This discussion presented at the 1987 convention of the Catholic Library Association traces the concept of library instruction from the early 1900's to the present, and discusses its place in modern society in terms of the economic, educational, and professional benefits involved. (Author/EM)

This paper looks at some of the potential roles that librarians could adopt in the age of the Internet; e.g., resource discovery, cataloging the Internet, and user education. It outlines the effect that networked information is having on the library profession. It identifies the new roles that information professionals are performing and shows…

Discusses a paradigm for academic librarianship that requires greater sensitivity to and identification with needs of library users. Centrality of library academic community is questioned, noting insistence of librarians on independent status of library and failure of bibliographic instruction programs to make issue of critical thinking top…

The paper begins with an introduction defining the term "information literacy" and goes on to analyze the need for information literacy education in China. It also presents a detailed description with examples of how China's public libraries are cultivating citizens' information literacy. The experiences prove that the public library is…

A librarian describes library services available for physically impaired students at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Following background information on the university's commitment to disabled students, a discussion is presented on the effects of federal legislation on changes in library facilities; collections; and services for disabled…

This paper presented at the 1987 convention of the Catholic Library Association explores the role of the librarian as a teacher in school and public libraries and among clienteles ranging from school-age children to older adults. (EM)

The goal of the "Best Practices Initiative: Characteristics of Programs of Information Literacy that Illustrate Best Practices," undertaken by the Association of College and Research Libraries' Institute for Information Literacy is to systematically identify and test the key elements essential for a successful institutionally supported…

This paper discusses the potential role of librarians in user education and training in the context of knowledge management (KM) initiatives. The paper first summarizes the results of a recent study of KM systems that found a high failure and disappointment rate, with more than half of the failures attributable to inadequate user training and…

Presented as a professional development workshop to secondary teachers, this document examines various techniques and strategies for appropriate library use. Recognizing the teacher's need for practical information, the presentation is designed to: explain the role of the library in the educational process; provide information on how to locate…

This paper describes the changing state of the distance education environment, characteristics of distance students in higher education and their problems in using library resources and services. Information literacy instruction as the key role of distance education librarians is described based on a case study on Sukhothai Thammathirat Open…

This paper begins by discussing the problems encountered by nontraditional university students who, for a variety of reasons, lack the skills necessary to complete assignments that require library research, and the role of the librarian in assisting these students. It then describes two approaches being used by librarians at Northeastern Illinois…

Quality education in an information society must include skills related to the accessing and evaluating of pertinent information for problem solving. Moving beyond the practice of using reserve material, lectures, and textbooks predominant in most college teaching today would be a step towards producing independent learners more likely to use the…

This paper describes the New Mexico State University (NMSU) Library's strategic plan to develop its services amid an atmosphere of change. A summary of the following components of the strategic plan is given: vision; mission; values; and goals. The revised organizational functions are then illustrated, as well as the role of the selector-liaison…

In the 1970s, German academic libraries discovered user education as a new area of responsibilities, although promising activities at the end of the decade were not continued because of the lack of staff and organizational conditions. Since the beginning of the 1990s, activities in that field have been renewed, especially by large academic…

The link between classrooms and the library is emphasized, and cooperation between librarians and instructors in developing library instructional programs is advocated. A context for academic library instruction is developed by examining its history. The philosophical rationale for library instruction is generally traced to the lectures of Ralph…