Government information and library instruction: A means to an end

Journal of Government Information

Volumn 24, Issue 4, 1997, Pages 313-330

  Sheehy, Helen M ^a   Cheney, Debora ^a  

^a PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

Course integrated instruction; Curriculum integrated instruction; Government information; Intergovernmental organization; Library instruction; Research methodologies; Teaching methods

Indexed keywords

EID: 0031188077     PISSN: 13520237     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/S1352-0237(97)00028-2     Document Type: Article

References (58)

1. 1. Association of College and Research Libraries, Instruction Section Task Force, "Guidelines for Instruction Programs in Academic Libraries: Draft," College & Research Libraries News 56, No. 11 (December 1995): 767-69.
2. 2. Much of the literature about government information instruction deals with specific sources or with the teaching of electronic resources. Consult "Recent Literature on Government Information," Journal of Government Information (issue nos. 2 and 5 in each volume) for recent literature related to "Government Publications in Educational Curricula." See also: Susan Anthes, "Government Publications," in Process and Politics in Library Research: A Model for Course Design, ed. Deborah Fink (Chicago: American Library Association, 1989), 174-84.
3. 2. Much of the literature about government information instruction deals with specific sources or with the teaching of electronic resources. Consult "Recent Literature on Government Information," Journal of Government Information (issue nos. 2 and 5 in each volume) for recent literature related to "Government Publications in Educational Curricula." See also: Susan Anthes, "Government Publications," in Process and Politics in Library Research: A Model for Course Design, ed. Deborah Fink (Chicago: American Library Association, 1989), 174-84.
4. 3. Irene Weiner and Lynne M. Stuart, "Library Lifesavers: Freshman Orientation," 15th Annual Poster Sessions Abstracts (American Library Association Annual Meeting, New York, 1996), 10.
5. 4. The proliferation of CD-ROMs and online databases in the University Libraries during the early 1990s presented new instructional challenges. When the library established a computer facility allowing hands-on instruction, librarians began a series of subject-specific sessions designed to provide library users demonstrations, and, whenever possible, hands-on practice with electronic resources available or accessible through the computing resources in the Libraries. A current course listing is available at: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/pubinfo/libraryinstru.html.
6. 5. Sally Kalin, "Collaboration: A Key to Internet Training," Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science 20 (February/March 1994): 22-24.
7. 6. The bibliography for this seminar can be viewed at: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/crsweb/docs/modelun. htm.
8. 7. Richard Minard et al., "Student-Designed Synthesis: A Coordination Project Between Two Chemistry Courses to Improve Knowledge of the Chemical Literature," Abstracts of Papers (American Chemical Society National Meeting: 211th), Part 1, (Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, forthcoming), CHED-063; Martha Anadakrishnan, "Proposal Earns Special Recognition," Interview: The Monthly Newsletter of the University Libraries (The Pennsylvania State University) 6, no. 13 (June/July 1996): 7.
9. 7. Richard Minard et al., "Student-Designed Synthesis: A Coordination Project Between Two Chemistry Courses to Improve Knowledge of the Chemical Literature," Abstracts of Papers (American Chemical Society National Meeting: 211th), Part 1, (Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, forthcoming), CHED-063; Martha Anadakrishnan, "Proposal Earns Special Recognition," Interview: The Monthly Newsletter of the University Libraries (The Pennsylvania State University) 6, no. 13 (June/July 1996): 7.
10. 8. Kevin Harwell, "Worth the Effort: Lexis-Nexis on Campus," Online 20 (September/October 1996): 30-40.
11. 9. Syllabi for "Federal and Legal Information Sources" (L.St. 470) and "Introduction to Resources in International Relations" (L.St. 397) are available at: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/crsweb/docs/ instruct.htm. "Federal and Legal Information Sources" uses readings from two texts: Judith Schiek Robinson, Tapping the Government Grapevine: The User-Friendly Guide to U.S. Government Information Sources, 2nd ed. (Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1993) and Morris L. Cohen and Kent C. Olsen, Legal Research in a Nutshell, 5th ed. (St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Co., 1992). "Introduction to Research in International Relations" does not have a textbook, but readings are assigned to complement and enhance the lectures.
12. 9. Syllabi for "Federal and Legal Information Sources" (L.St. 470) and "Introduction to Resources in International Relations" (L.St. 397) are available at: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/crsweb/docs/ instruct.htm. "Federal and Legal Information Sources" uses readings from two texts: Judith Schiek Robinson, Tapping the Government Grapevine: The User-Friendly Guide to U.S. Government Information Sources, 2nd ed. (Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1993) and Morris L. Cohen and Kent C. Olsen, Legal Research in a Nutshell, 5th ed. (St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Co., 1992). "Introduction to Research in International Relations" does not have a textbook, but readings are assigned to complement and enhance the lectures.
13. 9. Syllabi for "Federal and Legal Information Sources" (L.St. 470) and "Introduction to Resources in International Relations" (L.St. 397) are available at: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/crsweb/docs/ instruct.htm. "Federal and Legal Information Sources" uses readings from two texts: Judith Schiek Robinson, Tapping the Government Grapevine: The User-Friendly Guide to U.S. Government Information Sources, 2nd ed. (Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1993) and Morris L. Cohen and Kent C. Olsen, Legal Research in a Nutshell, 5th ed. (St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Co., 1992). "Introduction to Research in International Relations" does not have a textbook, but readings are assigned to complement and enhance the lectures.
14. 10. Two Library Studies courses, "Federal and Legal Information Sources" (L.St. 470) and "Archival Management" (L.St. 490), have been accepted for credit in the ALA-accredited Masters in Library Science program at Clarion University, Clarion, PA.
15. 11. Diane H. Smith and Susan Anthes, "College of Liberal Arts, Preliminary Course Proposal - The Pennsylvania State University" (January 25, 1980), n.p.
16. 12. The amount of librarian time it would take to teach another three-credit course with the existing resources within the Documents/Maps Section was a concern. Thus, the initial plan was to offer "Federal and Legal Information Sources" as a one-credit version spring semester 1995 followed by a three-credit version fall semester 1995. The relative merits of each version would then be evaluated and the most popular of the two would be offered on a regular basis, if enrollments warranted. The one-credit version was not listed in the List of Scheduled Classes and despite considerable efforts, it did not achieve sufficient enrollments for it to be offered. The three-credit version was offered during the fall semester and drew sufficient enrollment for it to be taught. Informal feedback from the students who took the three-credit version, rather than the one-credit version, indicated the same reluctance as the "Information Strategies for Policy Analysis" students had expressed - the "extra" one-credit did little to help them complete degree requirements. In an effort to balance the Section's teaching load, "Federal and Legal Information Sources" is being offered in the fall semester and "Federal and Legal Information Sources" in the spring semester. See also, Helen M. Sheehy, "An Introduction to Resources in International Relations: A Credit Course Designed for Undergraduate Students," Documents to the People (DTTP) 23, no. 4 (December 1995): 226-29.
17. 13. Due to Geography Department staffing constraints, they needed someone to teach "Introduction to Planning" on a temporary basis. They had already offered the course and it had sufficiently high enrollments that they did not want to cancel the course.
18. 14. Tom Diamond and Joan Espey McGee, "Bibliographic Instruction for Business Writing Students: Implementation of a Conceptual Framework," RQ 34, no. 3 (Spring 1995): 349.
19. 15. In fact, when the legislative section was taught during the final section of the course rather than as the initial section, students were much more successful at completing the legislative history assignments. More study would be needed to determine why this occurred. Are students simply more comfortable with library research by that point in the semester or have the core principles of the structure and function of government influencing the publishing pattern become clearer?
20. 16. This conceptual framework can also be used in subject-specific courses. For example, see Diamond and McGee, "Bibliographic Instruction," 340-54.
21. 17. Early "Federal and Legal Information Sources" syllabi show an even greater focus on how the role of government information influences what is collected and disseminated, particularly through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). In more recent years, while the role of government information in a free society is discussed, the FDLP and its impact on access to government information is discussed in the context of specific sources and their availability in libraries and electronically. In addition, although early syllabi included sections on historical sources (for example, the U.S. Serial Set), more recent syllabi include less discussion of historical sources and greater emphasis is being placed on electronic resources, including CD-ROM databases, Internet resources, and commercial vendors, such as Lexis/Nexis.
22. 18. Experience has shown that few faculty teach the legislative process and also provide a parallel discussion of the publications that result from this process and the information these publications provide the researcher. When asked to provide course-integrated instruction, Section librarians are frequently asked to cover the process as well as how to find publications. In "Federal and Legal Information Sources" it is not uncommon for Section librarians to teach the legislative process to remind students of the complexity of this process; then walk them through the process again, this time emphasizing and discussing the publications that come out of that process; then walk them through the process a third time - this time to discuss the indexes and resources that would be used to locate these publications.
23. 19. This method of instruction corresponds with Bruner's statement that "the aim of any teaching should enable the learner to acquire an understanding of the structure of the subject being taught" and that "fundamental concepts" should take precedence over minute details. For a discussion of this see Mary Y. Piette, "Library Instruction: Principles, Theories, Connections, and Challenges," Reference Librarian no. 51/52 (1996), 77-88.
24. 20. Films can be particularly useful to illustrate how government agencies function and how the branches of government interact with each other. Study guides handed out prior to showing the film help students focus their viewing on the film. They are also better able to review and discuss the film, without multiple viewings, by having a guide to provide an overview.
25. 21. John D. Wilson, Student Learning in Higher Education (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1981), 24; Eileen E. Allen, "Active Learning and Teaching: Improving Postsecondary Library Instruction," Reference Librarian no. 51/52 (1996): 89-103.
26. 21. John D. Wilson, Student Learning in Higher Education (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1981), 24; Eileen E. Allen, "Active Learning and Teaching: Improving Postsecondary Library Instruction," Reference Librarian no. 51/52 (1996): 89-103.
27. 22. Originally, the librarians who taught the course used graduate assistants or reference desk aides to create unique questions and locate their answers. The questions were recycled from year to year with enough new questions added year to thwart casual cheating. However, this approach created an additional workload for the librarians teaching the course and became increasingly more difficult as desk aide support began to dwindle in the late 1980s.
28. 23. Originally, the desk aids or graduate assistants would do preliminary research to ensure that a given report could actually be located in the Penn State University library.
29. 24. This new librarian (Helen Sheehy, one of the article's co-authors) made suggestions to change the treasure-hunt exercise questions. She had recently completed many such exercise questions as part of M.L.S. coursework, and in that setting she had found them an inappropriate method for developing an understanding of a body of literature or for developing research skills. She reasoned they were even more inappropriate within the context of "Federal and Legal Information Sources," where students are encouraged to view research as a process and not just a matter of locating isolated facts.
30. 25. An effort to determine if the publication can be located in our library is no longer made. In real life the publication may not actually be available for any number of reasons, and it was believed that students needed to develop this awareness as well. Also, the purpose of the course was to develop the critical thinking skills and be able to develop a research strategy to locate referenced government information, and to learn, in the process, how government information is cited and published in scholarly literature, as well as in popular media sources. Prior to taking the section's course, students rarely sought the original source for the data or report - frequently because they were unsure how to begin or did not recognize that a government agency produced the information.
31. 26. The librarian always approved student topics early in the semester, and students were encouraged to work on their annotated bibliographies in tandem with the exercise sets. In this way, students were encouraged to work on their bibliographies throughout the semester.
32. 27. The value of the annotated bibliography as an evaluative tool is well-documented. See Eugene A. Engledinger, "Bibliograhic Instruction and Critical Thinking: The Contribution of the Annotated Bibliography," RQ 28 (1988): 194-202.
33. 28. The final bibliography is not limited to government information, although students are expected to include a large proportion of government material.
34. 29. Some instructors believe that separating the "composition process into discrete units" such as outlining, research, and writing creates an artificial construct and argue that the writing and research process in reality flows back and forth between writing and research. While agreeing in principle with this concept, we encourage students to rework their outline as they gather more information. Outlining serves to focus the student on first gathering enough background information to understand the main points they will need to consider in their research paper and then prompt them to research each point in their outline as a more manageable "mini search." For additional discussion, see Dennis Isbell, "Teaching Writing and Research as Inseparable: A Faculty-Librarian Teaching Team," Reference Services Review 23, 4 (1995): 51-62.
35. 30. Collaborative learning can be a valuable method for learning effective research methods-librarians use it frequently in the course of their own work at the reference desk. Currently, the instructors discuss early in the semester the merits of working in groups to finish exercises, bibliographies, and exams. Students are cautioned not to assume that their colleagues are more knowledgeable or skillful in research methods. However, students are encouraged to discuss among themselves what sources they have used and what techniques have worked for them. In addition, because each student has a different research topic, they are only able to consult on the research process.
36. 31. Many librarians complain of lack of sufficient time for class preparation, inadequate time to cover materials, and lack of feedback from the students. For further discussion see Charles D. Patterson and Donna W. Howell, "Library User Education: Assessing the Attitudes of Those Who Teach" RQ 29 (1990): 513-24; Eugene A. Engeldinger, "Frustration Management in a Course-Integrated Bibliographic Instruction Program," RQ 31 (1992): 20-24; Karen A. Becker, "The Characteristics of Bibliographic Instruction in Relation to the Causes and Symptoms of Burnout" RQ 32 (1993) 346-57; and Michelle Cash Russo, "Recovering from Bibliographic Instruction Blahs," RQ 32 (1992): 178-83.
37. 31. Many librarians complain of lack of sufficient time for class preparation, inadequate time to cover materials, and lack of feedback from the students. For further discussion see Charles D. Patterson and Donna W. Howell, "Library User Education: Assessing the Attitudes of Those Who Teach" RQ 29 (1990): 513-24; Eugene A. Engeldinger, "Frustration Management in a Course-Integrated Bibliographic Instruction Program," RQ 31 (1992): 20-24; Karen A. Becker, "The Characteristics of Bibliographic Instruction in Relation to the Causes and Symptoms of Burnout" RQ 32 (1993) 346-57; and Michelle Cash Russo, "Recovering from Bibliographic Instruction Blahs," RQ 32 (1992): 178-83.
38. 31. Many librarians complain of lack of sufficient time for class preparation, inadequate time to cover materials, and lack of feedback from the students. For further discussion see Charles D. Patterson and Donna W. Howell, "Library User Education: Assessing the Attitudes of Those Who Teach" RQ 29 (1990): 513-24; Eugene A. Engeldinger, "Frustration Management in a Course-Integrated Bibliographic Instruction Program," RQ 31 (1992): 20-24; Karen A. Becker, "The Characteristics of Bibliographic Instruction in Relation to the Causes and Symptoms of Burnout" RQ 32 (1993) 346-57; and Michelle Cash Russo, "Recovering from Bibliographic Instruction Blahs," RQ 32 (1992): 178-83.
39. 31. Many librarians complain of lack of sufficient time for class preparation, inadequate time to cover materials, and lack of feedback from the students. For further discussion see Charles D. Patterson and Donna W. Howell, "Library User Education: Assessing the Attitudes of Those Who Teach" RQ 29 (1990): 513-24; Eugene A. Engeldinger, "Frustration Management in a Course-Integrated Bibliographic Instruction Program," RQ 31 (1992): 20-24; Karen A. Becker, "The Characteristics of Bibliographic Instruction in Relation to the Causes and Symptoms of Burnout" RQ 32 (1993) 346-57; and Michelle Cash Russo, "Recovering from Bibliographic Instruction Blahs," RQ 32 (1992): 178-83.
40. 32. Jean Sheridan, "The Reflective Librarian: Some Observations on Bibliographic Instruction in the Academic Library," Journal of Academic Librarianship 16 (1990): 22-26 suggests movement beyond attempts to simply convey information to a passive student audience.
41. 33. Tom Eadie, "Immodest Proposals," Library Journal 115 (October 1990): 43, has suggested that user education is essentially worthless and should be abandoned.
42. 34. This is similar to an approach Tims used to teach government information in a much shorter "workshop" format as a companion session to a credit course in business. Betty J. Tims, Interactive Team Teaching Government Documents Data Sources: A Case Study," Reference Services Review 16 (1988): 69-72.
43. 35. Gloria J. Leckie, "Desperately Seeking Citations: Uncovering Faculty Assumptions about the Undergraduate Research Process," Journal of Academic Librarianship 22 (1996): 201-08.
44. 36. Anita Cannon, "Faculty Survey on Library Research Instruction." RQ 33 (1994): 524-41.
45. 37. Leckie, "Desperately Seeking Citations," 201-08.
46. 38. Many articles discuss faculty perception of bibliographic instruction. For example: Gordon W. Thompson, "Faculty Recalcitrance about Bibliographic Instruction," in Bibliographic Instruction in Practice: A Tribute to the Legacy of Evan Ira Farber, ed. Larry Hardesty, Jamie Hastreiter, and David Henderson (Ann Arbor: Peirian Press, 1993), 103-05; Evan Ira Farber, "Teachers as Learners - the Application of BI," Working with Faculty in the New Electronic Library, ed. Linda Shirato (Ann Arbor: Peirian Press, 1992), 1-5; Joy Thomas, "Faculty Attitudes and Habits Concerning Library Instruction: How Much Has Changed Since 1982," Research Strategies 12 (1992): 209-23.
47. 38. Many articles discuss faculty perception of bibliographic instruction. For example: Gordon W. Thompson, "Faculty Recalcitrance about Bibliographic Instruction," in Bibliographic Instruction in Practice: A Tribute to the Legacy of Evan Ira Farber, ed. Larry Hardesty, Jamie Hastreiter, and David Henderson (Ann Arbor: Peirian Press, 1993), 103-05; Evan Ira Farber, "Teachers as Learners - the Application of BI," Working with Faculty in the New Electronic Library, ed. Linda Shirato (Ann Arbor: Peirian Press, 1992), 1-5; Joy Thomas, "Faculty Attitudes and Habits Concerning Library Instruction: How Much Has Changed Since 1982," Research Strategies 12 (1992): 209-23.
48. 38. Many articles discuss faculty perception of bibliographic instruction. For example: Gordon W. Thompson, "Faculty Recalcitrance about Bibliographic Instruction," in Bibliographic Instruction in Practice: A Tribute to the Legacy of Evan Ira Farber, ed. Larry Hardesty, Jamie Hastreiter, and David Henderson (Ann Arbor: Peirian Press, 1993), 103-05; Evan Ira Farber, "Teachers as Learners - the Application of BI," Working with Faculty in the New Electronic Library, ed. Linda Shirato (Ann Arbor: Peirian Press, 1992), 1-5; Joy Thomas, "Faculty Attitudes and Habits Concerning Library Instruction: How Much Has Changed Since 1982," Research Strategies 12 (1992): 209-23.
49. 39. Dennis Isbell, "Teaching Writing and Research as Inseparable: A Faculty Librarian-Teaching Team," Reference Services Review 23, no. 4 (1995): 51-62.
50. 40. "Chemical Literature" (Chem. 400) at Penn State is much more of a partnership effort. The librarian teaching the research methods course and a chemistry professor teaching a laboratory course designed two separate three credit courses to work in tandem. Students do the research for the laboratory classes through "Chemical Literature."
51. 41. Few library school programs train students in bibliographic instruction, leaving librarians to learn on the job or through mentoring. For a discussion of team teaching as a form of mentoring, see: Cheryl LaGuardia, et al., "Learning to Instruct on the Job: Team-Teaching Library Skills," Reference Librarian 40 (1993): 53-62.
52. 42. In another case, a general reference librarian with many years of experience in government documents taught the course alone.
53. 43. The assessment is supported by a survey conducted at East Carolina University by Linda B. Shoffner, "University Students Perceived Need for a Formal Course in Library Instruction," Technicalities 11, no. 8 (August 1991): 13-16.
54. 44. The authors believe lifelong learning is being enhanced through "Federal and Legal Information Sources" and "Introduction to Research in International Relations." It would be difficult to take these courses and not come away with a sense that government and intergovernmental organization information is disseminated differently and that research methodologies must be devised to locate this information specifically. In addition, because students are provided with hands-on experiences using a variety of primary and secondary sources, these skills should continue to be used and developed throughout their professional careers and personal lives.
55. 45. At a presentation at the recent European Documentation Centre/Depository Library meetings (Brussels, June 24-26, 1996), Manuel Porto of the European Parliament spoke of the spread or multiplier effect of teaching one new user about government information. His belief was that when university libraries taught users how to gain access to EU materials, they in turn would promote the collection among their friends and colleagues and that this was one of the EU's primary motivations in setting up the depository program.
56. 46. Helen M. Sheehy, "A Community Closer to its Citizens: The European Union's Use of the Internet," Government Information Quarterly 14(2):117-142.
57. 47. Documents/Maps Section librarians who are teaching for-credit courses teach with only minor adjustments in their workload. For example, because all course integrated instruction offered by section librarians continues, the other librarians in the Documents/Maps Section take on many of the librarian's regularly assigned course integrated instruction. In addition, the librarian teaching a for-credit course is not required to work a night on the Documents Reference Desk. Beyond these modest "reassignments" the librarian is teaching for-credit instruction in addition to his/her usual workload.
58. 48. "Enhancing Higher Learning Institutions: Train Students in Library and Information Services," Information 2000, Library and Information Services for the 21st Century: Final Report of the 1991 White House Conference on Library and Information Services. (Washington, DC: National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, 1992), 42.