Library User Education

"...Material presented here is replete with concrete new ideas not only for collaboration, but also for funding, training, personal involvement, Web-based instruction, and other concepts too numerous to mention. And the best thing about these ideas is that they are not the usual endlessly-discussed theories—these are ideas that have worked—and some which have failed—in the real world...Despite the myriad new works available today related to library instruction in general and information literacy in particular, none is devoted solely to collaborative efforts between teaching faculty and librarians. This is where Library User Education: Powerful Learning, Powerful Partnerships shines—just as in the real world, it's all about collaboration." —Angela Weiler, Portal

Library User Education contains 43 chapters, which explore the value and impact of collaboration and partnerships in academic library user education programs. This is a highly useful and current text, which covers a range of specific programs, formats, and strategies. Examples of many institutions' information literacy efforts and effective evaluation and assessment methods provide strong models to follow or adapt.

Booknews

The papers in this volume were initially delivered at the dynamic information environment symposium held in November 1999 at the University of Iowa, where the editor was formerly the director of information and research services (she is now dean of libraries at the U. of Tennessee). The papers reflect the premise that librarians require the partnership of teaching faculty to bridge the digital divide. The 42 papers by librarians and faculty at US academic institutions are grouped broadly according to theme: campus strategies, faculty development programs, faculty-librarian partnerships, partnering with technology centers, instruction and faculty outreach, information literacy, web-based library instruction, specialized user populations, partnerships with health sciences communities, and program assessment and modeling. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Barbara I. Dewey is Dean of libraries for the University of Tennessee and a former director of Information and Research Services at the University of Iowa.