In this paper we examine digital literacy and explicate how it relates to the philosophical study of ignorance. Using data from a study which explores the knowledge producing work of undergraduate students as they wrote course assignments, we argue that a social practice approach to digital literacy can help explain how epistemologies of ignorance…

Basic course information and worksheets are presented in this textbook/workbook for "Information Resources in the Humanities," a course offered by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Texas at Austin. The guide is divided into eight sections. The first presents the syllabus, lists assignments (e.g.,…

Describes DocML, a Web-based digital library of university data that is used to build a system capable of preserving and managing student assignments. Topics include requirements for a digital library of university data; metadata and XML; three-tier architecture; user interface; searching; browsing; content delivery; and administrative issues.…

Computer technology can empower students if they have the tools to find their way through print and online sources. This article describes how a reference librarian and a faculty instructor collaborated to teach research strategies and critical thinking skills (including analysis and evaluation of resources) in a large university classroom using a…

This manual is the textbook for a two-unit course for upper division students at a middle-sized university academic research library, the University of California Santa Barbara Library. The book introduces search strategy for finding information for a term paper. After discussing factual information about library collections, classification, card…

This study investigated the benefits of online research methods over manual methods for novice researchers. It was hypothesized that novice researchers who conduct online searches submit better research projects than those who use manual methods. Undergraduate students in two classes of a journalism course on "Law and Mass…

In an effort to promote computer literacy among advertising students, an assignment was devised that required the use of online database search techniques to find secondary research materials. The search program, chosen for economical reasons, was "Classroom Instruction Program" offered by Dialog Information Services. Available for a…

A college level, one-unit library research skills course is required of all students as part of a general education program at the State University College at Plattsburgh, New York. The course emphasizes the presentation of learning experiences within the context of two conceptual structures: principles that underlie information access systems,…

Offers suggestions to librarians on how to teach Internet use and Web searching to beginners. Highlights include active learning, including small group assignments; Web addresses; Web site authority, currency, accuracy, commercialism, and scope; critical thinking skills; the training environment; student exercises; and educational resources for…

The contents of this document include the course syllabus, a student information sheet, college library floor plans, and the units of instruction for Library Research Skills (LIB 101), a course taught at the State University College at Plattsburgh, New York. The course syllabus lists subjects to be covered and the corresponding time frame for…

This document is a library instruction manual for an introductory course on library research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The assignments provided are intended for independent study; a syllabus is included for the 7-week course. The manual is divided into seven sections. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the library system, services, and…

This workbook for a library and information skills course at the University of South Florida (USF), Tampa campus, contains the following sections: (1) syllabus; (2) tentative course outline; (3) statement of the course goal, general objectives, and objectives related to LC (Library of Congress) classification and the online catalog, dictionaries…

This paper describes the rationale behind and the development and utilization of a bibliographic instruction course which incorporates formal abstract reasoning skills. The limitations of the search strategy technique of bibliographic instruction are discussed as well as the fact that many college students have not developed sophisticated…

The purpose of this handbook is to familiarize the user with the organization of the California State University-Sacramento (CSUS) library. As part of a course requirement, the handbook is designed to provide the student with information necessary to perform assignments in the library independently of librarians and support staff, and as a…

Currently available World Wide Web search engines determine a site's qualification as a response to a search request by matching keywords in the request to keywords representing the site. The returned sites are given a score and ranked according to the match on keywords. Many of these retrieved sites can be irrelevant to the user's true…