A strong position in the institution is vital for any academic library and affects its recognition, resourcing, and prospects. Higher education institutions are experiencing radical change, driven by greater accountability, stronger competition, and increased internationalization. They prioritize student success, competitive research, and global…

Graduate students are a significant segment in online instruction programs, yet little is known about how well they learn the necessary library research skills in this increasingly popular mode of distance learning. This pre- and posttest study and citation analysis examined learning and confidence among students in graduate education programs,…

Archival research gives students opportunities to appreciate original documents and artifacts, teaching them how to access materials, to treat them with care, and to invest them with meaning, and demonstrating the partnership researchers develop with librarians. Three suggested writing assignments introduce students to special collections,…

Describes an assignment in which students locate, read, assess, and discuss critical articles about the works of literature they are studying. Points to many benefits of the assignment, including its positive effects on students' library research skills. (TJ)

This instructor's manual and workbook are designed to familiarize students with the basic information sources in social work. The instructor's manual provides an explanation of the workbook's arrangement and scope; specific teaching procedures; assignments; and answers. The workbook covers the various types of bibliographic tools as well as the…

This handbook is designed as an introduction to the process of library research in the field of education. To illustrate the process, a sample topic is developed from a broad concept through a well-developed topic for a research paper. Following an overview of a successful research strategy, the chapters are organized in the order of a typical…

Conducting library research is a complex procedure that relies not only upon the knowledge of basic reference sources, but also upon an appreciation of the process of literature searching. Writing teachers can provide their students with models of the research process to guide them in their quests for information. Search strategy outlines map the…

Discusses a composition assignment that integrates library instruction with a research assignment, thus encouraging students to take an interdisciplinary approach to their writing and thinking. (SR)

Describes the Library Scavenger Hunt program at Baylor University (part of the reading and study skills program) which emphasizes learning what sources are available in a college library, where they are located, and how to use them. (SR)

Presents an instructional model for the library-based Evaluating Sources workshops in which students learn about bibliographic materials and how to use them to uncover the disciplinary context of a reading that is particularly important to the direction of a given course. Notes that this basic model can be used across the university curriculum.…

Provides an example of a course integrated library instruction assignment in biographical research for undergraduate journalism students. The assignment is shown to accomplish three goals: development of library skills, knowledge of important living journalists, and a review of interviewing techniques. (EM)

Suggests linking technical writing assignments to library research in students' fields to build on students' immediate concerns and to reinforce the practical nature of technical writing. Includes two such assignments: the comparative analysis and the user's guide for a specific reference work. (HTH)

Diagrams a research or bibliographic loop that gives order and direction to the research process by enabling students to go beyond the usual unsystematic reliance on such limited and elementary resources as "The Reader's Guide." Includes a general explanation of the loop, illustrating its use in recent research. (HTH)

Discusses four kinds of computerized access tools: online catalogs; computerized reference; online database searching; and compact disks and read only memory (CD-ROM). Examines how these technologies are changing research. Suggests how research instruction in advanced writing courses can be refocused to include the new technologies. (RS)

Designed to be used in an English course at the University of Houston, this library skills workbook includes lessons and multiple-choice exercises on the following topics: (1) a floor plan of the main university library; (2) catalog records; (3) catalog access points; (4) using the catalogs; (5) locating books; (6) encyclopedias; (7) dictionaries;…