When coming to campus is not an option: using web conferencing to deliver library instruction

Abstract

Purpose

Owing to the growing number of online and commuting students at the University of West Georgia, the Instructional Services department at Ingram Library experimented with offering online synchronous library instruction. This paper aims to describe how it approached this problem and the findings from the initial attempts.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors wanted to provide library instruction to online graduate students at the university. They worked with the staff development department to develop a pilot program for an online library instruction course using WIMBA web‐conferencing software.

Findings

It was found that due to the limitations of technology, the authors had to reduce the amount of information they deliver in the same amount of time. It was also discovered that it is easy to be distracted by the technology and forget that clear communication with the users (students and faculty) are the key to any successful instruction program regardless of the delivery method.

Originality/value

Most libraries offer face‐to‐face library instruction and rely on tutorials to reach their distance education and non‐traditional students. Few libraries are using distance education tools to teach information literacy skills. As librarians begin to explore this avenue, they need to re‐evaluate how and what they teach students to better leverage the technology while reaching the same information literacy objectives.

Citation

Barnhart, A.C. and Stanfield, A.G. (2011), "When coming to campus is not an option: using web conferencing to deliver library instruction", Reference Services Review, Vol. 39 No. 1, pp. 58-65. https://doi.org/10.1108/00907321111108114