Dry as Dust? Think Again! Reviving a Weary Bibliographic Instruction Program Hillary Campbell Government Documents Librarian University of Texas at Dallas Carol Oshel Distance Learning Librarian University of Texas at Dallas

The Problem…Information Illiteracy Undergraduate 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 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

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