Enabling end-users : information skills training

Summary: Suggests ways of offering end user education or training through personal tuition in libraries.

It examines issues about who needs end user education and training, what they might need and how it can be delivered.

Guidance on planning and running individual, group and workshop training is provided.

The author has worked in the health service, managing library and information services.

Key Features: Provides information on: (1) identifying key issues relating to end user education; (2) giving individual tuition and planning group/workshop training Contents: Seeking information - transition from passive to involved end user; countering threats to library and information services - promotion; where to find information - library location; library environment/orientation Identifying key issues - end user awareness and perceptions: survey ideas and methods; information audits; mind mapping; interpretation of results.Key training issues; training needs assessment; questionnaires; pre-training skills self-assessment The information professional as educator or trainer - changing role of the librarian; librarian as educator or trainer; personal strengths; communication and interpersonal skills; evaluation training activity The searching process and searching techniques - hierarchical sources of information; constructing search strategies; framing the question; database searching; combining searches; truncation; limiting searches; managing results; evaluation Preparing training materials - resource specific instruction; courseware basics The one-to-one training interface - ad hoc training; individual user profiles; being well prepared The group training experience - group composition; learning styles; barriers to learning; basic skills; training sessions; single and multi session training; workshop planning; why evaluate training; future planning Electronic resources and the computer gateway