Purpose: The Open University (OU) in the UK has been providing distance learning since 1969. The purpose of this case study is to outline the impact that The OU Library in the UK has had on student learning outcomes by embedding academic literature and digital and information literacy (DIL) skills materials in the curriculum.…

The term 'student engagement' has a broad meaning and is used freely as an expression in several different contexts of academic librarianship. This literature review covers scholarship from across several of these areas and is structured so that four broad themes are systematically addressed: student engagement in learning; students as partners;…

Comics and cartoons are valued in twenty-first century popular culture and are increasingly used as 'Applied Comics' to help communicate key messages and information in society. However, there is less evidence of cartoons and comics being used to communicate with and engage library users in learning, information literacy (IL) and research support.…

The learner journey is here defined as the study, information, and research skills that a student brings to university with them and develops throughout the course of their degree program. Research on academics' perceptions, expectations, and assumptions regarding the learner journey was conducted via semistructured interviews, in order to…

The theory of information discernment discussed here is firmly based on models, research and scholarship of information literacy coupled with theory and research in information behaviour. This paper will explore original research conducted by Walton and Hepworth and how it has developed over the last 10 years -- the pilot study was reported in the…

For higher education institutions in the United Kingdom there is a growing focus on improving student retention, encouraging academic engagement, and easing transition into university life. This article reports on the creation and outcomes of Head Start, a pre-induction online course created to provide students with a level of understanding of…

Extensive engagement with current academic sources is expected of all psychology undergraduates. Thirty-eight undergraduate psychology students took part in a series of focus group discussions of their information-searching experiences and skills. The majority of students had not been required to engage with any form of information searching while…

There has been much talk about libraries, including public libraries, being uniquely positioned to act as key agents for developing the critical skill of information literacy in their communities. Yet there is a notable lack of literature addressing information literacy and the public library, especially when compared to the volume of material on…

Additional arguments continue the long debate between the benefits of employing a Chartered Librarian as opposed to either an interested teacher or qualified Teacher/Librarian. It is felt that the "ideal" situation recommended in the Bullock Report is presently unrealistic, even if desirable. (Author)

A survey of 977 postgraduate distance-learning students in the United Kingdom investigated student perceptions of library needs. This article examines how students felt they were treated, need for libraries, library training (previous experience and nature and extent of training), problems of distance and time, costs for texts and charges for…

Describes the development of InfoSkills, a Web-based library tutorial at Bournemouth University (United Kingdom) designed to provide an interactive introductory library skills tutorial as an adjunct to conventional instruction. Discusses key objectives, methodologies, content, technology, and evaluation that included usability issues of content…

Response to issues discussed in Ann Irving's article in this yearbook focuses on the changing role of school librarians. Highlights include the impact of information technology on library services; the development of school libraries in the United Kingdom versus the United States; instruction in information skills; and equal access to information.…

This practical guide is intended to help teachers encourage recreational reading in a second language. The guide is based on the experience of one British school. The guide's first section offers suggestions for finding and selecting appropriate books or story collections, library instruction, keeping individual reading diaries, and helping slow…

Reports the results of a survey of U.K. librarians that examined where practitioners received training for user education. The finding that training was predominantly received outside of the library school setting is discussed in terms of the need for user education courses within library school curriculums. (CLB)

Discussion of the use of microcomputers in school libraries in the United Kingdom focuses on three models of school library computerization: (1) a library management-centered model, which addresses routine library operations; (2) a pupil-centered information skills model; and (3) a curriculum-centered model, which furthers pupil learning in…