Dry as Dust? Think Again!Reviving a Weary Bibliographic Instruction Program

Hillary CampbellGovernment Documents Librarian

University of Texas at Dallas

Carol OshelDistance Learning LibrarianUniversity of Texas at Dallas

The Problem…Information IlliteracyUndergraduate students were, as a general rule,

not gaining information literacy skills as they progressed through their collegiate experience.

Rather, they stalled out in their abilities to seek and locate information, or they simply resorted to materials outside of the library’s resources…seldom to be seen or heard from again!

Statistical Evidence

Fewer patrons at the reference desk No increase in website / electronic resource

usage Increase in Subject-specific instruction

sessions

Observational Evidence…Reference Desk

Large number of upper-level undergrads / grads unfamiliar with basic library resources

Large number of students indicating library as “last resort”… when WWW searching proved fruitless

Inability to distinguish between peer-reviewed and popular titles

Observational Evidence – Library Instruction Sessions

“On-the-fly” remediation in subject-/ assignment- specific sessions

Less time for higher-level skills Students left unprepared Frustration of those not needing remediation

Rhetoric 1101 and Rhetoric 1302 Required for undergrads and transfers Addresses rigors of university life Library instruction component historically

optional, and underutilized Feedback solicited from faculty via printed

survey instrument – ineffective Better word-of-mouth faculty feedback

Rhetoric 1101-Faculty Response Some dissatisfied with the depth of

information or style of presentation No-shows resulted in “babysitting”

atmosphere Some didn’t foster good learning environment Some lacked information literacy skills –

passed on to students

The Rhetoric 1101 Library Component…

Was in trouble Could be a key player

in fighting the outbreak of information illiteracy

Needed help!

Plan of Attack – Strike Quickly

Previous statistics and feedback compiled

Librarians met to determine strategy

Faculty damage control

Plan of Attack – The Facts

Rhetoric 1101 library component completely revamped

Input sought from faculty Two librarians (both former high school

teachers) appointed to task force

Good Fortune! New Director of

Undergraduate Advising made library component mandatory for Rhetoric 1101 curriculum

New advocate intrinsic to success of new program

The Stage Was Set…

Faculty Input

Physical tour of the library Searching for articles online Peer-Reviewed vs. Popular Citation Styles Not Everything is on the WWW

Teaching Librarian Input

Core Elements Eradicate duplication between Rhetoric 1101

and Rhetoric 1302 Modify handouts distributed in sessions Order of presentation

Core Instructional Elements Introduce the Library Website – Useful WWW

resources, Ask-A-Librarian, VR, 1-on-1 library instruction

Introduce the Online Catalog - Basic and Keyword Searching

Not Everything is Online – Introduce Print Reference Sources

Introduce the Electronic Databases Evaluate Your Sources – Peer-reviewed vs. trade,

evaluating WWW resources

Handouts Before – A sheaf of handouts available at the

reference desk…messy and scattered…time-consuming…wasteful…left behind

After – A booklet…a compact guide to the library…less preparation for teaching librarian…less paper used…less cleanup…a more professional presentation

Publicity

Task Force addressed Rhetoric 1101 faculty Folders distributed Encouraged to schedule Q & A Generally positive response

Implementation

Rehearsed A LOT! Task force members initially taught all

sections Modified almost daily Other librarians eventually taught

Obstacles

Human Resources Class Length Faculty Resistance Teaching Librarian Resistance

Solutions – Human Resources

Patience Flexibility Determination

Solutions – Length of Session Core elements reordered according to priority

level Allowed for greater focus on most important

elements Elements of secondary importance ordered

last, as greater detail awarded in Rhetoric 1302 library component session

Solutions – Faculty Resistance Bibliographic Instruction Librarian would

ensure faculty attendance when scheduling session

Teaching Librarian would contact faculty member personally before session

Teaching Librarian would encourage non-attending faculty member to take roll at the end of the session

Solutions – Teaching Librarian Resistance Task force encouraged communication of

concerns Discussed, as a group, ways to combat these

issues Task Force emphasized “the big picture” Encouraged to observe sessions conducted by

task force A customizable session script was created

Measuring Success (or failure…) Follow-up email sent to each faculty member Online evaluation survey Compiled and compared data to prior year Reference Desk statistics Academic Search Premier statistics Word-of-mouth

Conclusions More than 10% of student body

reached through library instruction during September, 2003

Reaching more students increased usage of library resources

Increased use of library resources confirms viability of academic library

The Future of Rhetoric 1101

Constant cycle of seeking input and implementing change

Online tutorials for distance learners

New Director of Undergraduate Advising

Paper / Presentation

www.utdallas.edu/~hxc024100/dry.doc

www.utdallas.edu/~hxc024100/dry.ppt