changing times allcu 30th annual conference wadham college, oxford 14-16 july, 2008 judy reading...
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Changing TimesALLCU 30th ANNUAL CONFERENCEWadham College, Oxford14-16 July, 2008
Judy Reading OULS User Education Co-ordinator
Changes in learning styles: implications for user education
What is “user education”?
What do we offer here?
We aim to: Ensure all our readers are given a clear and
helpful introduction to the Library services as appropriate to their needs.
Ensure all members of the University and its libraries are offered effective support and guidance in identifying and using appropriate information resources.
Develop and promote information expertise as a general and transferable skill for students and researchers of the University at levels appropriate
to their needs. see www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/training
What is different now?
Resource environment Student expectations and behaviour Researcher expectations and
behaviour Library staff – up to the challenge?
Environmental scan 2007
Sophisticated and complicated resource interfaces…
Our electronic resources, catalogues, indexes and full-text resources www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/oxlip
Our popular competitors
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/reppres/gg_final_keynote_11012008.pdf
Research suggests
“In general terms, this new form of information seeking behaviour can be characterized as being horizontal, bouncing, checking and viewing in nature. Users are promiscuous, diverse and volatile…” p. 9
Young people
Information literacy deficit may be disguised by IT facility
Can they evaluate information for relevance accuracy or authority?
Do they understand their information needs and develop good search strategies?
Do they prefer natural language to considered key words?
Do they read or just click, skim and print or copy?
Oxford students Are not homogeneous Prefer to find out for themselves? Find Library training and induction useful? Feel confident in locating information in
their subject? Make very intelligent observations when
asked for their feedback Do not necessarily understand basic things
about how information is organised Gleaned from Freshers Fair survey and feedback at our Research Students Toolkit Event
www.rin.ac.uk/researchers-discovery-services
Academics and researchers Most researchers are using a range of
resource discovery tools, selecting an appropriate tool for a specific inquiry and using a range of resources
The main frustration is not with the research discovery services but accessing the material identified
Generally researchers are satisfied with research discovery services but there is overlap and it can be difficult to know where to start
They are largely self-taught and confident in their skills
www.rin.ac.uk/training-research-info
Key findings Many researchers are expert
searchers and have adapted to new environment
Some lack the skills they need Even those that feel competent may
not be effective Library training is rarely integrated with institutional environment and policy
Our relationship is changing
Are they coming into the Library any more?
Do they know what we do? Do they care Are they using quality information?
What do we need to do?
Nurture our relationship with our readers Ensure support is online so when they
try and find out for themselves the information is there
Develop services which will offer the ease of use of popular services as well as quality content
Make sure we know what our readers are thinking and doing
Developing web guides helps readers locate relevant resources from their desktop
www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/guides
Our printed guides are in pdf, word and in many cases MP3 versions on the web
These database profiles have been designed for experienced researchers
We have developed a very popular training event for research students – but the aim is to embed information literacy in all courses
WISER: Workshops in Information Skills and Electronic Resources www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/wiser
Popular courses include Keeping up to date, Remote access, Electronic resources …
Skills training demand
Reference management Critical appraisal and systematic
reviews Expert overviews of relevant material One to one support for specific
projects Needs to be high-quality, relevant,
practical, tailored and hands-on…
Information literacy meets Library 2.0 / edited by Peter Godwin and Jo Parker – London : Facet, 2008 - 9781856046374
Oxford Podcasts http://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/
Vere Harmsworth Library Blog
Future plans
Revising guides Developing online tutorials Developing podcasts Improving communication with
readers Embedding information literacy
across the University courses…
Useful references
See www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/services/training/librarians
And the CILIP Information Literacy Group website at www.informationliteracy.org.uk
Join lis-infoliteracy at www.jiscmail.ac.uk