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What is your evidence re: libraries not providing information to young people etc ? I believe in evidence - based assessment....;-) Here is one example from my local public library: http://www.clpgh.org/teens/life/ Many senior citizens simply avoid using the Internet because of all the security breaches and choose not to use online resources for their information needs. just some thoughts, cheers / Karen Weaver <http://www.clpgh.org/teens/life/> On Sun, Apr 25, 2010 at 9:34 PM, Gretchen Whitney <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I agree with others - libraries are at the bottom of the > "information-seeking food chain". They just aren't trusted information > resources. > > > On Sun, 25 Apr 2010, Scott Barker wrote: > > During the discussion Mike asked the students about their own information >> seeking behavior for these scenarios. When asked if they sought information >> > > This may be anecdoctal evidence, but I've run into a similar > information-seeking practice for undergraduates - searching Google for > whatever they wanted. I've asked them to keep an information-seeking diary > for two weeks, and turn in a two-page report of their information-seeking > activities for the period. Many reported using Google to find recipies for > tuna noodle casserole. I reviewed their reports, and based the next lesson > based on my analysis. > > The next week, I turned them on to foodnetwork.com and epicurious.com, and > our conversation blew their minds. The whole concept of information > organized around a single concept - food and recipies- and being organized > around ingrediants, methods, cuisines, seemed to be foreign to them. But > they were enthusiastic - and the next report reflected finding cakes, > cookies, casseroles and all kinds of recipies delighting friends and > relatives alike. And giving them a sense of personal empowerment. This is a > start to understanding how information is organized around biology, > astronomy, and the like. Or food. > > I'd suggest using the students' own information seeking behaviours as a > stepping off point for talking about and understanding information > resources, and what these resources can do for them. > > > Based on that small and non-scientific sample, at least for a large number >> of our undergraduate students, libraries appear to be close to the bottom of >> the "information-seeking food chain". >> > > Libraries are indeed at the bottom of the "information seeking food > chain." The situation is bad enough for young people. They can't find the > sex information that they need, and are driven to other resources, for > example. Libraries don't tell them how to avoid STDs, and don't tell them > who can. > > The situation is worse, far worse, for seniors, who seek info on Social > Security, the national financial situation, their pensions, their retirement > accounts, and the like. Libraries (in my experience) simply run from these > issues. They themselves are untrained in these issues, and they have no > earthly idea how to refer users to others trained in these issues. Again, > they don't know how to refer folks to people who DO understand these issues. > > Libraries are indeed the last choice in the food chain. They are focused > on books, and not on information that people need. The staff is not trained > in community resources and how to access them. > > > Even for a scenario such > >> as seeking information for a class research paper, libraries come up short >> by a mile for the vast majority of students compared to Google. >> > > You can get them to write a "class research paper"?? I'm stunned. UTK > students can barely come up with a two-page undocumented essay. No > footnotes, no readings. How do you do that? But that is the subject for > another discussion. > > > Probably not a big surprise, but something to ponder! >> > Ë > We should indeed. > > --gw > <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> > Gretchen Whitney, PhD, Retired ˆUniversity of Tennessee, Knoxville TN 37996 > USA [log in to unmask] > http://web.utk.edu/~gwhitney/ > jESSE:http://web.utk.edu/~gwhitney/jesse.html > SIGMETRICS:http://web.utk.edu/~gwhitney/sigmetrics.html > > <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> > >> >> Scott Barker >> Information School >> University of Washington >> >> š> > >> From: Open Lib/Info Sci Education Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] >> On Behalf Of Laval Hunsucker >> Sent: Saturday, April 24, 2010 2:17 PM >> To: [log in to unmask] >> Subject: Re: Where do libraries fit in the "information-seeking food >> chain"? >> > †> > >> Bernie Sloan wrote : >> >> Just a thought. >>> >> >> But a very good thought. >> >> Yet isn't the problem (?) that it would, if honestly done, most likely >> pull the rug out from under the whole superstructure of professional >> identity, the whole self-image and pretension, that LIS ( and not least, LIS >> education ) has constructed for itself over the past fifty years or so ? >> >> Therefore : don't count on it happening, I'd say. ( Let's hope I'm wrong. >> ) >> >> And as far as better positioning is concerned -- isn't it a little late >> for that kind of undertaking to make much sense ? >> >> - Laval Hunsucker >> Breukelen, Nederland >> >> >> ________________________________________ >> From: B.G. Sloan <[log in to unmask]> >> To: [log in to unmask] >> Sent: Sat, April 24, 2010 12:24:25 AM >> Subject: Where do libraries fit in the "information-seeking food chain"? >> >> I think it would be really instructive if LIS students could take a course >> that showed where libraries and librarians fit into the >> overall "information-seeking food chain". Something that would give future >> librarians a realistic idea of how libraries are used (and not used) by >> people seeking information that they need. Something where students read >> research reports about how people really go about looking for the info they >> need, and then discuss how libraries might better position themselves in the >> "big picture". >> >> It might help future librarians design better library systems if they >> could view the problem through a non-library-centric lens, and see the role >> of libraries within a broader context. >> >> I'm thinking there are probably courses like this out there. If you teach >> a course like this I'd be interested in taking a look at your syllabus. >> >> Thanks! >> >> Bernie Sloan > >