ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries N ovem ber 1983 / 379 1977-78 and 1978-79. Requests for copies should be made to the editor, Judith Truelson, in the Busi­ ness Library at the University of Southern Califor­ nia. A new edition to cover 1979-80 and 1980-81 is in the works and should be published by the end of the year. Requests for information about the 5th edition should go to the editors, Tracey Miller and Karen Sternheim, of the Graduate School of Man­ agement Library at UCLA. A phone call to Richard Beazley of the National Center for Education Statistics elicited the infor­ mation that the computer tapes for the 1981-82 survey of college and university libraries should be available shortly, while the printed version (L i ­ bra ry Statistics o f C olleg es a n d Universities) should be out before the beginning of 1984. Please note the new address for N C E S: Brow n B u ild in g , 400 Maryland Avenue, S .W ., Washington, DC 20202. R ichard Beazley can be reached at (202) 254- 7 3 5 1 .— Sandy W h iteley , A C R L P rogram O fficer, 50 E. H uron St., C h ica g o , I L 60611. ■ ■ Bibliographic Instruction Education for Bibliographic Instruction: A Syllabi Project L isa H ow orth R e fe r e n c e-B ib lio g ra p h er University o f Mississippi D o n a ld K en n ey H ea d , G en era l R e fe r e n c e Virginia P oly tech n ic Institute a n d State University The primary goal of the Education for Biblio­ graphic Instruction Committee is to promote the teaching of bibliographic instruction in the library schools throughout the country. Many library schools have recognized the value of teaching bib­ liographic instruction and therefore have incorpo­ rated, either through a separate course or inte­ grated into other lib ra ry scien ce courses, the teaching of bibliographic instruction. The Com­ mittee embarked on a project to identify those li­ brary schools that did incorporate the teaching of bibliographic instruction in the library education curriculum. A subcommittee was charged to: “gather syllabi, course outlines, etc., from instructors teaching BI in library schools, whether as separate courses or incorporated in other courses.” Syllabi were solic­ ited nationwide and forty-one library schools re­ sponded to the inquiry. Thirty-three schools sent syllabi or information about courses. In order to share ideas gathered from these syl­ la b i, another subcom m ittee reviewed and a t­ tempted to interpret the elements incorporated in the various courses. A number of elements common to most of the syllabi were apparent, and several li­ brary schools included impressive and innovative elements. Most of the syllabi included teaching the impor­ tance of curriculum design. For instance, writing objectives, preparing workbooks, and mastery of audio-visual teaching methods were some of the common components included in the syllabi. At­ tention was given to the various types of instruction (integrated, course related, “one-hour stand,” self- paced, computer assisted, credit course, point-of- use) in nearly all the syllabi and most incorporated outside readings, class projects, and examinations of different types of existing BI programs. The innovative or unique elements of the syllabi ranged from the philosophical or theoretical as­ pects of B I to the technological considerations that are a result of library automation. Needs assess­ ment methods and evaluation techniques for BI programs were outstanding features of some syl­ labi. Other curricula required students to design a public relations campaign for a B I program, to de­ sign tests for specialized user groups, and to create inform ational graphics and signage systems. At least one library school syllabus indicated that stu­ dents were given a historical background of BI in the U .S ., while another incorporated a class panel presentation by B I librarians in four distinct types of libraries. A few included the im portance of teaching techniques and the organization of the teaching faculty of staff. Management and admin­ istration of programs were notable elements of some curricula, including the politics involved in introducing, maintaining, promoting, and bud­ geting a B I program. One curriculum exposed li­ brary school students to the impact that advanced technology will have on BI and the theoretical im­ plications for the future, while others incorporated media techniques in their courses. W hile the syllabi gathered had many common elements, at the same time there were many varied components. A subcommittee is now at work on a two-part analytical study of the syllabi collection: one will be an analysis of curricula representing separate library school courses in B I, and a second 380 / C &R L News analysis of courses in which BI is a component. The committee is currently updating and verifying in­ formation in preparation for writing this analytical overview based on the results of the study. In collecting these syllabi, the committee dis­ cerned that there is a great deal of interest in library school education for BI. These syllabi represent a growing support, not only among practicing li­ brarians, but also among library educators of the importance of bibliographic instruction. Copies of the syllabi are available at the L O E X Clearinghouse, Eastern Michigan University, Yp- silanti, MI 48197. Additional information about this project may be requested from Betsy Baker, Committee Chair, Northwestern University L i­ brary, Evanston, Illinois 60201. ■ ■ BI Liaison Update C arolyn K irken d all P roject L O E X There is good news to report! The ACRL Biblio­ graphic Instruction Liaison Project has been ex­ tended another year, as initial designated funding for the Project has not yet completely expired. E f­ forts that the Project will continue to emphasize will include expanding the exhibit opportunities for our ACRL BI Liaison display, “Integrating L i­ braries into Higher Education,” at the conventions of other groups, and the continuing publication of our press kits. The ongoing effort to publish articles on the instructional role of the library in higher ed­ ucation journals and to schedule presentations by librarians at other organizations’ conventions re­ mains our Project’s top priority. Several opportunities exist for interested librari­ ans to attend forthcoming meetings of other associ­ ations. ACRL members who plan to attend any of the following should contact me: the National Adult Education Conference in Philadelphia and the 73d Annual Convention of the National Coun­ cil of Teachers of English in Denver, both in No­ vember; the March 1984 meeting of AAHE; the February session in Boulder of the Fifth Interna­ tional Conference on Contemporary Issues in Aca­ demic and Research Libraries; a seminar on Im ­ proving U niversity T e a ch in g next Ju ly ; the January National Institute on the Teaching of Psy­ chology to Undergraduates; the Improving College Teaching workshops sponsored by Kansas State University; or the University of Delaware’s semi­ nar in November on Developing Skills in Working with International Students. All these topics have implications for academic library involvement, and first-hand information on the form ats and content of these programs would be valuable for the BI Liaison Project to col­ lect. Sessions relating to the library conventions of other associations this past year have included Tom Patterson of the University of Maine Library, who spoke on library use of Canadian studies bibliogra­ phy at the Conference of the Association for Cana­ dian Studies in the United States; presentations on library instruction by librarians from the Universi­ ties of Toledo and Cincinnati at the Ohio Academy of Science; and programs at the meetings of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, and the South Central Regional Group of the Medical Library Association in Dallas. The College Board has mounted a grassroots project, the “Educational Equality Project,” focus­ ing on the need to re-define the overall learnings ex­ pected of high school students, especially those go­ ing on to college. At the ALA/LIRT program in Los Angeles last June, Katherine Jordan, head of li­ brary instructional services at Northern Virginia Community College’s Alexandria Campus, de­ plored the fact that no professional library organi­ zation has been involved in the development of these College Board competencies. Library skills are not included as a separate category among the basics. Forthcom ing library-related programs at the meetings of other organizations include a panel on “The Impact of Online Databases on Teaching Po­ litical Science,” by Mary Reichel of Georgia State University and others, at the March 1984 meeting of the International Studies Association; two spe­ cial sessions at December’s New York meeting of the Modern Language Association— “Today’s Aca­ demic Libraries and University Presses: Their Role in Modern Language Studies,” with D anielle Mihram of New York University, and “Literature Collections in Academic Libraries: A Crisis Situa­ tion,” with William Miller of Michigan State Uni­ versity, William Wortman of Miami University, and Connie Thorson and Jeanne Sohn of the Uni­ versity of New Mexico. A proposal for the March 1984 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Sci­ ence has been submitted: “Course-Related Library and Library Use Instruction in Undergraduate Sci­ ence Education.” The American Sociological Asso­ ciation has formed a new interest group named the Sociologists Interested in Library User Skills that hopes to work with this Project to sponsor work­ shops. Many good articles about the role of the aca­ demic library and implications for instruction have been published recently in professional higher edu­ cation journals. Pertinent articles include: