Discusses the history and development of the library instruction movement and of the Association of Research Libraries' Instruction section, especially in relation to course-related instruction at Earlham College. Considers search strategies; teamwork between librarians and faculty; the effects of active learning; use of the World Wide Web; and…

This report describes the work of the Onscreen Documentation Subgroup in revising screens for GALIN, the University of Georgia (UGA) Libraries new online system. The responsibilities of the Subgroup were to revise screens from the previous online catalog and to create basic help screens, primarily for the command searching mode. Responsibilities…

This report presents the results of an experimental study which compared four different advanced retrieval methods for an online catalog to determine which are more efficient, effective, and usable. Conducted with 216 student volunteers from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), the study required access to data for…

Designed to help undergraduate students find information and materials at George Washington University's Gelman Library, this guide teaches skills and concepts necessary to complete a research paper. Further, it is intended to equip students with skills that will help them in business, legal, medical, and other professions where finding…

This document provides a description of library staff training for keyword/Boolean searching on the library's online catalog, LUIS (Library User Information System), at Indiana State University. A narrative overview describes the circumstances, conditions, and organization of training sessions. Also included are a content outline of the…

This report summarizes the proceedings of a conference that brought together 35 librarians, network representatives, and system vendors to exchange information on the training of users of online public access catalogs. Three papers are presented: "Historic Concerns in Library Instruction: Teaching the Card Catalog," by Evan Farber;…

This user's guide to conducting a preliminary search of the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) database on CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory) begins by briefly describing the types of materials found in ERIC and explains the four steps common to the any computer search: (1) definition of topic elements and formation of concept…

This training manual developed by the Public Access Subcommittee of the Reference Department of Meriam Library (California State University, Chico) provides instructions for using the library's online public catalog by means of a touch terminal which accepts commands in the form of a touch on a particular part of the terminal screen. Author and…

A study of ways in which users conduct subject searches with an online public access catalog (OPAC) was performed at the College Park Campus of the University of Maryland. Both process (search patterns) and product (search results) variables were examined with respect to individual characteristics of 39 volunteers, many of whom were master's level…

This manual provides a course outline and pre-test, as well as behavioral objectives, class handouts, exercises, and their keys for each of the ten sessions in a one-credit undergraduate library skills course offered by the State University of New York at Albany Library. Sessions include: (1) general course introduction and facility orientation;…

A brief summary of the progress and status of the Individualized Instruction for Data Access (IIDA) project is followed by a report focusing on the principles and rules for analyzing a computer search performed using the IIDA software, and adaptation rules for the deferment of error messages in the case of frequent violations of the same rule. The…

A workshop provided graduate medical students and faculty with 30 minutes of instruction and 90 minutes of online experience in formulating and conducting MEDLINE database searches. In subsequent months, many participants conducted searches in increasing numbers and with increasing efficiency, and more indicated intentions of using searching…

Describes a study that examined the information seeking behavior of undergraduate students in Nigeria. The factors examined include the main sources of references to the literature used by students, and the effects of class standing and intellectual disciplines on choices of reference sources. (8 references) (CLB)

Describes a study that used the shelf availability research methodology to identify and quantify the causes of users' failures to identify and locate library materials. The factors resulting in unsuccessful searches are discussed, and recommendations for reducing these factors are made. (26 references) (CLB)

Review of literature describing use of Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) in reference service shows that, although most authors ably describe RLIN's potential, very few have tested this potential in any meaningful way. It is suggested these impressions of usefulness do not justify expense of RLIN's use in reference service. (MBR)