When talking about collection development, few school librarians think about databases. Databases provide learners with a one-stop shop for cross-curricular, up-to-date, vetted information in a structured and easy-to-manipulate format for class projects. To be successful learners, students need to know how to use a database to find the information…

As libraries automate their collections and mount online public access catalogs (OPACs), they face special challenges in educating patrons to use these electronic systems effectively and efficiently. Because users are less familiar with the concept and arrangement of an OPAC than with a card catalog, less successful searches commonly occur.…

This project designed to teach library and thinking skills to grade 7 students emphasized the importance of metacognition. Students were asked to choose a research topic and to prepare and evaluate daily research strategies. Allotment of time for planning and reflecting on strategies was considered crucial to the project. (MES)

Teaching how to choose a research topic in a bibliographic instruction class should emphasize the underlying methods and principles of library research while making research tools as unobtrusive as possible. This approach teaches the basics of scientific inquiry and provides a structure in which to teach library skills. (EM)

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 article outlines an Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) CD-ROM bibliographic instruction (BI) session at an academic library, which is intended to produce knowledgeable and competent ERIC searchers. The 1.5 hour lecture session includes: a basic introduction to the ERIC database; narrowing down a search topic; using the thesaurus…

Although this guide was designed to support "Pennsylvania Online: A Curriculum Guide for School Library Media Centers" (1985), the State of Pennsylvania curriculum guide for online searching, many of its components are also suitable for use by school librarians when teaching the elements involved in searching for resources manually. Designed to…

This district curriculum guide for teaching media skills in grades K-10 lists the skills that should be taught in grades K-6 and at the junior and senior high school levels. It is suggested that these skills be integrated into the classroom curriculum with emphasis on applications. The skills for grades K-6 are presented in five strands: (1) the…

Discusses overuse and abuse of the online search in academic libraries, citing cases where patrons are not well served by it. Suggestions include helping students define and refine research goals and use of print indexes and abstracts which display citations in context of related literature. (15 references) (EJS)

Focuses on the training of students in online bibliographic searching as introduced by school library media centers. The online process, teaching students to search, search steps, negative and positive aspects, and implications for school library media programs in three areas (student instruction, collection development, service goals) are…

This curriculum guide is intended to help educators design strategies to introduce the concept of online database searching to high school students. The goals of database searching are clearly defined so they may be matched with the goals already established in existing curriculum areas. The teaching process involves explaining how to use a…

Designed to assist educators in teaching information skills in a systematic way by integrating them into the kindergarten through grade 12 curriculum, this guide is intended to be shared by teachers and library media specialists. A reflection of recent study of the information searching and application process, the guide is not bound to any…

Designed to assist librarians in developing software packages to teach elementary bibliographic instruction on an individual basis with a microcomputer, this document describes four steps necessary to produce such a product. These include: choosing a topic with a limited amount of available library information; surveying the library's resources on…

In order to use new educational technologies effectively and to help students cope with the mass of information that has become available, librarians have begun to develop strategies and lessons to instruct students in searching. There has been, however, no detailed curriculum in the schools to ensure that students and teachers in grades K-12 are…

Librarians use subject guides to introduce students to library materials. Surveys, usability tests, and usage statistics demonstrate that students do not relate well to subject guides. We suggest that library resources organized or delivered at a course level are more in line with how undergraduate students approach library research. (Contains 26…