Association of Law Teachers March 2005

Why do I need the law library if I’ve got ?

Edwina Higgins, Laura Tatham, Nicola Wakefield,

Manchester Metropolitan University

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A familiar story?

The 3rd year dissertation student

What skills did this student lack? Why did the student lack these skills?

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Implementing information skills

1. identify the skills

3. developmaterials

4. embed inprogrammes

2. identify delivery

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Identifying the information skills Planning a search

Planning searches using appropriate databases Understanding the reason for searching

Finding materials Sources of law – printed and electronic Locating secondary sources Using the library catalogue Using legal encyclopaedias

Evaluating information Tracing the status of a case/statute Evaluating the quality of materials Evaluating/abstracting materials

Organising and using information Utilising materials within own tasks Correct acknowledgement of use of other materials

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Information skills projects

Printed library tasks Electronic database tutorials BLIS PoLeR InfoSkills Internet Detective Plagiarism tutorial Legal Citing Proficiency Test

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Printed Library Tasks

Worksheets & exercise books

All courses

Library orientation Halsbury’s Laws of

England Halsbury’s Statutes Halsbury’s Statutory

Instruments Current Law The Digest

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Basic Legal Information Skills

BLIS Graduate Diploma

in Law Electronic database

searching skills

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Working Partnership

Roll out Instructing students

Control Tracking Selected release of course areas

Evaluation Students, staff and project team

Review

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Embedding the skills

Embedding with students: Locating within units Link to PDP Reinforcement – e-learning allows flexible

approach Note that WebCT allows control through

conditional release

Embedding with staff

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Reflections and plans

Why is it important? What benefits have we seen from these

initiatives? What do the students think of it? How can we develop the strategy?