The Big Read was developed by the National Endowment for the Arts to revitalize the role of culture in American society and encourage the reading of landmark literature. Each year since 2007, the DeKalb Public Library, Northern Illinois University, and Kishwaukee Community College have partnered to foster literacy in the community. This article…

Abortion is a highly-charged, emotional topic which often appears in the news, particularly during the confirmation process for a Supreme Court nominee. Community College students continue to ask reference librarians for print resources dealing with this controversial issue. Often we turn to the reliable series "Current Controversies," "At Issue,"…

The job of the contemporary reference librarian has a virtual component unimaginable a generation ago. Today's library professional can obtain an MLS (or equivalent) online with a minimal residency requirement. Not only the degree, but also library sources, and indeed patrons, have become virtual. Both books and periodicals can be consulted by…

In order to increase the benefits that the student receives from bibliographic instruction, many community college libraries are incorporating the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) into their BI programs. In order to take full advantage of the Competency…

Many libraries offer for-credit courses that intend to foster information literacy. These courses will be strengthened if the librarian as instructor has a familiarity with learning theory. This article suggests that Robert Gagne's "Nine Events of Instruction," based on information processing theory, can provide support to bibliographic…

Community colleges can use market surveys to better understand the delivery of library services from the standpoint of the end user. One such survey, LibQUAL+, measures library service in three dimensions: 1. Affect of Service (patron interaction with library staff); 2. Information Control (availability of needed resources and ease of accessing);…

A program of library instruction, oriented towards the Outcomes attached to the ACRL's Competency Standards One and Two, assists community college students towards information literacy. Online resources and the World Wide Web provide integral components of this program. Library instruction alone cannot fulfill all of the Standards, however.…

Describes the basic elements of instructional design: (1) assessing needs; (2) defining goals; (3) selecting formats and materials; (4) devising test and evaluation procedures; (5) constructing and teaching a prototype; (6) analyzing and evaluating the results; and (7) revising the instruction and recycling. Demonstrates integration of online…