This article reports on the third phase of a project studying the integration of information behavior theories and concepts into professional education for reference and information service (RIS). It also provides a synthesis of the results of all studies in the project, including a syllabus study, an interview study, and the survey. Results of…

Information behavior is an important area of conceptual knowledge for reference service providers, as it provides structure for understanding users' information seeking and use. This study explores the extent to which information behavior theories, models, and concepts have been integrated into professional education for reference and information…

Reference librarians are exposed to the literature of different disciplines in a number of ways including advanced degrees, on the job training, and intellectual inquisitiveness. As students, many reference librarians were also exposed to library science programs offering coursework specializing in information sources and research within other…

In this article, the author proposes to present a superficial view of what is being taught in the 32 American Library Association accredited graduate library schools. She briefly discusses and answers the following three questions: (1) Who is teaching reference?; (2) What is being taught?; and (3) How is it being taught? [For the commentary on…

Cheney's paper was the first major article on the subject of teaching reference in American library schools. In the article, she addressed three questions: (1) Who is teaching reference?; (2) What is being taught?; and (3) How is it being taught? In this article, Linda Smith discusses how the teaching of reference has changed in the more than 50…

While experiential learning is recognized as an important pedagogical approach in Library and Information Science education, logistical hurdles can make implementing meaningful experiential projects challenging, especially in online courses. This paper will describe a project in which Library Science instructors were able to overcome common…

Fieldwork exists as a component of many library schools' curricula. Site supervisors, students, and the schools themselves all play a role. A final part of most fieldwork experiences involves the use of an evaluation form filled out by a site supervisor about the student. In this study, forty seven evaluation forms were collected and analyzed…

Reviews the Senior Library Assistants course at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Library (Nigeria). The following six subject areas included in the curriculum are discussed: (1) libraries, information, and society; (2) collection development; (3) organization of library materials; (4) reader's services; (5) preservation; and (6) library…

"Library Journal" issues (1910, 1920) were examined to identify professional concerns having curricular impact on library education: management, public service, technical service, book sciences, Americanization. Six major educational concerns are discussed: role of on-the-job training; specialization; certification; leadership role of…

Describes the addition of a collection management module to an advanced reference course in the arts and humanities, and reports the preliminary findings of a practicum that used the Research Libraries Group Conspectus as a basis for collection analysis in the humanities for a university library. (Author/CLB)

Examines what is being taught in reference courses at the University of Ibadan (Nigeria) library school, how courses are taught, and what needs to be improved. The balance between practical and theoretical approaches in the curriculum is discussed, and is it recommended that a practical approach be emphasized in Nigeria. (Author/LRW)

Describes a program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, in which library school students in the introduction to reference course participate in a required practicum at the research library information desk. Although a survey of other accredited library schools shows no other similar practicum program, 49% of those surveyed expressed interest.…

Discusses results of a survey of LIS (library and information science) educators who specialized in reference services or online retrieval to understand how teachers have prepared students to deal with online and CD-ROM resources. Results are compared to those from earlier studies, and a copy of the survey is appended. (Author/LRW)

Describes institutes developed at Rutgers University to introduce practicing librarians to the information search process from the user's perspective. Highlights included library search sessions followed by small and large group discussions, presentations on the theoretical foundations of the search process, and developing plans for libraries'…

Any teacher who reflects on teaching knows that he or she learns as much if not more from students as vice-versa. One means of encouraging this communication in a basic reference course is described--a culminating project which asks students to choose a word with which to review sources and to present the results in an organized way. (Author)