Introduction Methodology Results Discussion References
Does
Result in Young Adults Who Use Public
Library Online Resources?
Investigator: Kathryn J. Pierce, MLS student SCSU
ABSTRACT
Focusing first on three small
school districts, this pilot begins study of research instruction available in
the service area of a particular public library system, and the resulting use
by young adults of its online catalog and subscription databases. In the three districts, questionnaires were
administered to school media specialists (n=6), appropriate branch staff
(n=10), and young adult patrons aged 18-22 (n=20) selected using accidental
survey techniques. Findings are: 1) All
media specialists (100%) reported scheduled instruction concerning online
catalogs and databases, but only 25% of the young adults recalled receiving
such instruction; 2) 85% of young adults expressed confidence in their online
catalog skills; and 3) although 25% reported using a school database at least
once, 100% of the young adults were unaware that the public library offered
electronic databases. Additional
promotion and instruction is indicated, its effectiveness likely dependent on
integration with school curriculum and young adult interests.
INTRODUCTION
Currently the goals of
research instruction are articulated in terms of information literacy and
lifelong learning (Loertscher & Woolls, 1999). The
Public Library Association (1977) supports these goals, as does the American
Association of School Librarians (1998).
Whelan (2004) reports that in-progress Department of Education research
surveying 210,000 K-12 students nationwide indicates that 83% of the students
feel that Internet access is essential to the completion of schoolwork. A study by Levin and Arafeh
(2002) found that young adults, the focus of the current research, prefer
online retrieval of the information they require.
Research consistently
indicates that young adults constitute one-quarter of public library patrons (Razzano, 1985; Higgins, 1994). Given Levin and Arafeh’s
(2000) results, the proportion of patrons that prefer online information is
therefore at least 25%, and will likely increase as today’s young people
mature. That level of preference is
sufficient to suggest that public libraries should provide online access to
quality information, and indeed the evidence suggests that significant efforts
in that area already exist. Figures from
the
Research overviews assessing
user instruction available (Loertscher & Woolls, 1999; Diehl & Weech,
1991), and individual studies that assess knowledge and skill demonstrated by
public library patrons (Slone, 2000; Shapiro & Marcus, 1987), lead to some
doubt that effective use of online resources has been achieved. The current study examines the instruction
available to young adults in the branch libraries of a particular public
library system, and in the secondary schools within its service area, by
collecting reports of both professionals and the young adults themselves.
Conclusions regarding young adult knowledge and use of public library online
resources, including frequency, confidence, and proficiency, are based
primarily on self-reports of young adult high school graduates who are current
library patrons. Corroboration is
provided by surveyed perceptions of library staff who encounter young adults in
reference interactions. In the interests
of confidentiality, the system that is the focus of this research will not be
specifically identified in this report, but for readers interested in
comparisons to their own facilities, some of its parameters can be found in a
note within the Methodology section.
There is much written in the
professional literature about library instruction and patron skill in using
library resources, and the usually untested assumption of a connection between
the two. Rader (2002) found 5,000
professional publications on these topics published in the last 30 years. The bulk of them do not provide empirical
evidence directly applicable to public libraries either because they are merely
descriptive, or because they focus on academic or school library users whose
primary needs are more focused than the diverse patron needs found in a public
library (Borgman, C. L. & Hirsch, S. G. &
Hiller, J. (1996). In a 1991 examination
of the research from a public library point of view, Diehl and Weech noted three broad themes:
·
Assessment shows
users don’t know how to use library resources.
·
Patrons sometimes
express a need for instruction in academic libraries, but generally not in
public ones.
·
Professionals
disagree about the feasibility of such instruction, and which institutions have
the responsibility to provide it.
Exemplifying academic studies
of online catalog use, Greer, Weston, and Alm (1991),
Coupe (1993), and Halcoussis, Halverson, Lowenberg, and Lowenberg (2002)
all found that the majority of university undergraduates are weak in search
proficiency and their knowledge of catalog structure. Extending this research
into public libraries, Slone (2000) found that known title and author searches
tend to be fairly successful, but if patrons require a subject search, they
encountered a number of difficulties. In fact, Slone notes that the successful
subject searches observed were more dependent on browsing techniques than on
effective catalog use. Since Bundy’s
1967 research identified browsing as the most used information retrieval
technique in public libraries, Slone’s study might indicate that the advent of
online catalogs has not had as big an effect on patron search behavior as might
be expected.
Coupe (1993) found university
freshmen to be severely lacking in their knowledge of databases and the skills
needed to use them. A more recent study
at
Like others before it, this
study will include an assumption that instruction received is at least one
factor that contributes to knowledge and use.
To test the assumption, an intervention study would be required, and
that is not feasible for this pilot.
There are studies that link achievement and research proficiency to
instruction. Todd’s (1995) study of
14-year-old low achievers is an example.
It should be noted that if low use of online databases is found in
public libraries in this pilot, it may indicate a difference in patron need, as
much, or more than it indicates a lack of instruction. Borgman, Hirsch,
and Hiller (1996) have documented that public library patrons vary a great
deal, and in general, their need for in-depth research that might prompt
database use, is much lower than found in users of academic libraries. In Razzano’s 1985
study, 85% of young adult respondents did report school-related research to be
a major motivation for coming to the library.
However, there is indication that the quality and quantity of sources
required in secondary school assignments is low (Fitzsimmons, 2000).
An Australian study
(Williamson, Schauder, Wright, Stockfeld,
& Handley, 2002) found the1962 theoretical work of Everett Page, and its
later editions, to be helpful in understanding patron use or non-use of
electronic databases. As cited in the
study, Page’s theory outlines five factors that influence the diffusion of
innovation:
·
relative
advantage
·
compatibility to
existing values, past experiences, and needs
·
perceived
complexity
·
trialability (sic), the extent to which new users can experiment
at low cost
·
observability (sic).
Library databases certainly
have trialability in that the only cost to users,
even after initial trials, is the time spent using them. In regards to young adults, online databases would
appear to be compatible with their past online experience and preference for
that mode, although this would probably not be true for many older adult
patrons. A
Turning to the second theme
found in the research as reported by Diehl and Weech
(1991), studies by Shapiro and Marcus (1987) and Kulthau,
Turock, George, and Belvin
(1990) found that public library patrons were confident of their library use
skills, and for the most part, expressed no need for instruction. Academic studies have found that only a
minority of patrons express any need for instruction (Diehl & Weech). On the other
hand, in Gordon’s 2002 study, a majority of the subjects did indicate that
additional instruction was needed, despite the fact that most of them had
already taken a library-use course. This
study may indicate an increased complexity in available resources since the
studies in the early 90’s, but critics of Gordon’s work claim that the study
procedure, which asked subjects whether more instruction was needed just after
administering a difficult test of library skills, produced a response
unrepresentative of the population.
The above review of evidence
concerning patron confidence levels, assessed search skills, and online catalog
and database knowledge allowed some prediction of the results that would be
found in the current study. Young adult
questionnaires were expected to reflect confidence in library search skills, at
least in regards to online catalog use, but reveal some weakness in structural
knowledge of catalogs. The evidence plus
personal observations of young adults in reference encounters led the investigator
to believe that more severe deficiencies in knowledge and use of public library
subscription databases would be revealed.
There seemed little doubt that evidence of some instruction would be
found in the reports of all three populations surveyed: young adults, school
media specialists, and public library staff.
In a university study by Kunkel, Weaver, and Cook (1996), 96% of the
students indicated receiving library instruction in public school, with 60% of
it occurring during high school. Whether
any of the instruction found would have been improved in ways that made
students more knowledgeable and skillful, especially in regards to public
library online resources, was unknown at the outset of research, but it was
definitely felt that many factors currently present work against the effective
implementation of improved instruction.
In particular, as noted by Spring (2002), curriculum reform is currently
dominated by a focus on newly implemented state and national standards and
testing, leaving little time for the development of the enhanced research
instruction suggested by expressed goals of information literacy and lifelong
learning.
Beyond instructional
considerations, study of database use in any type of library has implications
for collection decisions. It is somewhat
difficult to gauge per-use costs of databases or compare them when use
statistics from vendors are poorly defined, not universally available, and
certainly inconsistent from vendor to vendor (Van Epps, 2001). An examination of public library database use
by Tenopir and Read (2000) found that 89% of the
time, no more than one user was logged on to any database even in those systems
serving more than one million in population.
This use level seems low given the 68 million spent annually on
materials in electronic formats (Chute, 2003).
An adjunctive cost is that of Internet access itself, which is currently
3% of operational costs in public libraries (Chute, 2003). However, since this cost also supports online
catalogs, and the patron Internet access that 80% of Americans currently feel
libraries should continue to provide (Studies reveal, 2002), it does not seem
to be a reversible cost.
In the targeted library
system, it is clear that some part of the patron base is using databases. There were 380,746 searches in fiscal year
2001, at a total subscription cost of $357,257 (Library Research Service [LRS],
2004). Simple manipulation of these two
figures sets the per-use cost at $0.94, as compared to a $0.43 per-use cost for
print (LRS, 2004). In their study comparing
costs of print and electronic journals at
An additional use for the
data collected in this pilot will be to predict the likely results if all
branch libraries and school districts in the system’s service area, or at least
a large random sample, were to be surveyed, as is the intent behind the current
pilot. Investigators in this system, and
in others that might want to take on similar research, will also be informed of
procedural changes that might be necessary to gather data efficiently and in a
way that will facilitate the comparison of schools or school districts if such
is desired.
METHODOLOGY
Three separate questionnaires
(Appendixes A, B, & C), a Research Study Information document for
professionals (Appendix D), and a shorter, more simply worded one for young
adults (Appendix E), were developed and modified through pretests using
subjects unconnected with the targeted public library system. (Confidentiality prohibits naming the system
in this report, but a few of its parameters are provided for professionals
wishing to form comparisons in the Note below.)
In the interests of developing a feasible pilot study, three of the
smallest school districts within the service area were selected. The school districts are non-adjacent and
each of them has only one middle school and one high school. For each district,
a single public library branch likely to be frequented by students and
graduates was also selected. Written
permission to conduct the research was obtained from all institutions involved
before recruitment began. Recruitment of
professionals was limited to those working within the selected
institutions. However, the school media
specialists (n=6) and the public library branch staff members (n=10) who chose
to participate, did so on a voluntary basis.
Young adult patrons 18-22 years of age (n=20) were recruited in the
branch libraries using accidental survey techniques more fully described
below.
School Media and Branch Library
Questionnaires –The school
media specialists (n=6) were first contacted by phone or email. The investigator then visited each school,
delivered the Research Study Information document (Appendix D), which had
already been made available by email, and asked these professionals to submit
any written media center curriculum, and to complete a two-page questionnaire
(Appendix A) about the instruction offered concerning online catalogs and
database, and the extent to which public library resources were encompassed in
addition to those at the school. The questionnaire also included items about
media center resources, their use by students, and about interagency
cooperation.
The investigator contacted
branch library managers, who had already been notified about the study by their
supervisors, asking them to approve a date for recruiting young adult
participation at their branch and to identify those staff members responsible
for reference, for liaison with public schools, and/or for scheduled public
instruction in online resources. On the dates agreed upon, the investigator
delivered the Research Study Information document (Appendix D) and
questionnaire (Appendix B) to the seven identified staff members on duty,
collecting responses from those who agreed to participate, and left the
documents with stamped and addressed envelopes for the five who were not on
duty. A total of ten questionnaires were
completed before data analysis began.
Each staff member’s participation was limited to questions pertinent to
their job duties. All of them (n=10)
answered the two questions regarding staff perceptions of young adult database
knowledge and use, while only half (n=5) were qualified to answer the questions
about off-site instruction and interagency cooperation. Those involved in
patron instruction (n=4) completed the questions about branch resources and
training offered.
Young Adult Questionnaires - A questionnaire (Appendix C) focused on instruction
received concerning online library catalogs and electronic databases, and
current knowledge and use of those items in the public library was administered
to accidental samples of young adult patrons. The samples were produced in the
following manner. The researcher spent
one afternoon in each branch seated behind a table in an entry area outside the
library proper. A 30”x 24” sign on top of the table noted: “Research
Study/Young Adults 18-22/ Needed for 5
Minute/Anonymous Survey/Topic: Instruction and Use of Online Library
Resources.” Every entering patron who
appeared that they might be in the appropriate age range was also verbally
requested to consider participation. All
subjects had the opportunity to examine a Research Study Information document
(Appendix E) and ask questions before agreeing to participate. (Compensation of
$1.00 or candy was available, but subjects were not told of this until after
they completed their questionnaires.
It is important to note that
within the survey, just before the questions about databases, a short paragraph
in bold font defined “paid website” which was the term used. This paragraph identified several databases
by name and type of information. One of
those identified was ProQuest, a database that is
offered by most high schools in the region and some middle schools. It is, in fact, part of the collection in
five of the six schools included in this study.
Note: This
research pilot was undertaken for a particular public library system. Its numerous branches serve a mix of suburban
and rural areas totaling about 2,300 square miles with a population in the
500,000 range. The largest incorporated area within its boundaries has a
population of 39,580. The collection
includes 40 online electronic databases, and all but two can be accessed from a
remote location.
RESULTS
Surveys of young adults (ages 18-22), local school media specialists, and branch library staff members yield three main findings: 1) All school media specialists (100%) reported scheduled instruction in the school’s online catalog and databases, but only 25% of the young adults recalled receiving such instruction; 2) 85% of young adults expressed confidence in their ability to use any online library catalog; and 3) although 25% reported using a school database at least once, 100% of the young adults were unaware that the public library offered electronic databases.
School Resource Instruction Offered – All of the school media specialists (100%) said
that they had no written curriculum for the media center, but that they did
offer scheduled instruction in the school’s computerized catalog and databases,
the bulk of it occurring in orientation classes for the sixth and ninth
grades. Student practice was
incorporated into lessons in 66% of catalog instruction and 33% of database
instruction. The most generous estimate for time spent delivering formal
instruction on a weekly basis was three hours with the mean at 1.16 hours.
In contrast, only 25% of the
young adults recalled receiving any instruction in using the media center
catalog or databases while they were in public school. Only 50% could say with certainty what type
of catalog their high school had.
Public Library Resource Instruction
Offered – All of the branch libraries
offered classes in catalog use and classes in database use with 100% of the
classes including student practice.
However, of the approximately 296 patrons taking those classes in the
last 12 months, only one was reported to be a young adult (<1%). The total annual capacity was 1,048, with
enrollment running at 28% capacity.
All of the school media
specialists said that they encouraged students to put public library materials
on hold, however, only two-thirds (66%) offered instruction in using the public
library catalog, and only 50% offered instruction in the holds process. The same 50% said they included information
about databases available at the public library in their instruction.
In contrast, only 25% of
young adults recalled receiving instruction in database use at school, and when
asked if their public library offered subscription databases, 100% answered
“no” or “don’t know”. Eleven subjects
(55%) did recall receiving instruction in the use of the public library
catalog, but only five respondents (25%) said this instruction occurred at
school. An equivalent group of five
students (25%) received catalog instruction at the public library, and one (5%)
reported receiving it at home.
Print Instruction – Students who needed information about catalog use
could find it in print and online at their workstation in only 33% of the media
centers. Database information could be found at each workstation in 50% of the
media centers.
All of the branch libraries
(100%) have print information about catalog and database use, but none of them
(0%) have the database information at every workstation, and only 33% have the
catalog information at every workstation.
School Resources – All schools (100%) had a computerized catalog. Five (87%) offered at least ProQuest, with
most (83%) offering remote access to that database. All schools had a lab that contained 25-35
computers and could be used for instruction.
Collection size varied from 7,000 to 13,500 items. School Media specialists reported that their
collections, including filtered Internet access, were adequate to fulfill
student curriculum needs (m=87%). However, two librarians (33%) commented that
their relatively high estimate was not really due to the adequacy of the
collection, but to the shallowness of student demand, at least for non-fiction.
Interagency Cooperation – all school media specialists (100%) reported
interacting with public librarians less than once a month. One school (17%) reported that library staff
had participated in database instruction in the schools. In a different school (17%) it was reported
that public library staff offered teacher workshops.
Forty percent of branch staff
estimated the frequency of interaction between school and public librarians as
monthly. The other 60% said it occurred
less than once a month and was mostly in regards to the summer reading
program. Fifty percent of the
respondents said at least one staff member did catalog or database trainings at
schools or other youth-oriented sites.
Eighty-three percent were confident that school media specialists
promoted public library materials.
Young Adult Online Catalog Use and Skill – Eighty-seven percent of the school media
specialists expressed certainty that students graduating from their schools
were equipped to use a public library to find the information they required
even though they also admitted that research skill instruction was not evenly
applied across the student body.
Young adults were in accord
on this point. Eighty-five percent
expressed some confidence that they would be able to use any online library catalog, responding either “yes” (55%) or
“probably” (30%). Seventy-five percent
reported that they usually found what they needed.
Certain answers indicate
young adult catalog knowledge may lack depth. Only 60% said they knew how to
put a public library book on hold and only 40% indicated any remote use. Asked if they knew any tricks to use if the
keywords or subject words they used did not give good results, 55% replied in
the affirmative. However, of the 45% who
described them in free response, none (0%) mentioned the subject browse
capability of the catalog or the subject headings of individual records.
Young Adult Subscription Database Use
and Skill – School media
specialists were less certain that their graduating students would be able to
use the range of resources available in academic libraries, with only 17%
replying in the affirmative.
In the branch libraries,
staff perceptions of young adults who initiate reference interviews would
indicate that a majority of these patrons are not independently using
subscription databases. Sixty-six percent of staff members surveyed observed
that students approaching the reference desk “rarely” or “never” reported
having searched one or more databases before asking for staff assistance with
their research question. The remaining
33% of staff members report that young adults only
“sometimes” report having done so. On
the other hand, if their professional assistance includes the recommendation of
one or more databases, all staff members (100%) report that young adults seem willing to use them, and 77% report that
they seem able to use them.
From the young adult
perspective, only 25% said that they had received school instruction in a
subscription database and used one to complete an assignment. All respondents
(100%) were unaware that the public library offered this kind of resource. Two
subjects indicated that they now used subscription databases in post-secondary
academic libraries either “often” or “occasionally”, but the other 90% of young
adult respondents report their use as “seldom” or “never”.
Looking at Internet search
skills applicable to database use, sixty percent of young adults did report
that they used “Advanced” search forms, and 85% report with varying degrees of
certainty that they know where to find out how to use a database or search
engine on the site itself. Sixty percent
report that they are “very” or “somewhat likely” to access this “Help”
information. Responses on a graphic
scale indicated that 60% would be willing to spend 10 minutes or more searching
for the information they needed in “Help”.
DISCUSSION
Overall the results of the
pilot are as expected and confirm the findings already presented in the
literature. As found in Shapiro and
Marcus (1987), Kulthau et al. (1990), and Greer et
al. (1991), young adult subjects were confident in their online catalog skills
(85%). The current study did not
actually test these skills, but some weaknesses revealed in knowledge of the
holds process and catalog indexing structure are consistent with the low
proficiency found by Greer et al. (1991), Coupe (1993), Slone (2000), and Halcoussis et al. (2002).
In considering the self-report of the young adults that they usually
found what they needed (75%), one must consider that they may be satisfied with
searches that are inefficient and less than complete, or even searches that are
totally unsuccessful from a professional point of view as demonstrated by
Gordon (2002).
That 100% of the young adults
were unaware of public library databases was actually
a stronger negative finding then expected.
It magnifies results of Greer et al. (1991), Coupe (1993), and Gordon
(2002) in studies of undergraduate students. After extensive literature review,
it appears that if the findings of this pilot are verified by further research
in this library system or elsewhere, results in regards to young adult
knowledge of databases, in that it extends previous findings to the public
library sector, would be a new contribution to professional literature. The pilot’s sample size (n=20) is too small
to make any claim without further support, but the strongly directional finding
certainly facilitates a prediction that larger studies would find knowledge of
public library databases to be significantly lacking in young adults.
No evidence was found that
refutes the many studies cited by Slone (2000) documenting multiple search
difficulties in online retrieval in or out of library collections. The specific difficulties noted in her
summary are: vocabulary, spelling, and typographical errors; misunderstanding
of indexing vocabulary and rules; difficulties with Boolean logic; a tendency
to take short cuts or give up easily after an initial failure; and/or reluctance
to browse beyond a certain number of records.
The observational methods necessary to confirm such difficulties were
not a part of this pilot. However, young
adult free responses concerning strategies used when catalog search
difficulties arise, provide some support for
incomplete knowledge of indexing rules.
One might also infer that non-assimilation of database instruction might
be related to the tendency to take short cuts and stay with familiar search
engine patterns.
For those undertaking
observational studies, Slone warns that subject interviews concerning search
behavior may be necessary to clarify intent, before any evaluation of their
success or failure can be made. Certain
observations in her study might have been interpreted as successful searches
for a known item, had not the subjects revealed that another end result was
actually desired. In these cases, not
knowing what strategy to use for a complex search, the subjects had performed a
search analogous to author or title searches already experienced. A more knowledgeable searcher would have been
able to predict in advance that such a search would unlikely result in any
usable information.
Expression of patron opinion
(Studies find, 2002) and levels of current database use would seem to leave
little choice but to continue providing these electronic resources. However, there is still opportunity for
collection decisions concerning individual database performance. The strong preference for online information
in young adults (Levin & Arafet, 2002) coupled
with the growing incidence of home Internet access, currently estimated to be
available to 82% of K-12 students (NCES, 2003), give online library resources
the potential of providing service not only to current patrons of public
libraries, but to young adults who are non-users. If increased instruction or other measures
can capture current non-users under 18, Razzano’s
(1985) results would indicate that they would be highly likely to continue
using and supporting libraries for the rest of their lives. Her findings also
would predict that children of those new users would become permanent library
patrons as well. Young adults who are
home-schooled, or in distance learning programs, or attend schools with limited
library resources, are sub-groups who particularly count on the public library
for online resources, information about them, and instruction in their use.
If one contemplates new
service to young adults, something involving online resources makes a great
deal of sense for the reasons outlined above.
Given their information gathering style, one might expect young adults
to view subscription databases favorably.
The data collected in this pilot does not suggest that they view them
unfavorably, but that they don’t know enough about them to form an
opinion. Input from branch staff in the
pilot indicates that young adults are willing and able to use a subscription
database if a staff member identifies it as a good source for their reference
question. A
Some of the branch staff in
this pilot noted that young adults seem to have a hard time distinguishing
between websites on the open Internet and material found in subscription
databases. In an informal survey of
university librarians, this issue was raised as well (Valenza,
2000). Some might view this as an
indication that young adults have an insufficient concept of this type of
resource to report on their knowledge or use. In anticipation of this problem,
the questionnaire (see Appendix C) contained a definition of “paid websites”,
which was the term used, specified that they were found on library websites,
and mentioned a few by name, one of which they should have been familiar with
from secondary school). Detractors might
still question whether the respondents actually read this information, which
may be a valid point. However, if young
adults are independently accessing
subscription databases, the level of use the study seeks to measure and
promote, then that access in itself is enough to distinguish them. The access point and the information’s
relative reliability to open Internet sources are the only distinctions absolutely
necessary for them to make.
Admittedly, orienting
students to the media center, introducing them to search strategy, query
formation, information evaluation, analysis, and presentation, and making them
aware of the range of sources available to them both in the media center and
beyond it is an extensive instruction agenda for school media specialists who
only spend a limited time with individual students or classes. In a review of research, Fitzgibbons (2000)
found multiple barriers to exceptional instruction. Reduced budgets with accompanying limited
staff, inadequate collections, and limited hardware and software are
prevalent. Teachers, whose cooperation
is essential, need to be skilled in online searching themselves, an ingredient
that is often missing.
The instruction must be hands-on and integrated with schoolwork, and
must motivate students with a connection to their personal interests. It is also important that students understand
the overall purpose of the instruction, because without that understanding they
remain passive rather than active learners (Barranoik,
2001). Kunkel et al. (1996) found that
the frequency of assignments requiring database use correlated with skill. It follows then, that if secondary teachers
are not requiring in-depth research using quality sources including databases,
the students will not become proficient.
The Public Library
Association (1977) calls for user instruction in public libraries, but given
the necessary ingredients of successful research instruction as noted above,
any instruction of databases done in isolation will probably have minimal
effect. It is certainly not feasible for
the public library to take on the entire burden of research instruction for
young adults, but neither is it wise to count entirely on schools to introduce
public library resources in their instruction.
As Fitzsimmons (2000) concluded, cooperative programs may be the only
way to both provide services young adults need and make certain they get the
skills they need to be information literate.
The public library’s participation in such a cooperative effort will
help to establish it as a doorway to lifelong learning. It is also true that access to resources in
the schools will allow any branch staff involved in instruction to be more
efficient. The schools surveyed in this
study provided the capability of simultaneous instruction for 25-35 students in
a format that included hands-on work. Conversely, one of the branch libraries
surveyed could only accommodate four students, and the most that could be
accommodated was 16.
Current classes in the
branches surveyed do not attract young adults.
One might point to the times that they are offered as a reason, but a
stronger detractor is more likely the disparity in technological skills of the
participants, as one staff member noted.
Adults often need very basic instruction, while young adults are much
more advanced. Although classes
specifically for young adults remain a possibility, information already
available indicates that attendance would probably be low. For example, as reported by the branch staff,
enrollment in existing classes is already running at only 28% capacity. In addition, as noted by Levin and Arafeh (2002), young adults have busy extracurricular
schedules, and would tend to want to reduce their instruction load rather than
increase it. Evidence in their study and
others cited earlier (Shapiro & Marcus, 1987; Kulthau
et al., 1990) suggests that young adults consider their online search skills to
be proficient, a very important impediment to likely attendance in
teen-oriented public library instruction.
Young adults are forming
habits of information literacy, which will carry over into later life and into
adult use or nonuse of public library materials (Barronoik,
2002). Therefore, instruction that
improves their utilization and knowledge of library resources seems definitely
to be in the best interest of the library, and most probably in the best
interest of the students themselves, despite their current opinion that they
are already proficient. This latter
discrepancy is an additional reason to integrate public library instruction
with that of the schools where the young adults are a captive audience. If, however, the program does not have all
the earmarks of effective instruction, including the ability to capture young
adult interest, results will be limited.
Before proceeding with any
new service, further research is indicated.
The intent behind the pilot is to survey all, or a larger random sample
of, branches and schools within the library’s service region. Conclusions drawn from the data gathered in
the pilot may or may not be verified.
During young adult recruitment, it was noted that many of those entering
the branches in the 18-22 age range were not actually graduates of the local
schools. It is therefore suggested that
the age range be lowered, and that young adult surveys be conducted in the
schools. The senior class might be an
appropriate focus, but care must be taken that it is either a complete survey,
or a true random sample. A move to the
schools will also make data collection more efficient and include non-users in
the study. If students under the age of
18 years of age are included, procedures for parent consent must be added as
well.
Since the study would give
schools useful evaluative data, it seems likely that they would be supportive
of at least the research portion. The
questionnaires could be jointly reviewed and amended to ensure that all parties
receive the data they desire. An additional purpose of the more complete study
would be to identify any existent school programs within the library region
that are more successful than others.
They might serve as a model and/or a starting point for enhanced
instruction. A more thorough examination
of existing cooperative programs nationwide is indicated in this regard as
well. Also needed is a survey of public
library staff members to assess their attitudes toward increased instruction
and cooperation with the schools.
How receptive schools would
be to be to a cooperative instructional program remains to be seen. Cooperation between teachers and school media
specialists is not always present, and there are additional barriers to
cooperation between school media specialists and public library staff. Some are rooted in the historical development
of the disparate roles of school and public libraries, and in past
disagreements between the organizations that represent them. Further discussion on these points goes
beyond the scope of this report, but those interested can find an excellent
historical review in Deese-Roberts and Keating
(2000). Also, for both
public libraries and schools, finding time and financial support for new
programs in current budgets is a challenge.
Despite the barriers to
cooperation, many successful collaborative programs already exist.
If the public library chooses
to take action in response to the weaknesses in young adult knowledge and use
of online resources indicated in this pilot, its exact form will depend on the
result of verifying research, and on interaction between the institutions
involved. Even if new programs are modeled
on existing ones that are successful, there is no certainty that the results
will be the same in this system.
Therefore it is imperative that any programs instituted include pre- and
post-tests of students to allow evaluation of their effectiveness. If positive results are achieved, such
quantitative evidence will be important not only in expanding the program in
the library district, and perhaps in establishing funding, but in facilitating
dissemination of knowledge to the profession.
Although this report leans
toward more comprehensive action, it should be noted that a range of action is
possible. Included below are some ideas
which are in line with the results of this pilot study. The intent is to increase young adult
research skills and knowledge of public library online resources, although the
effects of many of the non-instructional suggestions actually extend to other
patron groups. None of the suggestions
are certain to achieve the intended results, and although one might assume a
correlation between increased knowledge and skill and subsequent increased use,
that also is uncertain.
In most efforts it is
intended that the focus be on one or a few databases, rather than on the full
collection. In some cases it would be
those most pertinent to planned instruction and projects, in others it would be
those thought to have most general appeal.
Attempting to appeal to teen research needs might indicate a focus on
the Opposing Opinions Resource Center database. Staff in one branch reported that young
adults in reference encounters are easily convinced of its significance in
relation to schoolwork, so much so that they are likely to tell their friends
about it. Young adults for whom reading
is a significant interest might be successfully introduced to databases by
highlighting Novelist. The All-Data
Auto Repair database might interest a certain segment, and the information
on contemporary music or sports figures available in the Biography Resource Center database might intrigue a large number.
Increased Access to Print Information About Online Resources: Although the
pilot findings indicate that print information already exists to assist with
catalog and database use, it is not yet available at every workstation, which
would be an improvement in service.
Bookmarks focusing on individual databases have been produced by the
system, and in some branches a bulletin board presentation is coordinated with
their release. Results of this pilot
indicate that these measures have not affected patron awareness, at least in
the young adult sector. Research
discussed in this report indicates that the key may be to present it in
connection with additional instruction that is integrated with student
projects, preferably ones that reflect their own interests. Public libraries may have little control over
the design of student projects, but if an effort is made to be aware of the
instruction and projects planned, then print materials about public library
resources can be produced to coordinate with them. Various levels of staff involvement could
accompany its dissemination in the schools, or alternatively, the material
could just be made available to teachers and media specialists.
Enhanced Online Presentation of
Databases: Currently the database page of this library
system has brief annotations, which are helpful. A link to library formulated “use tips” could
be added next to each listing. These
would essentially be the help information available on the database site pared
down to the absolute minimum. Sixty percent of the subjects in this pilot said
they would be “very” or “somewhat likely” to access “Help” features, and spend
ten or more minutes searching for the information they needed. Some skepticism about the specifics of this
finding is probably wise until such time as they are verified in studies
including observations of actual young adult behavior. None-the-less, “use tips” that take only a
few minutes to read, and can be easily printed, might be effective in getting
patrons to try databases once they pass the initial step of accessing the
page. To enhance the likelihood of that
initial step, one possibility would be to place a linked “Did You Know” tip on the homepage. It could be a brief description of a single
database including the type of information found there that would be of
probable interest to given groups of patrons.
These tips could spotlight just those databases thought to have wide
appeal, and could rotate on some schedule, perhaps monthly.
Coordination with School Instruction at
the Reference Desk –Any print
information about the online catalog or databases produced for the schools
could also be available at the reference desk.
Through staff involved in liaison with the local schools, all reference
staff could be made aware of the research model being taught. Without a lot of effort, reference encounters
could reinforce the model and promote database research which does not require
as much selection and evaluation as open Internet searches.
Cooperative Instruction in the Schools – Participation of public library staff in research
instruction presented in the schools may be necessary to move results nearer to
information literacy goals, and in particular to make students aware of public
library online resources, and their remote availability. This participation could take many forms, but
until administration and staff are convinced that the task is important enough
to devote sufficient scheduled time to adequately accomplish the goals, it may
in fact have to occur outside the normal school day. Before or after school instruction may make
it unavailable to certain students, and will require that the others be
convinced to attend. Extra credit, or
even credit could be offered for the class, but keep in mind that the
instruction offered must still be coordinated with other assigned school work
and young adult interests to be effective.
The instruction could be promoted as particularly essential for those
students intending to continue their education, which according to the in-progress
Department of Education survey cited earlier (Whelan, 2004), is actually a very
high percentage of the student body (94%).
Presentations to school staff and parents could enlist their support,
and it could also be promoted in the branch libraries. The possibility exists
that such programs could be open to young adults not enrolled in the public
schools, and if not, similar classes for smaller groups could be offered in the
branches.
Conclusion - Despite the intentions of school media specialists
and other educators to create lifelong learners capable of locating and using
reliable information on any question, they have not yet implemented instruction
that is effective in accomplishing that goal.
Numerous studies such as those cited in this report belie the idea that
library skills taught in the schools are sufficient to enable the proficient
use of academic library online resources.
Slone’s 2000 study and the findings of this pilot begin to document the
deficiencies in young adult use of public library online catalogs. Though these patrons express confidence in
their catalog use, self-reports indicate that all of them lack in-depth
knowledge of its indexing structure, and 40% are lacking even rudimentary skills
like those involved in the hold process.
This study also gives clear indication that current access to
information about public library databases in school and elsewhere is
insufficient to make young adults cognizant of their existence, although this needs
to be verified using a larger sample than was surveyed here (n=20). Changes in
public library service intended to enhance catalog knowledge and skill, and
increase awareness and effective use of databases are indicated. Their effectiveness may depend on cooperation
with the schools and a connection to young adult interests and needs.
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