Abstract:

This presentation provides an overview of the planning, development, testing, marketing, integration, and evaluation of new online research and networking tools by librarians at an American University. The librarians faced major enviornmental challenges, including the change from an age of limited information; student access to levels of information beyond anything previously possible; and the library now having information resources previously impossible to obtain just a few years ago. In addition, students demonstrated a limited awareness of the scholarly, peer-review process; their perceived research skills exceeded actual capabilities; and students, at all levels, had difficulties finding appropriate resources. The librarians also recognized that they had no chance for creating a library research course and had a limited role in general education classes. By using a combination of trend-setting assessment tutorials, new research interfaces, and social networking software, the library undertook initiatives into web based and traditionally formatted courses through the librarians’ collaboration with the various segments of the university community.

Keywords:

libraries, research, information literacy, catalogs, databases.