Library and information science (LIS) students at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, were surveyed to ascertain their patterns of library use and their perceptions of the value of various ...library services. The data reveals similarities and differences to previously studied general graduate student populations, at both Illinois and other universities. The analysis highlights differences between distance and on-campus students, an important division in LIS professional education. Beyond the utility of the findings for understanding the information needs and behaviors of the target population, the study sheds light on pre-professional LIS students' use of libraries and their attitudes toward services they are being trained to provide.
This paper analyzes student evaluations of library orientation and information literacy instruction over a ten-year period, 2002 to 2011. The survey respondents were five hundred students who were ...taking or had just completed their first course in LEEP, the distance education option of the M.S. program at the University of Illinois. This case study describes the LEEP program and library services for it, focusing on the librarian-led information literacy activities that are integrated into the students' initial ten-day on-campus residency. Student-centered assessment data has informed decisions to modify, replace, or retain components of the information literacy program, as several examples illustrate. This case study re-visits three factors identified in an earlier analysis as influencing both the demand for library services and their successful provision. Finally, this study examines the assessment process itself and shares insights about response rates, multi-year data, small-scale evaluation, and the pros and cons of self-reporting.
Guide to reference Whitlatch, Jo Bell; Searing, Susan E
2014., 2014
eBook
A usably comprehensive repertory of sources as the foundation for reference and information services in today's higher education settings. This volume focuses on the most useful general reference ...sources for librarians assisting patrons with their queries, or for patrons pursuing queries on their own.
Once all ALA-accredited schools had special libraries. Only a few exist today. This preliminary study traces the rise and fall of the library science library and presents data on collections, ...staffing, budgets, services, and organizational structures. Based on primary sources, including school catalogs, surveys, and directories, as well as an analysis of the scant literature on the topic, a set of questions are developed for further research.
Hundreds of English-language biographical reference books devoted to women subjects were published between 1966 and 2006. These works compensated for underrepresentation of women in standard sources ...and responded to the intense interest in women’s lives on the part of feminist scholars. The findings in this article are derived from a bibliographic database that includes works limited by nationality, race, occupation, and other factors, as well as general biographical dictionaries. A decade-by-decade analysis reveals trends in subject content that parallel developments in the scholarly field of women’s studies and the public arena. Problems with duplicative content, subjectivity, and factual errors are described, and points for evaluation are recommended. As biographical information about women is increasingly available on the open Web, questions remain about the nature and future of this type of information source.
Information literacy instruction is integrated into the distance education program in library and information science (LEEP) at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). This article ...describes the LEEP program and the library services provided to its students. Published research on LEEP and related topics in librarianship is reviewed. Student evaluations of library instructional sessions have been gathered since 2002, shared with teaching faculty and administrators, and used to improve and promote information literacy instruction within LEEP. In the fall of 2005, the instructional model for LEEP was adapted to the on-campus environment. Preliminary analysis of the on-campus student evaluations suggests that modifications are needed to deliver an equivalent learning experience to all LIS students at UIUC, whether on-campus or off.
Whether a patron wanted a consciousness-raising novel by Doris Lessing, or a how-to book on succeeding in the male-dominated business world, or a non-sexist fairytale for her child, or medically ...accurate information on birth control options, public librarians and community information workers responded. Academic libraries created budget lines for acquiring new works of feminist scholarship, designated subject liaisons to emerging women's studies programs, and occasionally established separate libraries or reading rooms. In her study of women's health information needs, grounded in the emerging field of gender-based medicine, Allison posits an important role for librarians as social entrepreneurs, working to effect change and to empower readers.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign closed its Library & Information Science Library and replaced it with a virtual library and an embedded librarian. A year later, a survey of the faculty ...and staff of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) and the University Library assessed how well the new service model meets faculty needs. The data provide a snapshot of how LIS scholars discover and access new publications, how they seek reference assistance, and what they desire from the library. The survey also captured faculty attitudes toward the realignment of library support for their research and teaching. GSLIS faculty and Library faculty reported similar attitudes and behaviors in some areas, while divergent opinions and practices were found in others. The survey results have prompted new directions for LIS library services at Illinois, including an increase in e-book acquisitions and virtual reference service.
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