Academic

A 1966 survey at the University of Windsor (Canada) of freshman students who had taken a compulsory 7-week library orientation course where the lectures were presented via videotape (population: “around 900”; responding: 832) showed that, when asked if they felt they had learned to use the library more effectively, 336 (40.4%) reported “yes,” 317 (38.1%) reported “yes, with reservations,” 169 (20.3%) reported no, and 10 (1.2%) were uncertain.                  (Source)

A review of 209 student responses to an engineering bibliographic instruction project at the University of Alabama in the Fall semester 1977 showed that64.1% thought that participating in the project would have future value for other engineering courses, but only 21.1% indicated a wish for further library instruction.               (Source)

A study reported in 1981 at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, of responses by primarily upperclassmen and some graduate students to a 1 hour-1 credit library taught course in bibliographic instruction taken by most of them as freshmen (survey size: 659; responding: 169 or 25.64%) showed that:

                88.8% [no raw number given] reported they were a “more confident library user” as a result of the course;

                78.9% [no raw number given] reported they were “more comfortable in asking a librarian for help” as a result of the course;

                69.5% [no raw number given] reported they had “recommended the course to someone else”;

                48.8% [no raw number given] reported they would be interested in an advanced course of bibliographic instruction.                (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatthe 3 most frequently reported strengths of the course were (multiple response allowed): physical layout and location of material (30.8%); learned how much was available in the library (27.8%); and taught how to find material (24.9%).                         (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatthe 3 most frequently reported weaknesses of the course were (multiple responses allowed): too general, not specialized enough (18.9%); time, class should meet longer or more often (17.8%); and not stimulating (16.0%).                     (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatthere was some evidence that the importance of the course increased over time. Specifically, 68.4% of the sophmores, 84.1% of the juniors and 82.8% of the seniors reported that the course had been of help to them in other classes [no raw numbers given].                       (Source)

A study reported in 1982 at Bowling Green State University in Ohio that compared library instruction provided via a workbook (250 students) versus lecture (203 students) showed that instructor support of bibliographic instruction was an important influence on student attitudes toward such instruction. Specifically, students who “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that the course instructor was supportive of the bibliographic instruction program tended to “agree” or “strongly agree” that the “workbook was a useful assignment.” These responses were associated with a gamma of .35. [No significance level was given.]                  (Source)

 

Dr. David Kohl

 "Libraries in the digital age are experiencing the most profound transformation since ancient Mesopotamian scribes first began gathering and organizing cuneiform tablets."

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