An exploratory survey of reference source instruction in LIS courses

Abstract

We surveyed 40 reference instructors at 28 North American ALA-accredited programs of library and information studies about instructional methods they used in teaching about reference sources in print and electronic formats. Results indicated that instructors spent more time teaching students about electronic than about print sources. General reference courses included a larger variety of instructional methods for teaching print sources than did subject-specific courses. Commonly-used instructional methods for print sources included instructor-led discussion of the sources and hands-on assignments completed outside of class time. For electronic reference sources, commonly-used instructional methods were instructor-led discussions and modeling searches. The study identified an apparent conflict between instructors’ desires to develop a deeper knowledge of print and electronic sources, and their ability to ensure access to sources, work with technology, and manage changing interfaces. We conclude with three options that LIS practitioners and educators might take to address this conflict.Post-printIncludes bibliographical references