Monday, August 17, 2009

General Library Research Tutorial now available!

The new, expanded General Library Research Tutorial is now available on the Library's website under the 'Help' tab and here. It is designed to help first-year students develop the necessary information-seeking and evaluation skills for their general education courses, but it can be used by anyone wanting a refresher in the basics of library research:
Module 1 - Orientation to Andruss Library
Module 2 - Introduction to Types of Information
Module 3 - Searching a Database
Module 4 - Understanding Citations
Module 5 - Using Internet Sources
Module 6 - Evaluating Sources of Information
Module 7 - Information Ethics: Citing Sources and Fair Use
Module 8 - A Search Strategy for Research Papers and Speeches

There is also a web-based self-assessment that can be used by a student as a pre- or post-test (students can print out their score).

The entire tutorial, adapted from James Madison University’s Go for the Gold tutorial, prepares students to meet specific outcomes for each module as well as the following learning objectives:
• Determine when information is needed and find it efficiently using a variety of reference sources
• Evaluate the quality of the information
• Use the information effectively for an appropriate purpose
• Employ appropriate technologies to create an information-based product
• Use information ethically and legally

In addition, faculty may use the 25-item Tutorial Quiz developed by librarians for use within Blackboard (questions are different from those in the web-based self-assessment). They may contact the librarian associated with their department, listed below. (If not affiliated with an academic department, or if they would like information on formats other than Blackboard, they should contact Linda Neyer.)

Librarian Liaisons:
Darla Bressler, Education Librarian, x4656, dbressle@bloomu.edu
Michael Coffta, Business Library, x4124, mcoffta@bloomu.edu
David Magolis, Social Sciences Librarian, x4921, dmagolis@bloomu.edu
Linda Neyer, Health Sciences & Sciences Librarian, x4801, lneyer@bloomu.edu
Katie Yelinek, Liaison for English (other Arts & Humanities may contact her as well), x4228, kyelinek@bloomu.edu

As always, if you have any questions, please ask!