This essay considers the institutionalization of critical library instruction in the decade since the publication of "Critical Library Instruction: Theories and Methods." Drawing on the work of Sara Ahmed and Rod Ferguson, I suggest that because library instruction is marginalized within librarianship, critical library instruction can…

There are many different job titles for this position around the country: school librarian, library media specialist, information technology specialist, research technology specialist, and library media coordinator. The position has changed from primarily a traditional librarian position to a balance of teaching and librarianship, and it's…

In 2012, more than a decade after the original Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education (hereafter the Standards) were institutionalized as the goal of academic library instruction, the Information Literacy Competency Standards Review Task Force convened by ACRL recommended…

Inquiry does not replace information literacy; rather, it encompasses it. Inquiry-based learning invites school librarians to step into all aspects of instructional planning, from activating prior knowledge straight through to reflection. Libraries pursuing inquiry-based instruction are building on the bedrock of information literacy, not starting…

"Embracing the chaos" is an ongoing challenge for librarians. Embracing the chaos means librarians must have a plan for responding to the flood of new products, widgets, web tools, and gizmos that students use daily. In this article, the author argues that library instruction and access services have been grappling with that chaos with…

This column presents an interview with Nick Baker, Reference and Web Services librarian at Williams College. Baker has produced several films for and about the library profession. In 2007, he won an InfoTubey Award for Outstanding Library YouTube Productions for his work. In this interview, Baker shares his ideas and experiences about this…

Discusses changes within the field of library instruction as they impact on the role of the academic librarian who works in an instructional capacity. (FM)

Argues that librarians who instruct library users should work out instructional approaches that combine emphasis on the particulars of sound library use with broader concepts of research and use of information. (FM)

Urges librarians involved in library user instruction to meet the challenges preented by the growing role of computers in bibliographic systems. (FM)

Describes a survey of 100 library school deans and directors conducted to determine the current status of bibliographic instruction. Results indicate that interest in such courses is high and that preparing effective instructors to teach involves skills in communication, teaching techniques, and evaluation techniques.

Presents five papers from the American Library Association's June 27, 1992, conference session, "The Right to Know: Will Changing Our Instruction Methods Empower the Public," in which panelists debate the design and impact of bibliographic instruction and the provision of reference services in academic and high school libraries. (EA)

Discusses the learning process and factors which generally determine how much is learned, i.e., content, the librarian's style, the learner's attitude and ability, and the environment. Suggestions are provided for dealing with these factors in planning library instruction. (LLS)

Teaching critical thinking is a relatively new dimension of bibliographic instruction (BI) in the academic environment. It marks a departure from the teaching of "user skills" in which the primary concern is enabling library patrons to determine the appropriateness of reference tools and to use those tools effectively. This report assembles a…

An alliance of the librarian and the researcher is essential to the success of modern scholarship. We are passing through a period of major change which will produce very different university libraries in the future. Academic librarians must provide the leadership to insure that researchers join in their budget fights; that researchers are…

Discussion of the teaching role of the academic librarian focuses primarily on reference librarianship. The interaction between patron and librarian and the necessity for the librarian to teach are noted. Eighteen references are provided. (EJS)