Enabling End‐Users: Information Skills Training

Citation

du Preez, M. (2005), "Enabling End‐Users: Information Skills Training", The Electronic Library, Vol. 23 No. 6, pp. 714-715. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470510635836

Information literacy and information skills' training is currently receiving a lot of attention. A large number of articles and books have been published on these topics in the past few years – most of these focusing on illiteracy, information literacy and empowering librarians in using the internet. Enabling End‐Users: Information Skills Training is another such book, but one with a difference. Author Ann Poyner, a freelance information skills trainer, believes information skills training can be fun. She now sets out to show just how it can be done.

Enabling End‐Users aims at assisting information professionals planning to offer end‐user education and information skills training through personal tuition. Since a fuller understanding of end‐user needs will support effective training, Poyner included brief information about user surveys and end‐user training needs assessments. These should enable the formulation of survey ideas and also contribute to discussions on how these tools could be implemented in service development.

Chapter 3 reflects on the traditional role of a librarian or information professional. It also reflects on how the use of electronic resources relate to traditional library provision. Throughout the chapter, Poyner discusses the need for information professionals to take on an educational role and also looks at the communication and interpersonal skills as well as the training experience that is needed for the task.

I found Chapter 4 most important. It not only covers information searching techniques and the construction of search strategies, but also highlights database characteristics, advises on combining searches, explains the use of Boolean operators; shows how to limit searches and manage search results. The discussion on the evaluation of search results – specifically, the evaluation of internet sources – is most important. This aspect is normally overlooked in information skills training even though many users are not able to evaluate critically and assess the quality of the information found on the internet.

Chapters 5‐7 pay attention to the preparation of training materials, one‐to‐one tuition and the group training experience. It advises on how to respond to ad‐hoc requests for training and individual training by appointment as well as dealing with over confident and independent end‐users. Chapter 7 interestingly discusses the different learning styles and learner types a trainer of group training sessions could encounter. It also includes advice on workshop training, training evaluation and the planning of future training sessions.

Some traditional internet training topics are addressed in Chapter 8. The Chapter provides coverage of the computer gateway; internet service providers; browsers; the world wide web; search engines and directories; URLs; quality information gateways and portals; subject‐specific resources; action on retrieval and general searching tips.

A sample information audit questionnaire (Appendix 1), sample questionnaires from a distance‐learning project (Appendix 2) and a useful index conclude the volume.

Poyner hopes the steps outlined in Enabling End‐Users can assist library and information professionals enhance information literacy among their end‐users. I found it a practical book in which the training ideas and suggestions are based on the author's personal experiences and can, therefore, recommend it to all information skills trainers.