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Information Literacy and Electronic Resources @ your
LibraryMarkham Public Libraries
Andrea CecchettoMeg Kwasnicki
Session Outline
• Developing Information Literacy service @ the Public Library
• Different service groups K-8 and Teens
• Foundations for Information Literacy as a core service of the Public library
Markham Public Libraries Profile
• 6 Branches – 5 main branches – 1 neighborhood
• Growing suburban community – pop. 260,000
• High mobility – New Canadian community
Developing IL: The Need
• “I need a book on…” – Pioneers – Canada’s Trading
partners– Prime Ministers– …etc…
And we don’t have any
Developing IL: The Need
“But I’m not allowed to use the Internet!”
Databases are perceived as “the Internet”
Kids in the INFORMATION AGE are Googleized
Blindly searching where everyone has searched before
Developing IL: The Need
Developing IL: The Need - Teens
• Internet use is not restricted – teens prefer Google
• Still looking for print – but specifically print
• You can lead a horse to water…but you can’t make it use the online databases
Developing IL: The Need - Reference Service
• Training - Professional knowledge in this area inconsistent
• E resource education complicated for a 5-10 min reference interview
Developing IL: The Need
Information Literacy…
…is bigger than unused E-resources
Research and Implementation
Task Force – Enormity of the topic
Information Literacy Theory is Everywhere
• ACRL standards • K-12 standards
OSLA• What about Dewey?
OSLA K-12 Standards
Task Force – Enormity of the topic
Boils down to 4 major themes
1. Access2. Evaluation3. Relevance/Use4. Understanding/Application
Task Force –How to start?
Dive in ? Build it Brick by Brick?
Teen Services – Past Attempts at Info Lit
• One-on-one tutorials– Effective communication but time
intensive
• In house programming– Good facilities, easy for staff but
attendance is a problem
• Classroom “training” – Poor absorption but captive audience
Initial Assumptions: teens and research
1. If teens can use Google, they will
2. They underestimate the importance of good research
3. They overestimate their own research skills
4. They are not aware of the online databases
The Horse’s Mouth: what the teens say
Research Methods:• #1 challenge – research methods
(defining research topics, identifying key concepts, applying research to topic)
• Are not frustrated by research• Claim to use variety of sources
Teen Survey Results con’t
Library use:• Most use library; all have library card• Likes: variety of books (23%);
organization (18%); quiet (14%) • Dislikes: time consuming (23%);
materials unavailable/checked out (20%); don’t know how to find info (15%)
• Basic library skills
Teen Survey Results con’t
Internet use:• Teachers allow use• Confident in quality of information – 63%• Poor search skills - keyword searches,
dependent on Google• Do not know how to evaluate
sites/determine quality of information
Teen Survey Results con’t
Online Databases:• High awareness; many have tried the DB• Ambivalent about DB – easy to use,
found what they needed, don’t like them• Dislikes: irrelevant info; didn’t
understand how to use them; access• Preferred training method: library class
(19%)
Input from the TAG
• Need solutions “on demand”
• Willingness to learn/improve
• No incentive to improve research skills
• Get out to the schools
What the teachers have to say
• Majority dissatisfied with students’ research • Research is important to 100% • Student Weaknesses: Website
evaluation; Poor web research skills; dependency on web
• Needs improvement: research beyond Google
• Any training would help; preferably in the library – if transportation isn’t an issue
Our New Assumptions
1. Competition with Google is not the issue
2. Teens lack foundations of IL – problem is beyond search skills
3. Need new approach to Online database instruction/promotion
4. Need for flexible, user-centric solutions
Children’s services – Teacher Librarians
Two focus groups elementary school Teacher Librarians
York Region Catholic SB and York Region Public SB
Teacher Librarians - Questions– Focus in schools for electronic resource
instruction
– Levels and abilities of different grade levels
– Facilities in schools for electronic resource instruction/ ability to come to the library
– Role of the public library Information literacy instruction
eResource instruction in Schools
• eResource and Internet alternatives top concern
• TLs teach database use- school’s or Public library’s
• Problematic – Resource inconsistency
TLs - Levels and Abilities
• K-12 Standards Designed by OSLA
• Mid level grades 3-5s specific and focused
• Intermediate level 6-8 - Database vs. Internet -– Abstract reasoning and evaluative skills
Levels and Abilities – Grades 3-5
• Focus on a single application – logging in – Bookmarked lists– Single databases – Controlled searches
• Research skills – Narrowing topic– Synonyms and Keywords
• Design cumulative curriculum over 4 weeks (1 hour/week)
• Concepts build on one another– Website evaluation– Search engine mechanics– Database use and search skills
Levels and Abilities – Grades 6-8
Teacher Librarians - Interest with PL
• Instructional Success = Tie into assignments & Good Grades
• Awareness = Media tools and promotions from Public Library
• Ideal = have Information Literacy skills tied into curriculum
Solutions & Pilot Projects
Awareness - Media
• Posters – with Web Evaluation Criteria
• Bookmarks – with login description and database description
• Brochures – highlights only relevant databases
Poster
Bookmark
HELP! I have a school Project.Use MPL Electronic
databases! INFORMATION! YOURTEACHER WILL APPROVE!Access to free Electronicmagazines, newspapers, encyclopedias, photos, etcavailable from in the library or
yourhome computer 24/7. E-Library ElementaryEbscohost Kids SearchWorld Book Online LOGON TO:www.markhampubliclibrari
es
Bookmark Backside
E-Library ElementaryA child friendly database
containing newspaper and magazine articles, video clips and photographs.
Ebscohost-Kids Search Easy to use and graphically
appealing database. Search by topic such as geography, music, sports, health, and arts, etc.
World Book OnlineSearch a wide variety of topics in
this electronic encyclopedia.
Brochures
• For Children - Specific and directive – one per age level or database
• Screen captures, callouts and arrows, reduce text
E.g.
Click here for World book
Click here for elibrary canada
Website Layout: Recommended
• Make database title and contents clear
• Minimize use of Clicks – choices make for confusion
• Task force to make recommendations for database access improvements
MPL Website- under construction
We will put the kid’s databases on the kid’s website.
The list is challenging – too much text for young users
Access issue –Host DatabasesLists upon lists
We like it! Keep it Simple Whitby PL
Login is individual
Here there is one obvious login to
bring to one location
Application - Pilot Programmes
• Grade 3s – EBSCO Kid’s Search
• Grade 6s – Search engines, Web sites, Online Encyclopedias, Online Databases
• Grade 8s – Research skills, Search Engines & Websites, Database Searching
Grade 3s – Two Sessions
Outreach Goals
• Goal introduce EBSCO Kid’s search
• Search using a single keyword
• Thinking of synonyms
K-12 Guidelines
• select information from a range of electronic resources
• enter simple search words
Type your topic here!
Click this for pictures only
Kid’s Search – what it looks like
Synonym concept map
• DOG
• Canine • Prairie dog
• Golden retriever
Grade 3s
Successes
• Demonstration
• Guide to use
• Results = positive feedback from students
Challenges
• Each had different terms
• Research Preparation (not enough) – Spelling– Concept development
Feedback from students & Teachers
Positive responses: – Received expected results – Found interface intuitive– Thought they could teach it to other kids!
Negative responses– Did not get expected results– Did not understand interface – Needed more practice
Grade 6s - Methodology
K-12 Guidelines• describe how
information on specific Web sites is structured
• begin to search the Internet using single search engines
• retrieve information from databases
Outreach Goals • Introduce search
engines• Introduce website
evaluation criteria • Compare search engine
quality• Online encyclopedias• Databases – controlled
searching
World Book Online
Grade 6s - Three sessions
Successes • Web - evaluation only
• Focused practice - computers
• Activities on worksheets
• Database activities
Challenges• Security settings @
schools – lock out library databases
• Convincing that QUALITY is better than QUANTITY
• Tire of same message pretty quickly
Grade 8s – 3 sessions
• Used input from TL, teens & teachers to plan
• Five weeks with two classes, three sessions:– Introduction to research methods, library– Effective web-based research– Introduction to the online databases
Grade 8s – 3 sessions
Week One: Intro to Research, Library
• Library orientation – catalogue, collections…
• Getting ready for research - concept mapping
Grade 8s – 3 sessions
Week Two: Effective Web-based Research• Web awareness• Website evaluation criteria• Understanding Google• Efficient search strategies• Hands on – practicing website evaluation
Grade 8s – 3 sessions
Week Three: Intro to Online Databases• How databases work• Demonstrated different databases• Worksheet: focused practice
Career Cruising
Info Literacy Project - Evaluation
Feedback from Teachers: • Partnership with the public library is
important• Good teaching method: combination
lecture/hands-on• Exposure to info is important
Info Literacy Project – The Pilot Programme
Feedback from Students:
• Most useful parts: Research skills, online databases
• Web research not as highly received
Universal Feedback from Teachers
• Internet complicates research
• Students waste time searching the Internet – Yet they like it because it is “fast and easy”
• Demonstrating simplest tool even once is better than nothing at allE.g. World book online
Lessons Learned: before going to the class
• Students should be prepped on assignment, why you are there
• Younger grades- specific and detailed worksheets
• Test the technology in the classrooms
What next?
• Focus on Research skills
• Focus on Teachers – “train” or at least tell teachers about online databases
• System-wide communication & training
The Future – Vision for Public Libraries
• Partnering with schools to establish local Public Libraries as “Research Experts”
• IL as core service in public library
• Need to advocate for changes to databases
Questions?
Andrea Cecchetto [email protected]
Meg Kwasnicki [email protected]
Party On, OLA!Slides AVAIL on OLA Web
Additional screen captures
Something better than the web?
What is a Database?searches by keyword sorts by title/authorsorts by subject
Controlled Vocabulary
• Each database only understands certain vocabulary only
• Depends on who created the database
Careers Jobs
Employment
Professions