As participants in the Association of College and Research Libraries' (ACRL) Distance and Online Learning Section (DOLS) Mentoring Program, two librarians collaborated to deploy a pilot library video tutorial program at the mentee librarian's small liberal arts college in the Southeastern United States. Drawing on the mentoring librarian's…

This paper will look at the services presently offered to distance students by libraries within the categories of professional staff, access to resources, reference assistance, and library user instruction. It will then offer the argument that these services could be improved by developing embedded librarians within online academic courses as a…

Urges librarians involved in library user instruction to meet the challenges preented by the growing role of computers in bibliographic systems. (FM)

A usability study was undertaken at Penn State University to explore how students search the library's online catalog after they have received library instruction. In 2004, eight first-year students received library instruction and were subsequently recruited for the study. Participants were recorded using the online catalog, and a think-aloud…

This article presents findings from the School Library Journal's 2006 national technology survey that investigated the trend in today's library media centers. As this study demonstrates, technology continues to be a significant aspect of K-12 media centers. Despite restricted funding and schedules stretched to the limit, media specialists have…

Examination of the confrontation between patrons and technology in the library focuses on two questions evident when addressing the instruction librarian's role in humanizing technology: whether the library profession can afford to humanize interaction between client and technology, and how instruction librarians can humanize the confrontation.…

Examines the probability and impact of an increase in end-user searching of online databases on librarians and library education. The problems of end-user searching are discussed, new developments in online access are reviewed, and recommendations for the education of the end-user are made. Included are 25 references. (JL)

Examines the value premises underlying the "information versus instruction" debate in reference librarianship in light of the technological design issues now facing librarianship. Economic and technological developments that may affect the future of reference services are described. A 32-item reference list is included. (Author/JL)

Examines role of cataloger as it has been and is often perceived, and advances view of what role should be. The cataloger's function is discussed in terms of classification and description, automation and change, reclassification as supervisor of nonprofessional staff, cooperation within library, reorganization, and instruction. Thirteen…

Discusses trends in library reference services, focusing on the needs of the individual user. Highlights include the effects of CD-ROM; the growth of online systems; tiered reference service structures; roving reference librarians; going out to users; user studies; and bibliographic instruction. (LRW)

Discusses the definition of an online library catalog; five factors to be considered by the online catalog designer; user-computer communication (error messages, help screens, prompts, unnatural language); online tutorials and offline instruction offered by bibliographic instruction librarians; and the current situation. Nine references are…

Examines what occurred when the mental models of library media specialists teaching electronic information literacy database access interconnected in the complex changing environment of a lesson. Discusses changes to the mental models the library media specialists held with respect to the electronic database, role of the library media specialist,…

Explores ways in which library instruction programs and database searching services offered by academic libraries can become more interactive and mutually supportive. Specific attention is paid to opportunities for integrating library instruction with database searching. Student motivation and faculty support are among the topics discussed. A…

Discusses two Electronic Library Education Centers (ELECs) created at the University of Arizona to improve library instruction in the use of online resources. Examines costs of developing ELECs; technical changes experienced; and benefits to users and librarians. A sidebar by Abbie J. Basile identifies Internet resources for planning and/or…

A survey of 88 research libraries measuring staff involvement in key public service functions indicates that professional personnel are significantly more active in providing graduate library instruction, online searches, and reference service than paraprofessionals. When professional groups were compared, it was found that in those libraries…