Education Commons^™

Teaching Information Literacy: A Review Of 100 Syllabi, Rachael E. Elrod, Elise D. Wallace, Cecelia B. Sirigos

The Southeastern Librarian

This study presents an analysis of 100 syllabi of creditbearing information literacy (IL) courses from colleges and universities across the United States. The objective was to determine how IL courses were being presented and taught in academic settings; how many credits were offered; the duration of the course; platform used to teach - face to face, online, or other methods; how students were graded; what types of assignments were used, and what topics were being taught and how. The authors hypothesized that over the course of six years since the original study, syllabi would show significant changes as technology has …

Read Fest: Academic Library Programming For Pre-Kindergarten Students, Laura Wright, Michael Holt

The Southeastern Librarian

Three factors influence an academic library’s decision to interact with the community; a need expressed from the community, the mission of the library, and a response to a specific problem (Schneider 2003). Odum Library at Valdosta State University (VSU) developed Read Fest in response to a perceived need in the community and in support of the library’s mission. Historically, South Georgia has had a high illiteracy rate; according to the National Center for Education Statistics most recent (2003) estimates, an average 22% of residents in Lowndes County and its neighbors lack basic literacy skills. Read Fest is an opportunity for …

Partnering To Teach Orienteering: The Ut Libraries' And Ut Outdoor Program's Experience, Gregory H. March, Benjamin Darnell

The Southeastern Librarian

Working with departments on campus to foster and support learning is a fundamental component of the University of Tennessee (UT) Libraries’ service philosophy. Academic libraries that have a broader view of the traditional liaison model and seek to develop unique and non-departmental relationships can raise their profile on campus (Dahl 2007, 3). An example of such a relationship, one that has provided a real life collaborative learning experience for students, is the partnership between the UT Libraries and the University of Tennessee Outdoor Progr am (UTOP) to teach orienteering.

Best Practices For Hiring Academic Librarians With Faculty Status And Rank, Christopher Shaffer

The Southeastern Librarian

When library school students graduate, their primary goal frequently is to find a job; they may have a preference for a position as a public librarian, academic librarian, or school media specialist, but most important is finding gainful employment in order to put food on the table. The person responsible for hiring academic librarians must attempt to discern, based on a résumé and a relatively brief personal interview whether a candidate is capable of performing the basic tasks of being a librarian, interacting with faculty, guiding students, and performing their duties as a member of the academy. To make the …

Of Fairs And Festivals: Librarians Teach Thematic First-Year Seminars, Donna Braquet, Micheline Westfall

The Southeastern Librarian

For almost a century, library skills instruction by academic librarians has been a vital component of university programs created to help first-year students adapt to the social and academic environment of college life (Walter, 2004). Asretention of first-year students has become a strategic goal for universities, a variety of firstyear experience (FYE) programs have been developed over the last decade to address this goal. For many academic librarians, the FYE programs have resulted in an increased collaboration with faculty (Walter, 2004). This collaboration ranges from assisting faculty with incorporating information literacy skills within classroom instruction to embedding librarians within classes …

Making Research Make Sense: Guiding College Students Into Information Literacy Through The Information Search Process, Jeffrey M. Mortimore

The Southeastern Librarian

Bennett College for Women is a private, four year college serving approximately 725 African-American women in Greensboro, North Carolina. Because of its unique demographic as one of only two all-female, historically black colleges in the United States, Bennett College attracts women from across the country and the world with a profound diversity of talents and preparation for undergraduate study. The Thomas F. Holgate Library supports the research needs of the college through an active instructional services program at the undergraduate level. While the library has provided library orientation and traditional bibliographic instruction for decades, during the 2007/8 academic year, and …

Integrating Information Literacy Instruction In An Upper-Division Writing-Intensive Class, Ellen K. Wilson, Jeffrey M. Blankenship

The Southeastern Librarian

Writing-intensive courses are a required component of undergraduate education at the University of South Alabama, but often the courses are designed to test students’ writing skills, rather than to teach the research and writing process. In the fall of 2008, an instruction librarian and an assistant professor in political science collaborated to redesign one writing intensive course, Public Administration (PSC 401), in an attempt to address this dilemma. This project was born out of frustration – frustration on the part of the professor about the generally poor quality of writing and research skills by students in the course the previous …

An Innovative Approach For Creating A Self-Guided Video Tour In An Academic Library, John H. Sandy, Mangala Krishnamurthy, Wayne Rau

The Southeastern Librarian

Millions of students visit academic libraries each year, hoping to achieve success in the classroom and make progress with their research. Many of these students need help in navigating the complex services, collections, and facilities of a large academic library. Librarians often respond to this need by offering in-person orientation tours. However, with this approach, library personnel are unable to reach all who need assistance. Furthermore, the schedules of busy students and busy librarians do not always coincide, and students may prefer to learn about the library in a more flexible, self-paced fashion. It’s known that in-person tours are a …

Night Vision Goggles Or Rose Colored Glasses: A Unique Perspective On Training The Library Graduate Assistant In Instruction, Mary Todd Chesnut

The Southeastern Librarian

A review of the course descriptions for the twelve ALA-accredited Library and Information Graduate Schools in the southeastern states identified that the majority offer only one or two elective course related to library instruction (see appendix). These courses cover topics such as curriculum design, learning theory, best practices for teaching, and information literacy strategies. Some graduate program curriculums do not offer specific courses in library instruction, instead including it as a topic in a broader course such as Academic Libraries or in conjunction with a school media specialty.

Bibliographic Instruction Lessons From A New Librarian, Carley Suther

The Southeastern Librarian

Although I have worked in the library profession for two years, it has taken longer to understand the phenomenon of bibliographic instruction. My pre-library school background is in education, but marrying the two disciplines has not been as easy as I first assumed. I had read a lot of helpful articles about library instruction in general, but ran across very few that were geared towards best practices and advice for new librarians. In this article I will address some of the key issues that I faced when first confronted with the challenge of library instruction.

Building Collaborative Reference And Instructional Services For Distance Education Students, Angela P. Whitehurst, Carolyn N. Willis

The Southeastern Librarian

To meet the needs of rigorous educational programs, academic libraries must make a commitment to serve growing distance education (DE) populations. Students who participate in distance education are typically older, nontraditional students with unique characteristics who need special services provided by their university library in order to obtain an education equal to their on-campus counterparts. Creating a successful reference and instructional service for distance education students not only takes planning, collaboration, and assessment, but also requires knowing your audience, constantly experimenting with new technologies, expecting the unexpected, and being ready to problem-solve at a moment’s notice. In this article, the …

Toward Understanding International Students: A Study Conducted At Middle Tennessee State University, Jiannan Wang

The Southeastern Librarian

The number of international students in American universities has increased over the years and has drawn great attention from librarians, library staff, and researchers. In order to serve this particular patron group more effectively, a number of studies have been conducted to understand their difficulties in using American library systems. In consequence, different approaches have been taken to try to help them. As each university or college may have its own library instruction system, and as the composition and features of international students at different universities may vary, it is difficult to apply available strategies without a thorough understanding of …

Social Policy And Constructivism: Using Constructivist Learning Theory In Teaching Social Work Students Research Skills, Linda Sizemore, Brad Marcum

The Southeastern Librarian

Principles of constructivist learning theory were used in developing a process-oriented approach to research skills instruction as applied to real world social problems and social policy responses. Building upon past experiences in establishing collaborative relationships with social work faculty, the theories of constructivism, Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process, and collaborative learning were incorporated into the framework of efforts to provide library instruction at important developmental phases, also known as “zones of intervention”, in student coursework involving three successive social work classes. This article will attempt to describe the above concepts and articulate how these concepts were employed in efforts to improve …

Promoting Literacy Initiatives Abroad Through Rotary Partnerships, Carol Walker Jordan

The Southeastern Librarian

In the Spring of 2005, on a trip to Atlanta, an article in the US Airways Magazine, August 2005, p. 75, caught my attention, "Universal Literacy: And How Room to Read Contributes To That Goal," by Michael Ybarra. Michael described how John Wood in 1998 quit his job as a marketing director at Microsoft to go trekking in Nepal. Invited by a local teacher to visit a classroom of a village school at Bahundanda, Wood described the conditions to be appalling--80 kids in one grade with 20 books described as backpacker castoffs-for example. Danielle Steel and Lonely Planet's guide to …

I Wonder Who's Using Us Now: Hurricane Katrina's Influence On Use Of Special Collections At The University Of New Orleans Library, Florence M. Jumonville

The Southeastern Librarian

On the afternoon of Friday, August 26, 2005, a student approached the reference desk at the University of New Orleans (UNO) library’s Louisiana and Special Collections Reading Room and returned the book from the UNO Faculty Authors Collection that he had been perusing. It was a routine transaction, and department personnel had no inkling that this one would be the last that their department would make for more than four months. Weatherwatchers, however, already were aware of the threat posed by Hurricane Katrina, which was then churning in the Gulf of Mexico. Television broadcasts that evening brought alarming forecasts which …

Popcorn N' Picture Books: Promoting Children's Books In Academic Libraries, Laurie Charnigo, Carley Suther

The Southeastern Librarian

The educational value of children’s literature is supported by a numerous body of research. Helping children to read, write, develop fluency, critical thinking skills and multicultural awareness are just a few of the essential benefits children’s books provide. During the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, children’s book publishing has risen from a small publishing venture to big business. About 2,000 books were published for children in 1960. By the nineties, this number increased to 5,000 and has continued to rise. The “voluminous body of high-quality literature” published yearly makes selection by librarians difficult. As Bernice Cullinan and Lee Galda note, “Our …

Translating The Libraries: A Multilingual Information Page For International Students, Jennifer Mcclure, Mangala Krishnamurthy

The Southeastern Librarian

University libraries have long recognized the special needs of international students on campus, but have struggled to find the best ways to bridge the cultural and linguistic barriers and thereby demystify the library experience. The University of Alabama’s online Information Page for International Students (http://www.lib.ua.edu/international/), which was first mounted on the Libraries’ website in 2004, was an attempt to meet this need; however, only when the page was translated into Spanish and Chinese, two of the campus’s most prominent languages, did the advantages of library information in students’ native languages become fully apparent.

Partners With A Vision: Librarians And Faculty Collaborate To Develop A Library Orientation Program At A Non-Traditional Campus, Jo Anne Bryant, Alyssa Martin, Jana J. Slay

The Southeastern Librarian

In Fall 2004, the Chair of the Department of Communication and Fine Arts was charged with customizing the TROY University Orientation course (TROY 1101) curriculum and activities for the Montgomery Campus student population. After talking with the Montgomery Campus library director about the need for including a comprehensive library component, the Chair began working with two librarians to create a library orientation component for TROY 1101, a one-semester hour course that would be required for all new and transfer students effective Fall Semester 2005.

Teaching Information Literacy At Delta State University, Michael Mounce

The Southeastern Librarian

LIB 101: Fundamentals of Information Literacy is a one credit hour course which has been designed at Delta State University to provide DSU students with information literacy skills needed for conducting research. Information literacy skills taught in this course include skills such as performing effective searches and evaluating resources. This course is a general education requirement elective. Although it is an elective course, it is highly recommended by DSU reference librarians to students, since information literacy skills are necessary for research.

In the Fall of 2004, the LIB 101 course began to be taught at DSU. During the fall 2004 …

Small Select Library Or Miserable Excuse: Antebellum College Libraries In The American Southeast, Patrick M. Valentine

The Southeastern Librarian

What role did antebellum college libraries play in the development of the South? National studies rarely mention southern institutions, while institutional histories neglect the role of the library. Yet the history of southern antebellum college libraries should be of special interest because this was often their initial formative period. There were few college libraries in the South prior to 1800 but many were founded in the following decades. It was in the last decades before the Civil War that the South first became really aware of the need for widespread education. At the same time, southern colleges were in many …

Promoting Your School Library’S Services With An E-Mail Newsletter, Roxanne M. Spencer

The Southeastern Librarian

In this age of competing services and resources, school libraries constantly look for ways to promote their services and engender excitement among students. From book fairs to literature circles to guest lecturers, the evolving school library media center must continually showcase its services. Librarians have often been hesitant to promote their services, but necessity has forced us all to become more marketing oriented. The library newsletter offers one inexpensive, non-aggressive, but effective way to reach out to fellow teachers, administrators, and students and parents.

Solinet, Amigos, Nelinet, Nylink, And Palinet Launch The Network Education Exchange

The Southeastern Librarian

SOLINET, Amigos Library Services, Inc., NELINET, Nylink, and PALINET announce the launch ofthe Network Education Exchange, a cooperative training program that makes selected online courses available to the members of the five networks. The purpose of this new exchange program is to provide their memberships with expanded opportunities to develop skills and knowledge via online training and to provide more cost-effective services by leveraging time and resources among the networks’ staff.

Department-Integrated Information Literacy: A Middle Ground, William Joseph Thomas

The Southeastern Librarian

Much of the current literature on information literacy on college and university campuses encourages instructional services librarians and departments to pursue one of two options: either integrate information literacy into the curriculum as a campus-wide initiative, or establish a forcredit information literacy course taught by librarians. For a variety of reasons, instructional programs may not be able to accomplish either of these goals immediately. Perhaps the library does not have the institutional influence to mount a campus-wide program, or maybe the library lacks the needed resources in terms of personnel or instructional facilities. Tackling the planning required for a program …

Academic Librarians And Outreach Beyond The College Campus, Iona R. Malanchuk, Marilyn N. Ocha

The Southeastern Librarian

Although numerous efforts have been made to enhance the literacy skills of children and youth, recent research clearly demonstrates the continuing need to develop and implement additional imaginative programs which lead to an increase in reading and reading comprehension skills. Whereas public and school media librarians have paved the way towards building successful literacy programs, academic librarians should also participate in literacy outreach programs for children and youth in order to help build these skills and encourage lifelong learning. This article addresses why and how academic librarians can help with the nation’s efforts to combat illiteracy.

Solinet Offers Iacet - Certified Continuing Education Units

The Southeastern Librarian

Classes offered by SOLINET’s Educational Services now offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs), a major benefit to library staff needing to enhance or maintain their professional credentials.

Hbcu (Historically Black Colleges And Universities) News

The Southeastern Librarian

Library news from historically Black colleges and universities.

Eku Libraries And The Nova Program: Collaborating To Bring Information Literacy To First Year Students, Brad Marcum

The Southeastern Librarian

During the fall semester of 2003, Eastern Kentucky University libraries and the NOVA program for first year students initiated a collaborative effort aimed at achieving two goals: 1) better prepare the one hundred students selected to participate in the NOVA program for their career at EKU, and 2) provide those students with information literacy skills needed to function as discriminating consumers of information throughout their lives.

This article will discuss the creation and outcomes of our first year of collaboration. It will touch on our positive experiences and on some of the challenges EKU librarians encountered as we worked with …

Sacs Standards 2004: A Compliance Strategy For Academic Libraries, William N. Nelson

The Southeastern Librarian

This article first provides an introduction to and summary of Principles of Accreditation accompanied by a detailed list of provisions specifically applicable to libraries in higher education. The provisions and importance of Standards for College Libraries, approved by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) in 2000, are summarized and examples of implementation are identified. In a 2003 revision, minimal changes were made to these ACRL standards, which received final approval as the ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education in June 2004. These standards now supercede the three ACRL type-of-library standards produced separately for universities, colleges, and community …

The Relationship Of Undergraduate Students’ Self-Assessment Of Library Skills To Their Opinion Of Library Instruction: A Self-Reporting Survey, Christopher A. Freeman

The Southeastern Librarian

College students, in general, are known to be lacking in their ability to effectively make use of academic library resources, yet in many previous studies these same students have estimated their library-use skills at inflated levels. Neither do college students in general often willingly take advantage of library instruction opportunities. A self-reporting survey was administered to forty first-year college students in order to investigate whether students’ tendency to over-estimate library use skills has an effect on student opinion about library instruction in general. Results from the survey not only indicate that such a relationship may exist, but also strongly support …

Seeding The Vision: Designing A Minority Librarian Residency Program, Thura Mack, Jill Keally

The Southeastern Librarian

The University of Tennessee Libraries, in keeping with a long-standing commitment to diversity, is launching its first minority librarian residency program. The UT program follows examples set by ALA, ACRL, ARL, and many other information organizations, which foster cultural enrichment and understanding of cultural differences. The aforementioned associations continue to provide successful residency and internship programs at various ranks of librarianship. In 1997, ARL launched the Leadership and Career Development Program (LCD Program) designed to prepare more minority leaders within academic libraries. Also in 1997, ALA started the Spectrum Scholar Initiative program to encourage and increase minority student enrollment in …