Poster

Title: Finding information – introducing first year students to library research skills

Clare Glanville and Belinda Nicolson-Guest

Abstract

In 2002, Griffith University’s Information Literacy Services group began a project to design, deliver and evaluate a comprehensive generic library skills program across five campuses. The program is targeted at first year undergraduate and coursework postgraduate students and introduces them to the physical library and electronic library research environments. The program was piloted mid-2002 and features library tours, interactive workshops and self-paced resources. These workshops, accompanied by a new marketing campaign in 2003, have been overwhelming attended by students across all campuses and the feedback received so far has been consistently positive. While focussing on student learning needs, the program also incorporates elements of the Council of Australian University Librarian’s Information Literacy Standards. This poster presentation will outline the learning outcomes of the “Finding Information” generic library skills program, show how these outcomes relate to the CAUL Information Literacy Standards and indicate student pathways through the program. Examples of the successful marketing campaign directed at first year students in 2003 will also be featured. As a support service, this program is helping new students become successful learners by overcoming their fears of research and introducing them to new concepts and resources in a comfortable, non-threatening environment.