From Zookeepers to Safari Guides: Adapting to Changes in the Information Environment Margy MacMillan Instructional Librarian, Mount Royal College With Contributions from the participants http://www2.mtroyal.ca/~mmacmillan/conf/tli2006.ppt mmacmillan@mtroyal.ca In the old days, libraries were like zoos. Everything in the library was carefully selected, brought in at great expense and well cared for. Information was clearly labeled. Gathering information was like following safe, predictable paths. But it wasn’t always very exciting. NOW... The information environment is more complex and diverse. Differences between old and new info environments: No fences More species More vegetation More visible interaction Larger vistas Freedom Movement Not sleeping Breeding No handler More alert Natural Group work going on Librarians are more like safari guides. Students don’t always know where to start. The pathways aren’t as clear and static as in the zoo. Sometimes the information is in plain sight. Sometimes it’s a little harder to find. Sometimes all that’s available is a sign that the information was there at some time, and may be back in the future. Sometimes it’s x-rated! What does this all mean for your students? Students need: New skill sets Guidelines Maps Specifics Critical thinking skills Flexibility Patience Persistence Helpful criteria – relevance, reliability How to compose a question Document/reading skills – skim, scan Different relationship with library folks Knowledge of other libraries Clarification about resources What does this all mean for you? Students are creating their own paths – both students and instructors seek and follow familiar paths for new research quests May need to flip how we teach – electronic first, then print archetype We have less common ground with students – harder to develop metaphors We don’t view the internet the same way Easy for both students and teachers to get lost Need to model flexibility, patience, persistence Need to encourage students to move beyond the simple answer – how? See next slide Tips for encouraging students to go beyond the first thing they find in Google. •Ask for diverse sources, but beware he scavenger hunt – not all topics will have 5 good books, 2 good reference sources 3 scholarly articles, a microfiche and a slate. •Encourage students to narrow topics using books •Use staged assignments – start with an annotated bibliography. •Have students compare what they find in google to other sources/databases as part of the assignment to demonstrate what they might miss. •FIRST – ask why you want to go beyond the simple search before setting up more complex tasks. Tips for Metaphors Metaphors can be useful to help students conceptualize and remember complex topics or processes. Other people’s metaphors for information – •Could be out on a branch – what’s the rest of the tree like •Could be an ocean, overwhelming, need to use the right bait to catch the info you want For the research process •Picture it as a map, with a destination and distances between stops, or a book, where you can see how far you’ve read, how many pages are left •Picture a filing cabinet to organize your information into larger files – carry over with colour coding to connect parts of an essay with bits of research There’s a Swiss cheese metaphor for health and metaphors dealing with insulin and physiology Ask students to create their own metaphors, e.g. “A library is like a ________, because __________________.”