and how it was presented. The results achieved are evaluated in relation to the initial objectives and to the fact that the course has so far been offered only for two academic years. Concludes with general observations and recommendations for the improvement of the course.

A survey of user education programs in community college LRCS

LRC staffs, within current restrictions, need to initiate and evaluate innovative instruction that accommodates nontraditional students, incorporates new technology, and develops critical-thinking skills.

Evaluating a Library User Education Program: A Decade of Experience

Evaluating a Library User Education Program: A Decade of Experience

THE IMPORTANCE OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES

The notion of a good library lies implicit in much service. It can rest on objective factors, like the speed with which documents are retrieved, and on subjective ones such as how helpful the library staff happen to be. Often our view draws on both. For librarians and library managers, too, there is a need to consider the goodness of the system. It may lie in its rate of satisfaction, in its market penetration, in the subtle integration of user education programmes into the curriculum, the cost‐effectiveness of the aquisition arrangements, or the work elicited from staff each week. Looking at the good library, then, impels both users and staff, clients and managers, to consider — and then test operationally — performance measures.

Pro-active librarianship: a unique approach

The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, based at Los Angeles, has developed rapidly since its foundation in 1969. The Resource and Research Center, established in 1975, has from its beginning aimed to achieve and to promote services of the highest quality. The Center comprises specialised units and a central core; the specialised units include two subject divisions (Textiles, Interior Design) which house appropriate collections (such as fabric swatches and trade literature), a Costume Library (a collection of over 2,000 garments and accessories), and the International Fashion Video Library which will be the subject of a separate article in a future issue of the Art Libraries Journal. A comprehensive user education programme is complemented by outreach activities and special events; the Center also lends itself to the role of promoting the FIDM in the community and strengthening its ties with industry.

User education: The new frontier?

Abstract A brief history of the rise and development of libraries in Further Education (FE) establishments in the UK is given. A definition of user education is attempted and some of the underlying philosophy and curricular influences are explored. Problems centring around the lack of an agreed syllabus for user education and the varying attitudes of FE librarians are touched upon, together with some of the problems arising from the lack of central curricular guidance on library user education programmes and information skills.

Teaching information sources in business studies: an application of the theories of J Bruner and R M Gagné

In this article the author maintains that the planning of library user education programmes can benefit from being based more soundly within educational theory. Of particular relevance are the theories of two educationalists, J Bruner and R M Gagné. The main points of each theory are examined and then applied to the teaching of information sources in business studies as taught in higher education.

Making the rough places plain: designing MEDLINE end user training.

Library personnel are frequently asked to design user education programs for orientation to medical databases online. These programs aim at promoting judicious use of online resources via searches conducted by librarian intermediaries or, more recently, at preparing end users to perform online searches themselves. This discussion will focus on factors considered in designing MEDLINE training for medical practitioners, including problems end users may encounter in extant user aids, and how these problems have been addressed in the new DIALOG Seminar for Medical professionals.

The evaluation of library user education with reference to the programme at Dorset Institute of Higher Education (DIHE)

In this study the author investigates the potential of two models of evaluation, the objectives model and the illuminative model, for use in the evaluation of the library user education programme at Dorset Institute of Higher Education. Examples of the evaluation instruments which are to be used during the 1983/4 session are included in the appendices to the report.

Clinical engineering in the southeast.

A fully developed in-house clinical engineering program has much to offer to a large community hospital. In the southeast U.S., many community hospitals-600 beds or fewer-have implemented partial programs and, as a result, have received only a partial return on their investment. A comprehensive program extends maintenance support to all patient-care devices, is intimately involved in the new device specification, evaluation, and selection process with the medical staff-standardizing whenever appropriate- and significantly involved in the continuing education program for in-house users of devices.

Communication effectiveness of symbolic safety signs with different user groups

Contrary to popular belief, little systematic evaluation has been undertaken of how well public information signs convey their intended message. The application of a proposed evaluation procedure, involving an initial Recognition Test and a subsequent Recall Test, to a set of occupational safety signs is reported. Respondents comprised migrants and native-born Australian attending adult literacy classes, including a group of recently-arrived Vietnamese. Despite inter-group differences in the total number of signs correctly identified on both Recognition and Recall Tests, the same signs gave rise to difficulty for all groups. The sources of difficulty are discussed in terms of distinctiveness of referents, comprehension of shape and colour code, and translation from symbol to referent. The implications of the test results for user education programmes is also considered.

Loran-C: Present and Future*

Since its inception, the Loran-C Radionavigation System has expanded, and now covers much of the Northern Hemisphere. Coast Guard plans concerning past Loran-C expansion are discussed, as well as the Loran-C user education program, and efforts to verify the accuracy of the system. Plans for possible future expansion and use of Loran-C are also outlined.