·

School AcademicPublic Special

LIBRARY INSTRUCTION ROUND TABLE NEWS

-�LIRT

The purpose of L1RT is to advocate library instruction as a means for developing competentlibrary and information use as a part of life-long learning.

March 2000 volume 22 no. 3 issn 0270-6792

FROM THE VICE PRESIDENTByAlison Armstrong, alison.armstrong@uc.edu

It's hard to believe that by the time this newsletter reaches

you, it will have been nearly two months since the MidwinterConference in San Antonio. For those of us in the colder

regions of the country, the pleasant warmth of Texas is a

lovely yet fast fading memory. Aside from the beautifulweather (I'd like to extend a special thank you to the local

arrangements folks for making that possible) what else doyou recall of your time at the conference? Perhaps you wereable to enjoy one or more Bites with LlRT. Were you able to

stop by or volunteer at the LlRT booth? Did you participatein the LlRT discussion forum? These are just a few ofthe

opportunities for participation available to us at the MidwinterConference. In addition to committee work, it's these kindsof interactions with our colleagues that make conferences soworthwhile, so valuable and so rewarding.

If you are not already an active member of LlRT, I would

encourage you to become one. Becoming active in LlRT hasbeen one of the most rewarding aspects ofmy professionalcareer as well as being personally enriching. LlRT will be

expanding its committees (read Mitch's article on page twofor details) and therefore there will be new opportunities foryou to become an active participant in LlRT. Every confer­ence, l look forward to seeing my LlRT colleagues at our

Instruction in the School Library

A Unique School Library ... Mead Libraryat the Uni,versity of FloridaBy lona R. Malanchuk, ionmala@mail.uflib.ufl.edu

Envision this: a school librarywith a five-year-old standingnext to a twelve-year-old, a seventeen-year-old on his otherside anda twenty-seven-year-old graduate student waitingpatiently behind ...all needing help at the same time. Did Imean to say a public library? Nope. This is indeed a school

library in Gainesville, Florida and this is a normal day. Mead

Library at the University of Florida's P. K. Yonge School, oneof the four developmental research schools throughout thestate, serves a K�12 student bodyAND the huge Universityof Florida student and faculty populations. Unique? You bet.Did I forget to mention that a botany professor is also waitingin line for help? Just another day for this librarian and a fun

challenge is how I view it. continued on page 6...

Saturday morning All-Committee Meeting. Within thisrelaxed yet productive large group setting, we are updated onthe relevant organizational issues and then we move into ourcommittees and get some work done. Our work concernsboth keeping the organization on-track and healthy as wellkeeping ourselves and our colleagues aware of the currentinstructional issues facing librarians from all types of librar­ies. Although we have many active members at the AII­Committee meeting Saturdaymorning, we wish there weremore still more participation.

Just as one of our instructional concerns is how to reachhard-to-reach or remote library users, an on-going concern ofLlRT's is how to reach hard-to-reach or remote librarians. Ournewsletter and website reach many librarians but thoselibrarians are not necessarily reaching back and becomingactive in LlRT. Many librarians attend ourwonderful pro­grams at annual conference but again those librarians arenot reaching back and becoming active in LlRT. For those of

you who attend conference and are not active in LlRT, Iwould ask you to reconsider your level of participation andlook anew at the many opportunities LI RT provides forprofessional development.

continued on page 15...

INSIDE

Uy. TEACHING•..... PER��E

MIDWINTERLlRTAnnual Program " p. 4

Bylaws Changes p. 2Committee Reports p. 11Non-LiRT Meetings p. 8Discussion Forum p .. 5LlRT Representative to ADA Assembly needed p. 2

Slate for LlRTOffices p. 3

Teaching Tips: Presentation Skills p. 7

COLUMNSCheck These Out. p. 9MemberA-LlRT. p.14NewsBites pp. 2, 5, 8Software Review: Search Engines for LibraryWeb Sites p. 15TECH TALK p. 12

From the Editor:

Did you know that you do not have to be a member of LlRT to

contribute to LlRT News? We invite librarians from all

teaching arenas to submit articles to be published in LlRTNews. The articles needn't be lengthy, around 500 words willbe fine. I know many of you have stories of courage, perse­verance and creative problem solving to share. We espe­cially welcome articles about instruction programs in schooland public libraries. Don't worry if you are not experienced in

writing for publication, because I have a magic wand that Ican wave, turning your story into a nail-gripping adventure in

library instruction.

Please email me your submissions at cfblc@eiu.edu. Or if

you prefer, send a diskette to me at 707 Lakeshore Drive,Tuscola, Illinois 61953.

I'm looking forward to reading your stories!

-- Barb Cressman, EditorLlRTNews

NewsBitesJim Millhorn was promoted to Head ofAcquisitions at North­ern Illinois University.

Carol Schuetz and Mary Goolsby will present a sessionbefore the Innovative Users Group on OPAC migration in

Philadelphia, April 29 - May 2, 2000.

Sharon Stewart recently published an article in Strategies.

Haiwang Yuan is this year's recipient of the KentuckiesLibraries Award for writing the best feature article in last

year's Kentucky Libraries.

LlRT News is published quarterly (September, December, March,-June) by the Library Instruction Round Table of the American

Library Association. Copies are available only through annualALAlLIRTmembership.URL: <http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/instructllirtllirt.html>Editor: Barbara Cressman, Booth Library, Eastern Illinois UniversityCharleston, IL 61920 Email: cfblc@eiu.eduPhone: 217-581-7542 FAX: 217-581-6911

Contributions to be considered for the June 2000 issuemust be sent to the editor by April 15, 2000.

Send claims to Pat Jackson, OLPR, 800-545-2433, X4281 , American

Library Association, 50 E. Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611. All materialin the LlRT News is subject to copyright by ALA. Material may be

photocopied for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or

educational advancement. Production Editor: Jana S. Ronan.©American Library Association.

2

WE WANT YOU!

Your Executive Board is looking for a dedicated individualto represent LlRT on the ADA Assembly. That group is

looking at how ALA units are dealing with ADA issues.This is a two-year appointment. The zinger is that thisAssemblymeets at the end of conference on Tuesdaymorning so we need an individual that can stay throughthe end of conference. If you're interested or have addi­tional questions, contact Vice-PresidentlPresident-ElectAlison Armstrong at: alison.armstrong@uc.edu, or 513-556-1761.

Also, because a number of you have voiced your concern:to us, your Steering Committee and Executive Board havebeen discussing the need and desire for new committeesWe would like to get at least two new LlRT committees uland running by the summer conference, if not sooner.What we need is sufficient expression of interest to moveforward on this. One committee will focus on instructionfor adult populations, the other will focus on instruction forthe high school to college transition. If you are interestedin being a part of these new activities, contact AlisonArmstrong immediately.

-- Mitch Stepanovich, L1RTPresiden

Proposed Changes to URT'sConstitution & Bylaws

On this spring's ballot you will find proposed changes toour Constitution and Bylaws which focus on three areas 0

organizational concern. The first section of proposedchanges clarify the place of appointed positions, such as

the Electronic Resources Manager and the Publicity Coordinator, and regularize the appointment process for thesepositions. The second section brings LlRT's procedure foramending the Constitufion and Bylaws in line with ALA

procedures. The third section acknowledges tonq-standmcpractice, as detailed in the URT Manual, relating to theImmediate Past President, the Immediate Past Treasurer,and the appointment of committee members.

The Organization & Bylaws Committee have proposedthese changes, and they have been approved by LlRT'sExecutive Board. We encourage you to take the time toread and think about these issues when you receive yourLlRT ballot this spring-and to vote.

-- Gale Burrow Chair, Organization & Bylaws Commliiei

LlRT News, March 2001

SLATE FOR LIRT OFFICE, 2000-2001

Linda ChopraCandidate for Vice-President!President-Elect

Support Services Supervisor, ClevelandHeights. University Heights PublicLibrary, 1983- .

M.L.S., Kent State University, 1980;B.S. in Ed. English, Kent State Univer­

sity, 1971; Graduate courses in man­

agement and automation, Kent StateUniversity, 1982-84.

ALA Activities: LlRT Chair, 5 year Fi­nancial Planning Committee, 1998-1999; LlRTTreasurer, 1996-1998; LlRTPublic Relations/ Membership Commit­tee, 1993-1995.

Statement ofProfessional Concerns:

Library instruction, whether conductedin groups in a traditional classroom

setting or one-on one with users as

needed, has become increasinglymoreimportant as libraries have added new

technologies and electronic resourcesto their collections. As a public librarianwho serves the "average guy/gal on thestreet", I feel a particularly strong com­mitment to teaching information-gather­ing skills to those who do not have the

opportunity or means to acquire and

comprehend information on complexsubjects and issues. Libraries are

providing users with access to thisinformation in many different formats­

periodicals, books, online databases,CD-ROM products, the Internet, etc. -

and must now recognize the ongoingneed for instruction to accompany thisaccess. Libraries of all kinds - public,academic, school, special, - share the

responsibility for teaching our usershow to locate and evaluate informationfrom the vast variety of sourcesavailable.

.

TEACHINGAS

PERFORMANCE

LlRT News, March 2000

Judy ClarenceCandidate for SecretaryMusic Librarian and Instructional and

Interpretive Services Librarian, CaliforniaState University,Hayward, 1990-.

BA, John F. Kennedy University, 1980;M.L.I.S., UniversityofCalifornia, Berke­ley, 1982.

ALA Activities: MARS, PublicationsCommittee, 1999- ; LlRT NewsletterCommittee 1991-95, Chair and Editor,1993-1995; LlRT Long-Range PlanningCommittee 1995-97; LlRT PRiMember­

ship Committee 1997-1999.

Statement ofProfessional Concerns:I happily welcome the opportunity toserve LlRT in the capacity of Secretary.As an active instruction librarian I enjoythe opportunities LlRT provides to shareideas, experiences, problems and solu­tions with other instruction librariansfrom public, school and special as wellas academic libraries. Additionally, Ihave observed, appreciated, and partici­pated in LlRT's hard work to assure that

Library Instruction remains central toALA's mission and vision; this hardwork has resulted in greater awarenessof instructional activities within andoutside of our profession. I served on

the LlRT Steering Committee severalyears ago as Editor of the LI RT News­letter and Chair of the Newsletter Com­

mittee, and now-after nine years of LlRTcommittee involvement -I feel ready toagain take on a leadership role.

Kari LucasCandidate for SecretaryHead, Undergraduate LibraryUniversity of California, San Diego.

Grand Valley State University, 1979;University ofMichigan, 1981.

ALA Activfties:ACRUIS/Management ofInstruction Services Chair, 1996; LlRTPresident 1997-98; LlRTConferenceProgram.

Statement ofProfessional Concerns:In addition to being timely and accu-

rate, the LlRT Secretary must have a

broad understanding of LlRT organiza­tionally to make the minutes of the

meeting understandable.

Marcia King-BlandfordCandidate for TreasurerNice­Treasurer

Coordinator, Information and InstructionServices; University of Toledo, CarlsonLibrary, 1991- .

A.M.L.S., University of Michigan, 1981;M. Ed, Educational Leadership, West­ern Kentucky University, 1979.

ALA Activities: LlRT Public Relations/

Membership, 1997-1999; LlRT AnnualProgram Committee, Chair, 1997;ACRL-STS General Discussion Group,Co-Chair, 1996-1998.

Statement ofProfessional Concerns:I want librarians to be the visible lead­ers of the integration of the Internet intoour daily lives. Librarians possess theskills and knowledge to assist peopleto meet their information needs in a

timely and efficient manner. People areexcited and overwhelmed with the pres­ence of the Internet. They are startingto recognize the importance of manag­ing information knowledge. For genera­tions, librarians have been the back­bone of information and knowledge.Now is the time for librarians to stepforward and lead the way. LlRT with its

acceptance of all libraries and alilibrar­ians is the right organizations at the

right times!

Haiwang YuanCandidate for TreasurerNice-Trea­surer

Website & Virtual LibraryCoordinatorWestern Kentucky University Libraries& Museum, 1998-.

M.S. ofArt (History), Indiana University,1990; M.L.S., Indiana University, 1995.

ALA Activities: LlRT Computer Appli­cations Committee 1998-1999, Chair1999-2000.

continued on page 8 ...

3

, As PerformanceL/RT lr/JD nnua

Sunday, juJy 9, 20009:30 am - 12:30 pmLocation TJ3A

As, teaching librarians, we are always "on stage,"Like actors and.otner performers, 0ur ability tocommunicate our message depends not only on

content. but on how well we present ourselves:

• \'A/hat can \,.0,/12 learn from th 12 tneatrica I

profezsion» to enhance our teaching?

• What techniques can we use to connect with

our audience?

This practical program \,.<,/ill focus on ways to

improve library instruction through better

presentation skills,

Our speakers will include a teaching librarian.and a professiona / actor.

8kl\\lO!

LIRT Discussion Forum, Midwinter 2000by Vanessa Burford, vburford@utsa.edu

About thirty librarians attended the LlRTDiscussion Forum at 9:30 am on Janu­

ary 16. After brainstorming for topics,the attendees broke into small discus­sion groups, and later shared theresults of their discussions. The five

topics included: 1) Hard to Reach Pa­

trons, 2) Reaching First-Year Students,3), Reaching Transfer Students, 4)Designing Instruction to Address a

Variety of Skill Levels & Subjects, and5) Collaboration Between High School& College Libraries to Equip HighSchool Graduates.

Hard to Reach Patrons

Group 1 focused on faculty, distancelearners/home users, and non-users.Main points of the discussion included

communication, training, and conve­nience factors.

Librarians can increase levels of com­munication by establishing liaison rela­

tionships with faculty departments, andpublic and school libraries. A benefitthat many would like to see in additionto marketing library instruction serviceswould be increased communicationwith faculty regarding their assignmentssuch as course outlines, contact in­structions, and assignment notebooks.

Training of faculty could be accom­

plished by attending departmentalmeetings to introduce library servicesand resources and methods of teachingtheir students to evaluate resources.

Convenience was stressed when dis­

cussing distance learners. Remoteusers of the library find it helpful whenprovided with toll-free telephone num­

bers, course web pages, and librariancontact information provided on the

syllabus. Linda Goff shared the CSUSLibrary Distance LearningWebsite at

<http://www.csus.edu/csuslibr/services/deal/>.

LlRT News, March 2000

Reaching First-Year Students

Under discussion was library servicemarketing to first-year students, includ­ing the size of the institution, librarypresence in campus life, influence ofdepartment liaisons, collaboration withhigh schools, and teaching to mixedresearch skill levels.

The issue receiving the most attentionwas preparation for instruction to a

group with mixed research skill levels.Possible solutions included partneringstudents with unlike research skills,consulting with faculty to discuss spe­cific assignments, and asking faculty tooffer a pretest to determine students'research skill levels.

A corresponding issue raised in thisdiscussion was that of "never-endingbasic instruction": how do we keepstudents interested past their immedi­ate need and facilitate a greater transferof knowledge?

Reaching Transfer Students

One option raised by Group 3 to ad­dress the needs of transfer studentsincluded making information compe­tencya requirement. Research wasalso recommended to discover which

departments receive the most transfersand assessing information skills at

junior colleges and feeder schools.

Instruction service marketing was alsodiscussed, with service options suchas providing instruction for upper divi­sion research classes and creatingwebliographies and pathfinders for spe­cific subjects.

Designing Instruction to Address aVariety of Skill Levels & Subjects

Or, what do I include/exclude with only50 minutes to present? Members inthis group stressed the importance of

differentiating between orientation andinstruction.

Library orientation could be facilitated

through tours either at the library facilityor via the Web. Instruction should havea more pedagogical focus than orienta­tion, and should be subject oriented,possibly assignment based. Instructionwould likely include orientation, butalso lecture, discussion, and/or groupwork to address topic selection, criticalthinking, and search strategies. Hand­outs and worksheets, both in print andon the Web, could be included.

Collaboration Between High School& College Libraries to Equip HighSchool Graduates

The perception ofGroup 5 was thatstudents entering higher education are

not prepared to use the college / univer­sity library. Possible solutions to the

problem included outreach and market­

ing of library instruction services suchas addressing students seeking mediacertification and teachers/media spe­cialists attending in-services. Coordi­

nating with community college and

public librarians is another method of

finding ways to address inbound stu­dents' research abilities.

Other suggestions included obtaininggrants for outreach to K-12 institutionsand students in bridging programs suchas Upward Bound, and publicizingWebtutorials.

Vanessa Burford is a reference librarianat the University of Texas, San Antonio.•

NewsBitesCynthia Akers was promoted to Headof Access Services at Emporia StateUniversity, Kansas.

Mari Ellen Leverence won the FacultyExcellence Award for 1999 at GovenorsState University.

Vanessa Burford has a new job in refer­ence at the University of Texas at SanAntonio library.

5

Unique School Librarycontinued from page 1 ...

Now picture this: one hour later I am

teaching a university online retrievalsystem to fourth graders. This state

university computer system is what allour K-12th grade students must use tolocate material in their school library,and they use it alongside universityundergraduates and graduate studentsfrom many different departments whoare in and out of Mead library all thetime. These elementary students alsouse this same online catalog to searchthe Internet or, as is the case with our

middle and high school students, theyuse it to electronically search the manyother databases available through theUniversity of Florida's WebLUIS sys­tem. On this day the fourth gradersneed to find information about their

assigned state. This permanentlyscheduled class of mine consists of 30nine and ten-year-olds who meet withme weekly from September throughMay to receive organized bibliographicinstruction. Today they have 45 min­utes to locate a map of New Mexico,find a description of the Sleeping BearDunes ofMichigan, the state flower ofNew York, a color photo of the state

flag ofWyoming, etc. Fifteen minuteslater an AP history class comes saun­

tering in to Mead Library, with about 28

sixteen-year-olds in various stages ofwakefulness, needing instruction on

how to locate relevant print and elec­tronic sources, primary and secondaryinformation, on the American Civil War

period. And waiting patiently for myattention is a university English majorwhose professor refused to accept hertopic for a paper she turned in yester­day: SHE HAS 24 HOURS TO DE­CIDE ONANOTHER TOPIC, RE­SEARCH ITAND WRITE A 10 PAGEPAPER ...WOULD I PLEASE HELPHER?

If you are at all familiar with school

libraries, you must be wondering howdoes this happen? The "typical" schoollibrary serves either an elementary,middle, or high school. How does one

successfully teach such an odd group-

6

ing? What about this weird scheduling:how is it possible to help more thanone class Simultaneously? Can they allfit? Just how many computers areavailable for such a diverse populacewith such disparate skills? To beginwith you must consider the number of

public workstations with Internet ac­cess that are available for hands on use

as you lead the younger students

through the steps of your well orga­nized highly structured assignment.Written in a vocabulary geared for thatparticular age group scheduled to bewith you, you must remember to al­

ways introduce the material at a slowerrate of speech. For a former New

Yorker, used to speaking and moving95 miles an hour, I learned this rather

quickly: varying age groups mean that

you must continually be mindful of

exactly who you are working with as

the ability levels vary greatly. You mustbe flexible.

Your rate of presentation of new con­

cepts as well as your rate of speech,must be slower. If, as on this particularday, an upper division class is alsoscheduled to come in, a little over onethird of the fourth graders can be on theseven computers designated for thisclass at the same time, and for aspecified period of time. Since this is

your class every week, you must keeptrack of which students have completedwhich assignment for you during anygiven week. You, not the classroomteacher, maintain a record of who hasdone which of your assignments, andyou, not the classroom teacher, correctthat written assignment. What aboutthe other students? They are workingon differentwritten assignments atdesignated tables which hold relatedreference books that were introduced tothe entire class a week or two earlier.This approach is similar to that of manyan elementary teacher who frequentlyorganize their class into centers withdifferent students working on differentactivities in smaller groups.

What about that high school class on

the other side? They, too, require in­struction and close supervision whenaccessing the Internet. Usually theyhave received an overview and hands on

instruction a few days earlier when Icould give them my undivided attentionSimilar to university level bibliographicinstruction, these classes are subjectspecific. However, these students havslimited class time to be in the library Sl

they require several days of scheduledlibrary instruction to research multiplesources. One effective approach is the

introductory overview followed by one 0more additional days to delve into the

specialized reference books, electronicsites, etc. with me available, not as thelecturer I had been in a former session,but available to answer their individual

questions, one on one or with smaller

groups working as a team. If theyarrive while I am teaching anotherclass, in this case an elementaryclass, the high school students (ormiddle school students for that matter)then receive my concentrated attentionA fundamental rule is to keep the agegroups somewhat separated. Utilizing (

cluster of seven computers with the

younger kids who work in pairs at acomputer, they are given step by stepinstructions to locate their library'smaterials just before the older groupcomes in and starts using the remain­ing twelve or so public workstations.

And what about those high energy,exasperating and lovable middle schoolstudents? Those classes of 33+ stu­

dents, more than any other age group,need to be divided into smaller groups.Here is where I utilize other adults

during bibliographic instruction. Almosalways, I involve the teacher, one of mystaffmembers and sometimes, if nec­essary, my university work study stu­dent. The mood swings of middleschoolers almost always means somedisruption so you have to be preparedfor it and not allow the instructional

process to break down. These sweetkids have moments of sheer idiocy.Unlike the cool guy facade of highschoolers, the middle school studentdoesn't hear how loud he/she is sound­

ing, they are easily offended by unin­tentional slights, and they frequentlyseek confirmation that someone doeslike them, that they are okay.

continued on page 14 ..

LlRT News, March 200(

Teaching Tips: Presentation Skills

Questions/Active Learning

Engage your audience by asking ques­tions. Whenever possible, incorporate a

variety of active learning techniques.

Ask questions to break the sequenceof your lecturing.

Ask questions to gain attention or clearup a misunderstanding.

Always pause after you ask a question.Learn to tolerate silence. When youask a question, smile and count si­lently to ten. Students are often un­

comfortable with silence and eventuallysomeone will respond to your question.

Paraphrase a question from the audi­ence to make sure you know what isbeing asked.

If asked a question and you don't knowthe answer, nevermake up an answer.Honesty is the best policy. Admit youdo not know, but also indicate that youwill locate the correct information as a

follow up.

Enthusiasm & Motivation

An enthusiastic presenter will deliver amore engaging lecture and captivatethe audience. Follow some of the tipslisted below to entice the audience tolisten before you begin to speak.

Arrive early and greet students. Berelaxed, confident, and friendly.

Show your enthusiasm and interest intheir learning and your teaching. Showthat you care about being effective andclear.

Be alert and aware of your audience'sneeds and desires.

Have a high energy level when present­ing; this will motivate your audienceand stimulate interest.

Eye Contact

One of the most important elements ofa good presentation is eye contact tolet your audience know you want tocommunicate with them.

Maintain eye contact with your audi­ence. It allows you to observe nonverbalmessages such as confused or

LlRT News, March 2000

questioning looks. Being able to pickup on nonverbal cues will allow you toadjust your presentation.

Look at the audience, not over them.Avoid looking above or between indi­viduals. Maintaining eye contact cre­ates a level of confidence from thepresenter and puts you in control. Letyour audience know that you are talk­ing to them, not at them.

Pan the audience. Avoid favoring oneside of the room or one individual. Lookacross the room making contact with

everyone in the class.

Voice

If you have a great presentation but noone can hear you, you are wasting thelistener's time. In order to communi­cate with your audience, they musthear you.

Warm your voice before the presenta­tion. Humming tends to make yourvoice last longer. Have a glass ofwateravailable during long presentations.

Ask the audience if they can hear you.Adapt volume to the size and acousticsof the room and to the number of stu­dents.

If you have a soft voice, consider usinga stationary or clip microphone. Speaknormally and don't make it the center ofattention. Wear clothing so microphonecan clip on easily.

Use inflection in your voice to createvariety in the presentation. Inflectionhelps when you want to emphasize a

point or bring closure to an issue.

You may want to try softening yourtone to show emphasis. A monotonevoice creates the impression that every­thing said is of equal importance.

Don't begin each sentence loudly, onlyto gradually decrease the volume.Maintain variation in your volume.

Speak directly to the group. If you turn

your head away, you may sound un­

clear and muffled.

All good presentations begin with orga­nization. Accomplish the goals andobjectives by structuring the presenta­tion in a logical manner.

Setting the Stage

Introduce yourself and welcome theaudience to the library or appropriatesetting.

Create interest in the subject by askinga thought provoking question or pre­senting a problem.

Be organized and outline the classobjectives. Let the audience knowwhat you will be covering in the ses­sion.

Strive for retention (quality as opposedto quantity of information). Don't try tocover too much material.

Be a good listener and observer. Beflexible and ready to adapt your teach­ing plan.

Be yourself! Don't say or do anythingthat goes against your own personality.An audience can quickly pick up on

false pretenses.

Rehearse your presentation in the roomwhere you will be teaching. Practicealoud.

Pace

Pace your presentation; Don't speaktoo fast or too slow. Knowing what youwill say can eliminate rambling andallow more fluency.

Time your presentation before deliveringit.

Vary the rate of speech. To emphasizea concept, deliver the information at aslower rate. To create a sense of ex­citement, deliver the information at aquicker rate.

Pause between concepts; silence isacceptable and effective whentransitioning.

Avoid using fillerwords ("um" or "okay").Vocalized pauses are distracting.

Knowwhere you should be in the pre­sentation within a given time limit. Ifyou are running out of time, don't racethrough the presentation. Know inadvance what you could eliminate fromyour presentation.

continued on page 8 ...

7

Presentation Skillscontinued from page 7...

Body Language

Be aware of your body language. Avoidcrossing your arms or pacing.

Use open movements, they make yourelax.

Use gestures to get your point acrossin a more clear manner.

Move around the room. This providesvariety for the audience.

If you use a lectern, move away from itat times. The presentation will not beengaging if you are constantly behind a

lectern.

Gripping the podium will not save youfrom your presentation; it will make youmore tense. Place your hands gentlyon the sides.

If you are using a computer monitor ona podium, avoid being hidden by themonitor. Adjust the height or makesure you move from behind so the audi­ence can see you.

Use of Language

Delivering a more effective presentationis gained by experience. However, byfollowing a few rules of thumb, you willfind your presentations to be lessstressful and more engaging; makingyou a more effective teacher.

Use language the audience will under­stand. Use metaphors or analogies toexplain a concept. Create images theaudience can relate to.

Articulate your words clearly and cor­

rectly.

Know the correct pronunciation ofwords you use. To insure correct pro­nunciation, consult a current dictionaryor a pronouncing dictionary.

Create a conversational mode, notoratory.

Don't use jargon. In most cases, stu­dents will not know the meaning ofcommonly used library terms and willnot ask for the definition.

8

Bibliography

Harris, Jean M. Presentation Skills forTeachers. London: Kogan Page,1995.

Ingram, Dorothy S. and Judith Brook."It's NotWhat You Say: Presenta­tion Skills for BI Librarians." South­eastern Librarian. 40 (Spring 1990):5-7

Jeffrey, Robert C. and Owen Peterson.Speech: A Text with AdaptedReadings. New York: Harper andRow, 1980.

Nibley, Elizabeth. "Use of Metaphor inBibliographic Instruction". RQ30(Spring 1991) 343-347.

Quebin, Nido R. How to Be a GreatCommunicator: In Person. on Paper.and on the Podium. New York:Wiley, 1997.

American LibraryAssociation, LibraryInstruction Round Table, ResearchCommittee, June 1999 •

NewsBitesJim Millhorn was promoted to Head of

Acquisitions at Northern Illinois Univer­

sity.

Carol Schuetz and Mary Goolsby willpresent a session before the InnovativeUsers Group on OPAC migration in

Philadelphia, April 29 - May 2, 2000.

Kwasi Sarkodie-Mensah was recentlyguest editor for Library Services for theAdult Learner: Challenging Issues inthe Technological and Traditional Era.

Trisha Stevenson has recently beenpromoted to Coordinator of User Ser­vices.

Sharon Stewart recent published an

article in Strategies.

Ed Tallent has a new job at Boston

College.

Haiwang YuanCandidate for TreasurerNice-Trea­surer (continued from page 3 .. .)

Statement ofProfessional Concerns:As information technology develops atthe speed of 60 days of a year, assist­ing patrons in searching of informationis becoming a profession. I will commit

myself in promoting the cause ofmak­ing library instruction part of college/university library and information sci­ence programs. Not only should libraryschools train their students to be librar­ians and information specialists, theyshould also training them to be informa­tion instructors at the same time. I willcommit myself in promoting the causeof encouraging libraries to provide train­ing for librarians to become competentin information literacy and teaching. Iam also concerned about the issue ofthe possible increase of the computerand therefore information haves and

have-nets, which will not only become a

national but also a global issue. Mythird concern is that I will encouragelibraries to become information portals,providing to patrons what commercialISPs can and cannot do.•

Non-URT Meeting Reports• ACRUIS Teaching Methods Committee• Instruction for Diverse PopulationsCommittee Meeting• LlTA Human Machine Interface Interest

Group• ACRUIS Model Statement RevisionCommittee• RUSAIMOUSS Catalog Use Committee• Alliances for New Directions and Teach­

ing and Learning Discussion Group• AASLlACRL Joint Task Force: BluePrint for Collaboration• LlTA Distance Learning Interest Group• ACRUEBSSllnstruction for Educators• ACRUIS Critical Issues in DistanceEducation Committee

Non-LiRT meeting reports are availablein the web edition of the LlRT News.

Reporters: Ed Tallent, David Ward,Sharon Stewart, Kay Stebbins, TrishaStevenson, Angela Dunnington, KwasiSarkodie-Mensah •

LlRT News, March 2000

Ii( CHECK THESE OUT!Mary Pagliero Popp, popp@indiana.edu

Evaluation is a key issue for all of us.We teach users to evaluate the materi­als they find. We try to evaluate our

own instruction efforts. We review our

standard instructional activities and

adapt them to new information about

learning, new user groups or newsituations. Below you will find guidancein all of these areas:

EVALUATING LIBRARY INSTRUCTION

Fenske, Rachel and Ann Roselle.

"Proving the Efficacy of LibraryInstruction Evaluation." Research

Strategies 16.3 (1998): 175-185.

The authors describe the waylibrarians at EasternWashingtonUniversity evaluate one-hour librarysessions with English compositionclasses and the ways the evaluationdata have been used to improveinstruction. Instructors complete an

evaluation form about the sessionand about preplanning activities.Students complete two evaluations:one during the next class sessionafter the instruction and the otherafter the assignment is done.Copies of the pre-instructionworksheet, and the two studentevaluation forms are appended.Please note that this issue ofResearch Strategies was actuallypublished in Fall 1999.

Kansas Association of School Librar­

ians, Research Committee. "Plan­ning and Assessing Learning acrossthe Curriculum." Knowledge Quest28 (Sept.lOct. 1999): 10-16.

Describes the Handy 5 IntegratedAssessment Model, a tool forplanning and assessing learning ofinformation skills integrated into

subject area instruction, designed toenable teachers and school library

LlRT News, March 2000

media specialists to collaborate to

plan meaningful research assign­ments. The model covers the

following steps: assignment, plan ofaction, doing the job, productevaluation, and process evaluationfor assignments in reading, math,social studies, science, six-traitwriting, and the arts. Also includedis a rubric for assessing each step.The article concludes with a descrip­tion of a year-long study of themodel's use in Kansas schools (K-12) and summarizes the majorfindings of the study.

Stewart, Sharon Lee. "Assessment for

Library Instruction: The Cross/Angelo Model." Research Strategies16.3(1998): 165-174.

Stewart describes the concepts ofclassroom assessment and class­room research developed by ThomasAngelo and Patricia Cross, anddiscusses their application to libraryinstruction. Classroom assessmentis the process of gathering frequentfeedback in the classroom fromlearners about their learning andusing it immediately to improvestudent understanding. Classroomresearch is the systematic study ofstudent learning, using classroomassessment and similar techniques.The article includes the assumptionsunderlying classroom assessment, abrief description ofmajor techniques,and examples and guidelines forsuccessful classroom assessmentand research. These techniques arehelpful in any learning setting.

LEARNINGAND MEMORY

Banikowski, Alison K. and Teresa A.

Mehring. "Strategies to Enhance

Memory Based on Brain-Research."Focus on Exceptional Children32(Oct. 1999): 1-15.

This is an excellent overview ofresearch about memory for all

learners, exceptional or child or not.The authors focus on three issues:1 ) an information processing modelof memory; 2) practical instructionalstrategies to enhance memory; and

3) reasons for forgetting. A veryuseful bibliography is appended.

Callison, Daniel. "KeyWords inInstruction: Organizers." SchoolLibrary Media Activities Monthly16(Jan.2000): 36-39.

Callison reviews writings aboutadvance organizers as an aid tolearning and focuses on the theoriesof David Ausubel. He describes theuse of "webbing," the KWL chart (tolist what one Knows, Wants to learn,has Learned), and graphic/visualorganizers. A nice companion to theBanikowski and Mehring articleabove.

Ross, Jonathan L. and Robert A.Schulz. "Using the World WideWeb to Accommodate Diverse

Learning Styles." College Teaching47 (Fall 1999): 123-129.

Suggests methods for using theWorld Wide Web to meet the needsof learners with varying learningstyles, including sensory (auditory,visual, and kinesthetic), social, andGregorc cognitive styles (sequential/random and concrete/abstract).Although written for professors whoteach a full semester course, thishas much to offer instruction librar­ians. Contains a useful bibliographyabout learning styles.

THE BIG 6 (TEACHING TECHNOLOGYAND INFORMATION SKILLS)

The Big 6 Newsletter is no longerpublished separately. Beginning in

January 2000, two contributions eachyear will be published in Library Talkand in The Book Report. The authors,Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz,also plan to begin publishing 'the

continued on page 10...

9

CHECK THESE OUT!continued from page 9 ...

newsletter in electronic form on theirweb site, if they can garner vendorsupport. Watch <http://www.Big6.com> for details. For thoseunfamiliar with the Big 6, it is a popularmethod of teaching library and informa­tion skills. The first of the articles inThe Book Report deals with evaluationof sources:

Spitzer, Kathleen L. "How to UseSoda Pop, The Blair Witch Project,and Other Methods to Help StudentsLearn to Evaluate Web Information

Critically." Book Report 18 (Jan.!Feb. 2000): 22-23.

Spitzer details a lesson on webevaluation that begins with a discus­sion of the factors that influence a

student to choose a particular brandof soda and leads to a discussion of

ways to evaluate information foundon the Web. She describes the

presentation to the class and a

follow-up assignment that asksstudents to evaluate sources.

IDEAS YOU CAN USE TODAY

Bernnard, Deborah F. and Yolanda

Hollingsworth. "TeachingWeb­Based Full-Text Databases: New

Concepts from New Technology."Reference & User Services quarterly39.1 (Fall 1999): 63-70.

Presents the results of an examina­tion of five majorweb-based full-text

'. databases, LEXIS-NEXIS AcademicUniverse, JSTOR, Project Muse,EBSCO through FirstSearch, andEBSCOhost Academic Elite, toidentify universal concepts thatusers should learn to be able tosearch any of the databases. Theseare: scope, Boolean logic, hypertextlinking to outside resources vs.navigational hypertext links, andcritical evaluation.

10

Germain, Carol Anne, Trudi E.Jacobson, and Sue A. Kaczor. "A

Comparison of the Effectiveness ofPresentation Formats for Instruction:

Teaching First-Year Students."

College and Research Libraries61.1 (Jan. 2000): 65-72.

The authors compared the effective­ness of a web tutorial to instruction

by a librarian. Working with stu­dents in freshman year experienceclasses at SUNY at Albany, theauthors reviewed pre-test/post-testresults for the two kinds of instruc­tion. Results showed both methodswere equally effective, and a signifi­cant difference was found between

pre-test and post-test scores,showing that library instruction madea difference. The authors discusstheir plans to use the web tutorial forthe first class session and a presen­tation by a librarian for the second.

Simoneaux, Laverne, D'Angelo, Bar­bara J., and Orgeron, Elizabeth.'The Library and You: Curriculum

Integrated Library Ihstruction via theWWW." Campus-Wide Information

Systems 16.3(1999): 89-94.

Discusses the use of the Web for

library instruction at SoutheasternLouisiana University. Strategiesincluded a web tutorial, emailreference service, and a MOO (multi­user object-oriented environment) forreal-time tutoring. The article lists

objectives of the tutorial and designdecisions, and summarizes theevaluation process. The MOO isdescribed and the authors explainwhy this part of the project wasabandoned.

IN BRIEF

Arlitsch, Kenning. "Building InstructionLabs at the University of Utah."Research Strategies 16.3 (1998):199-210.

Bishop, Ann P. et al. "Public Librariesand Networked Information Servicesin Low Income Communities."Library & Information ScienceResearch 21.3 (1999): 361-390.

[Research results include sugges­tions for planning training activities

Caspers, Jean S. "Hands-On Instruction Across the Miles: Using a

Web-Tutorial to Teach the LlteratuiReview Research Process." Re­search Strategies 16.3 (1998): 18i197. [The tutorial can be found at:

<http://osu.orst.edu/-caspers/litrev.html>.]

Johnson, Doug. "Designing ResearclProjects Students (and Teachers)Love." MultiMedia Schools 6 (NoDec. 1999): 36-42. Also availabhat: <http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/nov99/johnson.htm>

Ohlrich, Karen Browne. "An ActiveStaff Orientation, or How to Get YcStaff to Remember 90% ofWhat'YWant Them to Know about the

Library Media Center." SchoolLibrary Media Activities Monthly16(Jan.2000): 22-24. [Instructionfor teachers.]

Rader, Hannelore B. "Library Instruc­tion and Information Literacy - 1991RSR: Reference Services Review

27.4(1999): 376-403.

Westbrook, Lynn. "Passing the Half­

way Mark: LIS Curricula Incorporaing User Education Courses."Journal of Education for Library an(Information Science 40.2(1999): �,98.

MaryPaglieroPopp, InformationTechnologies Public Services Librar­ian, Indiana UniversityBloomingtonLibraries.

� LIRT Archives

Kari Lucas, ArchivistBiomedical Library, 06999500 Gilman Drive

University of California, San DiegoLa Jolla, CA 92093-0699

klucas@ucsd.edu

LlRT News, March 2C

ALA MIDWINTER CONFERENCE REPORTSfrom LlRT Committees and Task Forces

Computer Applications CommitteeChair Haiwang Yuan briefed the Com­mittee on some of the related issuesdiscussed at the Steering Committee.Members offered to help with Atlantalocal planning and URT anniversarypromotion. The committee decided tocompile a conference theme bibliogra­phy and a web list for year 2000 and2001. The committee worked out aschedule of software reviews for thePublication Committee to distribute.

The committee revised its mission and

description. The revised mission will besubmitted to Steering II for review and

approval:

This committee shall identify,evaluate and promote the use ofcomputer applications that assist inlibrary instruction; maintain and

develop conference theme bibliogra­phies and web site lists and preparethem for distribution by the Publica­tion Committee. This committeeshall maintain liaison with ALAcommittees and groups with similarinterests.

Conference Program 2000The committee discussed plans forupcoming annual program, "Teachingas Performance". We discussed pos­sible titles for the program, and pos­sible speakers. Plans for speakers willbe announced at the Steering Commit­tee meeting and finalized by Jan. 31.Speakers will include at least oncelibrarian and one non-librarian.

Conference Program 2001The committee planned the theme ofURT 2001 program. The theme dis­cussed was partnerships betweencollege/university libraries and othertypes of libraries (high school, public,etc.) to reach diverse clienteles orpopulations.

LlRT News. March 2000

Continuing Education CommitteeCommittee members debated the mer­its of almost 50 bibliographic instructionarticles that were published in 1999.The resulting top 20 articles will bepublished in the newsletter. In addition,the committee will prepare a bibliogra­phy for the annual program this year.

ElectionsElizabeth Margutti, Chairmargutti@virginia.edu

The committee determined that theelections procedures need updatingnow that ALA contacts candidates

directly for biographical informaiton.The timeline/calendar also needs revi­sion. The committee will work with theVice President to get committee ques­tionnaire forms, to keep committees upto date; then pass forms onto archivist.

Recommendation to Executive Board:to assist with URT officer rotation, putacademic librarians in one categoryand school, public and speciallibrar­ians in the other category. Membersalso recommended that the SteeringCommittee get a URT membership listfrom ALA each year.

Liaison CommitteeAfter introductions, committee mem­bers confirmed their choices ofmeet­

ings to attend and write up for thenewsletter. These choices were firstmade via e-mail, which greatly speededup the process at the meeting. For afewmeetings not covered, the chairsolicited volunteers.

The group discussed issues such as

how to increase non-academic partici­pation in URT and themes for the 25ltl

Anniversary Program. Members sug­gested that URT work with PLA, libraryschools, and other special confer­ences, make URT publicitymaterialsmore easily available for distribution,and sending messages to appropriatelist servers.

Long Range Planning CommitteeAlison Armstrong announced that Ex­ecutive I approved the new plan for thePlanning and Goal Progress form.Marsha Forys will need to mention at

Steering II the need for changes in theURT Manual because of the newtimeline for that form. Also, she will

bring up a suggestion at Steering that a

question be added to the form concern­

ing each committee's budget needs.Alison updated the group on the 25th

Anniversary Task Force's plans andideas.

Committee members recommendedthat Organization and Bylaws updatethe URT Manual to reflect the newdistribution and questions on the Plan­

ning and Goal Process form. It wasalso recommended that the Treasurerreceive copies of the completed forms.

Newsletter

Topics of discussion included the nextissue of URT News, potential graphicsfor URTWebsite, and the writing guide­lines for publishing articles in thenewsletter. The News-letter Committeeinterviewed attendees at the AII­Committees Meeting for information toinclude in Newsbites.

Organization & BylawsThe committee discussed theme ideasfor 25th Anniversary celebration (2002);these ideas will be forwarded to DianaShonrock. Revisions to the Constitu­

tion, Bylaws and manual were alsodiscussed. The committee preparedrecommendations to take to the Execu­tive Board. C & B revisions approvedby the Executive Board will be placedon the spring 2000 ballot.

Public Relations/MembershipBites w/ URT is going very well, thisyear all sessions filled up prior to con­ference. We are going to continue

doing MemberA-URT columns for each

newsletter, Bites with URT, the exhibitbooth, and listserv posting activities.We need to revise the bookmarks andURT brochures and are going to investi­gate making small notepads to give outat the booth in Chicago.

continued on page 13...

11

12

Dear Tech Talk-

I understand that there are now

software programs that greatlysimplify the design and devel­

opment of instruction sites on

the World Wide Web. Whatcan you tell me about them?

-Courseware Curious

DearCC-

In recent years educators at

companies with off-site trainingprograms and colleges anduniversities with distance edu­cation programs have been

examining the potential of theWorld Wide Web as an in­struction delivery mechanism.Early innovators were thosewho had developed skills inHTML code and scripting.However, the increased need to

present instruction from a dis­

tance, coupled with strongencouragement from adminis­trators to incorporate the webinto instruction activities, hasprompted those with less ad­vanced technological skills topursue into web-based training(WBT). Fortunately, there arenow a variety of online coursedelivery software programs thatconsiderably lessen the stressassociated with delving intothis mode of instruction.

These programs integrate a

variety of web-based and class­room activities into a "virtualclassroom" and can provideopportunities for both synchro­nous learning (live interchangebetween students and instruc­

tor) and asynchronous learning(off-line instruction and learningactivities). Listed below are

some of the features that areavailable through these sys- ,

tems:

• The ability to convert syllabi andother print materials to HTML

• Threaded discussion lists• On-line chat• Video and audio streaming capabili­ties

• Self-testing tutorials with withcustomized feedback

• On-line testing (both subjective andobjective)

• Timed testing with permanent markretention

• Automated grading• Ability to check and track students'

progress

It's important to note that some pro­grams support more features than oth­ers. A particularly good resource for

comparative information regarding sup­ported features is the "Comparison ofOnline Course Delivery Software Prod­ucts" provided by Marshall University'sOffice of Information Technology, <http://multimedia.marshall.edu/cit/webct/

compare/comparison.html> .

Some of the programs lend themselvesmore to an academic environmentrather than a business environmentbecause they were developed in a uni­

versity setting for academic programs.However, that is not to say that those

programs for training aren't useful. Thebottom line is that, like using any otherkind of instructional tool, those thinkingabout implementing this type of instruc­tion need to identify their overall in­structional goals and then identify thecourseware that will best meet those

goals.

Since all of these programs requireclient/server interaction, the issue ofserver location is a major consideration.Some vendors require the use of anexternal server, which means that thecourses reside on the vendor's server:as opposed to an internal server, a

'

server that is supported locally by theinstitution. An advantage of an externalserver is that the local institutiondoesn't have the financial obligation(personnel and hardware) ofmaintainingthe local server. With some organiza­tions, this option may be more cost

effective. Additionally, if an institution

hasn't bought in to the concept of web­based instruction, an individual instruc­tor can pursue the option of placing a

course on the web by using thevendor's server because the neededtechnical support is handled off site.

On the other hand, if the institution hasdecided to support one of these sys­tems, then there is the advantage oflocal technical support, both for theserver and for those learning how to usethe system. However, due to cost

(both monetary and staff time) it isunlikely that an institution will supportmore than one of these systems; andthere is always the possibility that theprogram supported won't fit well withthe instructor's goals.

And, what is the cost of implementingan online course delivery system? Itvaries widely among the vendors.There are a number of factors that can

figure in to the costs, such as:

• Where the course is hosted (exter­nally or internally)

• Whether the pricing structure isbased on the number of students ineach course

• The extent to which the system willbe used

• The start-up costs are• The on-going costs are• The availability of site licensing

Within the library community, an obvi­ous application of these programs is inthe realm of distance education. In an

academic environment, it's feasible thata faculty member teaching a distanceeducation course is already using one

of these systems. An instruction librar­ian can enhance these courses byadding an appropriate library module tothe "virtual classroom". In a publiclibrary, a librarian might collaborate withan academic librarian to develop such a

module, especially if the distance edu­cation students are using that publiclibrary for their. resources. Any librarymight consider using these systems forproviding both staff and patron training,as an alternative or supplement to tradi­tional classroom training.

LlRT News, March 2000

Below is a list of some of the majoronline course delivery software vendors.

• Asymterix Librarian<http://www.asymetrix.com/prod­ucts/I ibrarian/>

• Blackboard

<http://www.blackboard.netl>

• Lotus Learning Space<http://www.lotus.com/products/learningspace.nsf>

• Serf

<http://www.udel.edu/serf/>

• TopClass<http://www.wbtsystems.com/>

• Web Course in a Box

<http://views . vcu .edu/wcb/intro/wcbintro.html>

• WebCT

<http://www.webct.com/>

Additional information on these and

many other vendors can be found at:

• <http://grossmont.gcccd.cc.ca.us/grossmontonlin/list.htm> or

• <http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/245soft1.htm>

Additional Resources:

Bethoney, Herb. "Computer-basedTraining on theWeb." PC Week(Aug. 18, 1997): 1.

Cole-Gormolski, Barb. "NewWays toManage E-classes (WBT SystemsTopClass 3.0, Asymetrix Learningsystems' Librarian, InfoTech/Ameri­can Training InternationalWorldTrak). Computerworld (Nov.30, 1998): 43.

"Comparison ofOn-line Course Deliverysoftware Products". <http://multimedia.marshall.edu/citlwebctlcompare/comparison .html>

Cooper, Linda. "Anatomy of an OnlineCourse". THE Journal (Technologi­cal Horizons in Education) (Feb.1999): 49.

LlRT News, March 2000

<http://www.thejournal.com/maga­zine/vaultlA2071.cfm>

Freidrickson, Scott. "Untangling a

TangledWeb: An Overview ofWeb­based Instruction Programs." THEJournal (Technological Horizons inEducation) (June 1999): 67.<http://www.thejournal.com/maga­zine/vaultlA2087.cfm>

Fritz, Mark. "IsWeb-Based TrainingNew Hype in Old Wineskins?"EMedia Professional (June 1997):69-70.

Fritz, Mark. "WBT and CBT: The Urgeto Merge?" EMedia Professional(Aug. 1997): 54-55.

Jenson, Bob. "Jenson's Survey of HighEnd Authoring Software."<http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/245soft1.htm>

McCollum, Kelly. "A New IndustrySprouts Up to Help Professors PutCourse on Line." Chronicle of HigherEducation (Oct. 31, 1997): 33-34.

Morley, Laurie and Kathryn LaMaster."Use Electronic Bulletin Boards toExtend Classrooms." JOPERD­The Journal of Physical EducationRecreation & Dance (Aug. 1999): 16-19.

Morss, Dean and Patricia A. Fleming."WebCT in the Classroom: AA Student View."<http://www.unb.ca/wwwdev/naweb98/proceedings/morss/>

Musgrave, Jim. "List of Commericaland Free On-line Education Soft­ware."<http://grossmont.gcccd.cc.ca.us/grossmontonlin/list.htm>

Uiterwijk, Julie. "Web-based TrainingSolutions" InfoWorld (Nov.23,1998). <http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayArchive.pl?/98/47/webtrana.dat.htm>

University of Illinois. "Technology Toolsfor On-line Learning Syllabus."<http://illinois.on-Iine.uillinois.edu/on-line/course2/syllabus.html>

University of Pittsburgh. "Recommen­dations for a Course ManagementCollaboration Tool."<http://www.pitt.edu/-washburn/RECOMND.PDF>

'WebCT 2.0 Overview".<http://www.rpi.edu/deptlacs/workshops/ov/>

WBT Information Center.<http://www.fiIename.com/wbtl>

As always, send questions and com­

ments to:

Snail Mail: Tech TalkBillie PetersonMoody Memorial LibraryP. O. Box 97143

Waco, TX 76798-7143

E-Mail:Billie_Peterson@baylor.edu

Committeescontinued from page 11 ...

PublicationsThe committee discussed the final

editing of the journals project. Once theproject is completed, the committeemade a decision on the marketing andselling of the publication. We alsotalked about the role of the PublicationsCommittee within L1RT. We will: 1)explore the possibility of creating a

procedures manual for L1RT commit­tees interested in publishing; and 2)

compile a chronological list of L1RTpublications to possibly coincide withL1RT's 25th Anniversary.

The Publications Committee recom­mends that the Steering Committeeaddress the following concerns: 1)funding for the preparation of the jour­nals project 2) assistance in the cre­ation of publications guidelines and 3)facilitating the efforts of the Publica­tions Committee to assist the publica­tion efforts of other L1RT committees.

13

In the Spring of this year, Barbara L.Cressman was named as the neweditor of the LlRT newsletter. We are

pleased to introduce her for our MarchMember-A-LlRT! Her multiple talents,her strong communication skills, andher dedication to LlRT will shine

through her work with LlRT News.

Since August 1997, Barbara hasserved as the Assistant Head of Circu­lation at Eastern Illinois University. Her

daily responsibilities includes supervis­ing sixteen circulation staff, providingreference service, presenting libraryinstruction, and serving as the subjectliaison for collection development inmusic and psychology. She alsoserves as webmaster for Booth Library.Her strong organizational and problem­solving skills are kept sharp by themany demands placed on her time and

energy.

Prior to her appointment at EasternIllinois University, Barbara served fortwo years as Visiting Reference In-

Unique School Librarycontinued from page 6 ...

The students in these classes need tohave direct eye-contact, an activity ortwo that gets them up moving at some

point, specific tasks to be completedand turned in to you by the end of the

period. They need constant feedback,more than one pat on the back andcontinuous encouragement. More thanany other age group they need yourundivided attention and firmness. Keep­ing them in separate groups located invarious areas helps to limit the inevi­table squabbles, flirting, reigniting ofyesterday's cafeteria argument, etc.Each grouping had an adult overseeingthe timely completion of a task I orga­nized. For example, while covering .

periodicals and indexing, one group ofeleven middle school students is with

14

Barbara L. Cressman

struction Coordinator at the Universityof Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Shealso worked as a consultant for LincolnTrail Libraries System. Barbara earnedher Masters of Science in Library andInformation Science at the University ofIllinois at Urbana-Champaign in January1993. She holds a Masters in MusicPerformance from Yale University and a

Bachelor ofMusic Performance fromWichita State University.

Barbara became involved with LlRTwhile she was Reference InstructionCoordinator at the University of Illinois.She was told that LlRT had a lot to offerand that the people were super. Bar­bara enthusiastically acknowledgesthat she made the right choice in LlRT!She especially enjoys the combinationof congeniality and professionalismshared by the LlRT membership.

She has been a frequent presenter atworkshops around the state of Illinoisand has authored a variety of articles,

their teacher in the conference room.

They are examining and evaluatingverbally and in written form, those sci­ence journals I know they don't look at

frequently. Theywill eventually give a

final presentation to each other regard­ing the content, organization, strengthsand weaknesses of each publication.At the same time, my assistant isworking with eleven other students fromthe same class in the other readingroom, repeating and reinforcing theelectronic searching for periodicals thatI introduced them to on another day.The remaining eleven are with me ex­

amining in detail the monthly issuesand bound cumulations of the Readers'Guide to Periodical Literature (or theAmerican Heritage Index, or SIRS,etc.). They, too, must use the index intheir hands to locate and record spe­cific information regarding a topic just

by Marcia King-Blandford, mkingbl@utoledo.ed

reviews, and chapters in the area of

library instruction and technology. Therange of topics addressed in her author

ship reflects her depth of knowledgeand experience.

For fun, Barbara and her husband,Rick, love to hike with their dog, Zorra(Spanish for female fox.) Zorra, ashort-term resident of the humane soci

ety, is one of those dogs that appearsto have the wrong head on the wrongbody. Barbara is a Master Gardener,plays bassoon in the Champaign-Ur­bana Symphony, dabbles in watercolorand reupholsters furniture. She liveslife to the fullest whether at work or at

play, and is the 21 st century version ofthe Renaissance person! We lookforward to her continuing contributionsto LlRT and to our profession!

Marcia King-Blandford is the InterimCoordinator of Information and Instruc­tion Services, Carlson Library,University of Toledo. •

assigned by their classroom teacher. Ireceive the results of their work and I

then correct their efforts.

Meeting the instructional needs ofthese various age groups requires highenergy, incredible organization and a

genuine love of kids. And, no, biblio­graphic instruction is not all I do. It is,however, what I passionately believe inwhether I am helping a seven-year-old,a seventeen-year-old or a thirty-seven­year-old. It is my passion for librariesand what they can offer everyone, freeof charge, that carries me through thevery challenging, but also very reward­ing work day.

lana Malanchuk is a librarian at theMead Library of the P. K. YongeSchool, University ofFlorida,Gainesville. •

LlRT News, March 200(

Software Review By Helwent; Yuan, haiwang yuan@wku edu .

Add a Free Search Engine to One's Library Web Site

Libraries with web sites would love to have search en­

gines that index the pages of exclusively their sites fortheir patrons. They also want the service to be free ofcharge, with no hardware/software installation and con­

figuration hassles. Atomz.com Search, <http://www.atomz.com> is one such service. Within seconds afteran account is established, an email message about theaccount will arrive to point to a few lines of HTML on

Atomz.com's Web site. Add the HTML to any page(s) ofthe site just submitted and the job is done. The service isfree for sites under five hundred pages. The company'slogo is shown on search results, provided automaticallyby the service provider. The only maintenance needed isto index the site each time changes are made to any ofthe pages. Indexing is a matter of a few mouse clicks.

Atomz.com Search offers flexible control over searchfeatures. Just key in the full URL to have all the pagesunder that directory indexed and made searchable. For

example, by typing in <http://www.wku.edu/Library> anda few URLs like <http://www.wku.edu/Library/museum/>,WKU Libraries had its entire Web site indexed across

two servers simultaneously. The sites do not have to beon the same server, and more than one account may be

requested by the user. The look and feel of search resultscan be adjusted by using ready-to-go online templates.

The search reports rank and graph search words/phrasesby day, week or month. Library web developers and ad­ministrators can use this invaluable information to im­

prove the design and layout of their web sites. It also

FROM THE VICE PRESIDENTcontinued from page 1 ...

For those of you who are unable to attend conference andhave thought perhaps there was no opportunity toparticipate in LlRT that did not include attending confer­ences, LIRTwelcomes you too and does offer opportuni­ties for professional involvement as a virtual member ofour community.

Our committee volunteer form is in the column to the rightof this article. I hope you'll fill it out and send it in. In the

portion of the form that asks you to rank your prefer­ences, check "prefer virtual membership" or you cancontact me directly for further information. Thanks.

Alison Armstrong, University Libraries, University ofCincinnati, alison.armstrong@uc.edu •

URT News, March 2000

reports broken links from specific pages. When a site has morethan five hundred pages, the user of the free service is promptedby Atomz.com to upgrade to a paid program called SearchPrime. A thousand-page site such as that of the WKU Librarieswould cost $300 a year or $100 a quarter. Visit the atomz.comsite, <http://www.atomz.com> to see its pricing plans.

Other free search engine services are Searchbutton.com andFreeFind.com. While the former at <http://www.searchbutton.com> offers free service to sites of up to a thousand pages withlimited times of indexing, the latter at <http://www.freefind.com>is absolutely free and capable of producing a site map for one'ssite.

Haiwang Yuan is Assistant Professor and Web Site & Virtual

Library Coordinator ofWestern Kentucky University Libraries &

Museum, 1 Big Red Way, Bowling Green, KY 42101. •

r--------------------,

� LIBRARY INSTRUCTION ROUND TABLE Il_� COMMITTEE VOLUNTEER FORMIf you are interested in serving on a URT Committee, please complete this

form and mail it to the Vice-President/President Elect of URT:

Alison Armstrong, University Libraries,Univ. of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0022

(513) 556-1761 Email: alison.armstrong@uc.edu

Name and Title:

Telephone (Work):FAX:

(Home):E-Mail:

Institutional Address:

Home Address:

Date of Application:

URT Committee Preferences: (Use the numbers 1-9 to indicate order of

preference, with I being the most preferred. If you are willing to serve as

recorder for this group, follow your number preference with the letter "R")

__ Computer Applications__

Conference Programs__ Continuing Education

Elections/Nominations

__

Newsletter

__ Organizational/Bylaws__ PRlMembership

PublicationsResearchLiaison

__ Long-Range Planning

Can you regularly attend URT meetings at the ALA midwinter and annualconferences?

__

YES__

NO _Prefer virtual membership

Please attach a separate sheet listing committees or offices (if any) previously .

held in LIRT, ALA or state/regional associations, with years of service. iL �

COMPUTER ApPLICATIONS: Examineshow computers are used in libraryinstruction. Promotes the use of

computers by publishing a bibliog­raphy on computer applications forBI and maintaining a clearinghousefor information on computer soft­ware.

CONFERENCE .PROGRAM: Plans theLlRT program for the ALA An­nual Conference. Makes arrange­ments for speakers, room, hand­

outs, and activities during the pro­gram.

CONTINUING EDUCATION: Conductsre­search and develops plans, actualmaterials, and directories to fur­ther the education and help meet

the information needs of librarians

engaged in user education.

ELECTION/NoMINATING: Prepares a

slate of candidates for LlRT of­fices and maintains records on pro-

LIBRARY INSTRUCTION ROUND TABLESTANDING COMMITTEES

cedures, candidates, and electionresults. Solicits volunteers fOFLlRT committees and maintainsfiles of prospective committee ap-pointees.

'

LIAISON: Attends and reports to

LlRT Steering Committee andmembers about committees withinALA involved in library instruc­tion activities. Distributes to con­

ference attendees a listing of in­struction-related programs and

meetings at ALA Conferences.

LONG RANGE PLANNING: Developsshort and long range plans forLlRT. Implements planning and

operations for the activities ofLlRT. Chaired by the president­elect.

ORGANIZATION & BYLAWS: Reviews,revises, and updates the organiza­tion manual of LIRT. Recommendsto the Executive Board, and

through it to LIRT members, theestablishment, functions, and dis­continuance of .committees andtask forces. Maintains the Consti­tution and Bylaws of LlRT and rec­

ommends amendments to thosedocuments.

NEWSLETTER: Solicits articles, pre­pares and distributes the LIRT news­

letter. The Executive Board ofLIRT serves as the Editorial Boardfor the LIRT newsletter.

PUBLIC RELATIONS/MEMBERSHIP:Publicizes LIRT purposes, activi­ties, and promotes membership inLIRT. Develops brochures and

news releases to inform members,prospective members, and the li­

brary profession about LIRT ac­

tivities. Sponsors an exhibit boothat the Annual Conference. Orga­nizes BITES (meals for instructionlibrarians to meet for food and dis­

cussion) at the Midwinter and An­nual conferences.

PUBLICATIONS: Establishes, main­tains, and disseminates LlRT Pub­lication Guidelines. Solicits ideasfor publications and advises as to

the appropriate means for publica­tion. The LIRT newsletter editorand assistant editor are ex-officiomembers.

RESEARCH: Identifies, reviews, anddisseminates information about in­

depth, state-of-the-art researchconcerning library instruction forall types of libraries. Pinpointsareas where further investigationabout library instruction is neededwith a view toward the develop­ment of research proposals.

Committee Appointments are for 2 years. Appointments begin at the close of the annual conference and continue through the close of the annual

conference in two years. For more information, contact Alison Armstrong, telephone: (513) 556-1761, email: alison.armstrong@uc.edu, or see theaddress on the Committee Volunteer Form on page 15.

�LIRT

Library Instruction Round Table Newsc/o Lorelle SwaderAmerican LibraryAssociation50 E. Huron Street

Chicago, IL 60611