LIRT News: March 1998

LIRT Midwinter Discussion Forum

by Mitch Stepanovich, stepanovich@library.uta.edu

The National Information Literacy Institute (NILI) was the focus for the LIRT Discussion Forum in New Orleans. Intended to help educate instruction librarians and provide programs and forums about information literacy, the Institute will first develop an intensive training program for librarians who are new to teaching. Mitch Stepanovich, who represents LIRT on the NILI steering group, moderated the forum and provided background information about NILI. Then, the 25 people in attendance asked questions, made comments, and engaged in animated discussion. The NILI steering group sought feedback from LIRT about two issues, and these issues provided a structure for the discussion: (1) what should a NILI institute offer, and (2) what skills should a NILI graduate gain?

Some of the suggestions and observations offered by forum participants are listed below:

About the Institute Format:

The institute should be offered to any librarian who needs it, not just new librarians.
The institute should be more than a singular event.
A train the trainer format would be more useful back in the workplace.
If conducted in one's own area, attendance might be higher.

About Skills Needed by Librarians:

Curriculum planning, course preparation
Learning theory, learning styles, teaching styles, and their use in creating handouts
Developing leadership roles in the workplace and promoting the profession
How to be more relaxed and comfortable in public speaking
How to distinguish basic information concepts from current fads

Feedback from the LIRT Discussion Forum has been forwarded to the NILI steering group; and will be combined with feedback from other groups in determining the final format and content of NILI activities. Check future issues of LIRT News, tune into LIRT-L, or consult the NILI web page http://www.ala.org/acrl/nili.html for additional developments.

Mitch Stepanovich is Architecture Librarian at the University of Texas at Arlington and LIRT Publicity Coordinator.

LIRT News, March 1998. Volume 20, number 3.
To report problems, please contact the LIRT News Production editor at edwards@ufl.edu