ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 256 / C &R L N ew s M od el sta te m e n t o f o b je c tiv e s fo r a c a d e m ic b ib lio g r a p h ic in stru ctio n : D r a ft r e v isio n P re p a r ed by th e ACRL/BIS T ask F orce on M odel S tatem en t o f O bjectives Lori Arp, Chair A proposed revision of the 1979 model statement. T he following draft docum ent represents the ef- forts of a special Task Force w ithin ACRL’s Biblio­ graphic Instruction Section to review and revise the 1979 Model Statement of Objectives for Aca­ demic Bibliographic Instruction. This revision was undertaken in the spirit of updating the original Statement so th a t it would more closely reflect cur­ rent thinking and trends in bibliographic instruc­ tion. The original statem ent was intended to pro­ vide guidance in the development of instruction programs as well as to stim ulate discussion about BI in the profession. Similarly, the revision seeks to achieve the same goals. W hile the docum ent draws on the 1979 Statement, its scope has been expanded to encompass not only undergraduate instruction needs, bu t other user groups w ithin academic li­ braries. It also differs from its predecessor in th at its focus is on the conceptual processes of using infor­ mation, rather than on tool specific or institution specific detail. Those of us who have observed the growth of this document are excited about this new direction and we w ould like to sh are it w ith th e profession through an open hearing in San Francisco. By holding this hearing we hope to confirm th a t the document represents the instructional needs of the Section so th a t it m ay then move forw ard in the process of becoming an official guideline of the Sec­ tion. This work furthers our mission of developing policy statem ents th a t provide direction for in­ struction librarians. The hearing has been sched­ uled for Monday, June 29, 11:00 a .m .– 12:30 p.m . The room location will be listed in the ALA sched­ ule. Readers are referred to: 1) “Towards Guidelines for B ibliographic In stru ctio n in A cadem ic L i­ b raries,” C & RL N ew s, May 1975, pp. 137-39, 169-71; 2) “Guidelines for Bibliographic Instruc­ tion in Academic Libraries,” C& RL News, April 1977, p. 92; and 3) B ibliographic Instruction Handbook, published by ACRL in 1979, for a re­ view of the original Model Statement of Objectives and Guidelines for Bibliographic Instruction. We welcome your w ritten comments on the revision. Please address these to: Betsy Baker, BIS C hairper­ son, Northwestern University Library, 1935 Sheri­ dan Road, Evanston, IL 60201. The Bibliographic Instruction Section w ould like to acknow ledge th e m em bers of the Task Force: Lori Arp (chair), B arbara Beaton, Joseph Boissé, Julie Czisny, David Ginn, Roland Person, Jan Rice, an d B eth W o o d a rd .—B etsy Baker, Chair, BIS. M ay 1987 / 257 Introduction The prim ary purpose of the Model Statement is to generate thinking in the discipline of biblio­ graphic instruction concerning the direction of ex­ isting instructional programs. It is intended to help librarians articulate and focus on w hat their in­ structional objectives should be and stimulate re­ search into whether existing programs are achiev­ ing these objectives. As such, the Statement is not designed to introduce the new librarian to the field, nor is it designed to introduce an outside fac­ ulty member to the relevant concepts w ithin the discipline. Rather, it is intended to serve as a state­ ment of general direction for practicing librarians to review when examining current instructional programs or developing the keystones of new pro­ grams. The role of bibliographic instruction is not only to provide students with the specific skills needed to complete assignments, but to prepare individuals to make effective life-long use of information, in­ formation sources, and information systems. To this end, the Model Statement attempts to outline the pertinent processes individuals use when gath­ ering information. The Statement does not attem pt to be comprehensive. The content is designed as a set of examples or points of departure and is not in­ tended to serve as an institution’s prim ary docu­ ment. The Model Statement is comprised of a set of general and term inal objectives which describe the general processes used when gathering inform a­ tion. Three objectives are normally used to de­ scribe the learning activities desired for a particu­ lar instructional unit. These objectives include: general objectives; term inal objectives; and ena­ bling objectives. General objectives describe the overall goals of the programs and w hat the pro­ gram is intended to achieve. Terminal objectives break down the overall objectives into specific dis­ crete m easurable results. Enabling (behavioral) objectives define the specific knowledge or skills necessary to achieve the term inal objectives. They are associated with the behavior of the person who has to master the material. Since each institution must determ ine their own enabling objectives, they are not included in this document, which at­ tempts to generalize the processes used to access in­ formation. For convenience, the series of general and term i­ nal objectives listed in the Model Statement has been broken into four broad areas of concern with corresponding objectives listed in each of the areas. The Statement outlines how information is: a) identified and defined by experts; b) structured; c) intellectually accessed; d) physically organized and accessed. The section headings represent significant areas or topics of concern to instruction librarians. No set order is intended. W hen developing th e Model Statem ent, the Task Force was guided by the following principles: 1. User groups targeted by the objectives. The Model Statement is designed to address the needs of all potential user groups within academic libraries. This was done for two reasons: 1) Experience has shown th at there is no homogeneous group of “stu­ dents” or even “undergraduates,” but rather there exists a diverse student body whose members oper­ ate on a continuum of research sophistication; 2) Increasing sophistication in the field of biblio­ graphic instruction has resulted in the develop­ ment of many excellent programs of instruction for students, faculty and university staff alike. The re­ vised document attempts to reflect the needs of these user groups also. 2. Ordering o f the objectives. Depending on the inform ation need of the individual or group in question, the librarian m ay find instruction in “highly sophisticated” information access skills es­ sential for the undergraduate, while the graduate student or even the faculty m em ber m ay need training in basic skills. In order to provide the greatest flexibility, the objectives are not ordered; rather, it is for the librarian to determine w hat ob­ jectives fulfill the needs of the specific user group in question. 3. Institution and tool specific information. It would be literally impossible to list all the objec­ tives which describe institutional and tool specific differences. The Model Statement reviews the sim­ ilarities w ithin these sources and focuses on the pro­ cess of using information and information sources, recorded and unrecorded, rather than focusing on library processes. The document is therefore con­ ceptually based and does not include tool specific or institution-specific detail. The Task Force feels that tool specific or institution specific information is more appropriately placed within enabling ob­ jectives. 4. Language used. The Model Statement uses very specific language to describe generic proc­ esses. Since common terms used by librarians have different and often divergent meanings, it is rec­ ommended th at the attached glossary be consulted when using the document. 5. Incorporation of technological advances. Ad­ vances in technology have been incorporated into various sections of the document where appropri­ ate rather than examined separately. For example, the methods used to retrieve information sources from an online catalog are explained in the “Intel­ lectually Accessed” section, and the explanation that a catalog is a holding list is detailed in the “Physically Organized and Accessed” section. By describing processes rather than tools, it is hoped that the Statement will remain effective long after the present “new” technology becomes old. 6. Evaluation of information sources and sys­ tems. It was felt th at evaluation of information, in­ form ation sources, and inform ation systems is something that occurs throughout the search pro­ 258 / C & R L N ew s cess. To this end, evalution issues have been incor­ porated into each section of the document where appropriate. 7. Evaluation o f objectives. Specific attention was not devoted to developing evaluation designs for the attainm ent of objectives in an instructional setting, as it was felt th at guidance in this m atter was available through Evaluating Bibliographic Instruction: A Handbook, published by ACRL’s Bibliographic Instruction Section in 1983. 8. Structural flexibility. The structure of the docum ent has been designed to perm it as much flexibility as possible. It consists of four major areas of concern, each w ith its own general and term inal objectives. It is probable th a t no one library’s pro­ gram will include all the objectives listed; rather, each objective is suggested as an element related to the area of concern. The flexibility of the document lies in its “mix and m atch” nature: term inal objec­ tives of one section may be m atched w ith term inal objectives of another section depending upon the program being designed. In addition, the Model Statement simply lists suggested areas of interest; when designing a program , the librarian m ay find th at additional term inal objectives must be created in order to reflect the needs of the group in ques­ tion. Using the Model Statement The Model Statement is designed to be used in two ways. First, it is intended to serve as a checklist through which to assess and examine present pro­ grams. Second, it is intended to serve as a resource through which to develop new programs. To use the Statement effectively for the latter purpose, the following steps are recommended: 1. Define the user group and the present level of sophistication; 2. D eterm ine the purpose of instruction; 3. Determ ine which overall sections of the docu­ ment are relevant to the proposed program; 4. Select the relevant term inal objectives from each section; 5. If needed, create additional subpoints to the term inal objectives selected. 6. Develop enabling objectives. Model statement of general and terminal objectives 1. How information is identified and defined by experts. General Objective: The user understands how information is defined by experts, and recognizes how th at knowledge can help determine the direc­ tion of his/her search for specific information. T l* .T h e user understands th a t individuals or groups identify themselves as belonging to specific areas and or disciplines. *T = Term inal Objective. T2. The user recognizes th at individuals w ithin these groups may combine inform ation from infor­ mation sources w ith original thought, experimen­ tation, and/or analysis to produce new inform a­ tion. T3. The user recognizes th at disciplines use spe­ cific methods to communicate information. a. The user recognizes th at inform ation sources can be recorded or unrecorded sources which may appear in different physical formats. b. The user recognizes th a t information sources go through various review processes to be accepted as credible by the research community. c. The user understands the processes through which inform ation sources are accepted and dis­ seminated in the research community. T4. Once a topic of interest is selected, the user understands how it can be refined and can form u­ late a question. a. T he user recognizes w h e n a q u e stio n is discipline-specific or interdisciplinary. b. The user understands th at the initial question may be too broad or narrow to investigate effec­ tively and th at adjustm ent in scope, direction, or timeframe may be needed. T5. The user understands how to construct an approach or strategy appropriate to the scope and complexity of the question and appropriate to the anticipated result of the research process. a. The user understands th at the indentification of specific inform ation sources will depend on the individual question and the strategy devised. b. The user recognizes th at the audience of the end product will in p art determine the direction and type of search conducted. c. The user understands th at the form and the purpose of the end product will in p art determine the direction and type of search conducted. 2. How inform ation sources are structured. General Objective: The user understands the im portance of the organizational content, biblio­ graphic structure, function, and use of information sources. T l . The user understands how the organiza­ tional content of recorded information sources is structured and how this knowledge can help deter­ mine the usefulness of the source. a. The user understands the im portance of eval­ uating the author’s credentials. b. The user understands how the timeliness or the date of publication may determine the value of a source. c. The user recognizes th at the publisher’s repu­ tation may affect the usefulness of the source. The user recognizes th at in periodical publications, the editorial review process is as im portant as the p ub­ lishing information. d. The user recognizes the im portance of title, thesis, preface, introduction, table of contents, ap­ pendixes, summary, and/or abstract in evaluating the scope, limitations, and special features of the M ay 1987 / 259 information source and thereby its usefulness. e. The user recognizes that the purpose of the au­ thor in presenting ideas, opinions, or research may in p art determine the usefulness of the source. f. The user recognizes the organization or a r­ rangement of an information source may affect its value (hierarchical, alphabetical, chronological, tabular, regional, classified, schematic, or num eri­ cal). g. The user recognizes th at the amount and type of documentation used may affect the value of a re­ corded information source. T2. The user recognizes that unrecorded infor­ m ation sources exist and can evaluate their poten­ tial usefulness. a. The user recognizes the importance of the in­ dividual’s or group’s credentials and is able to eval­ uate this inform ation to determ ine the source’s credibility in relation to the topic. b. The user recognizes the importance of evalu­ ating the timeliness of the information. c. The user recognizes the importance of cor­ rectly identifying the source’s thesis and arguments to determine w hether the information provided is pertinent to the topic. T3. The user understands how inform ation sources are bibliographically structured and how this knowledge can help determine the usefulness of the source. a. The user recognizes th a t the inform ation needed to identify information sources is m anipu­ lated into systematic sequences called citations and th at the amount of information required and the form of a citation may vary from field to field. a. 1. The user recognizes th at the bibliographic structure of recorded inform ation sources may vary among disciplines and within subject areas. a. 2. The user recognizes the major types of cita­ tions and knows where they typically occur (docu­ m entary notes, in-text citations, bibliographic en­ tries, etc.). a. 3. The user recognizes th at the form of a cita­ tion varies for different subjects areas and disci­ plines. a. 4. The user recognizes th at the amount of in­ formation required in a citation varies for different subject areas and disciplines. b. The user understands the relationship of cita­ tions to other information sources. b. 1. The user understands th at the purpose of a citation is to enable others to identify and locate pertinent information sources. b. 2. The user understands that some sources may indirectly refer to other sources through the use of incomplete citations (implicit vs. explicit footnotes). b. 3. The user understands the significance of identifying information sources which are repeat­ edly cited by more than one source. b. 4. The user understands the link between the information provided w ithin a citation and the or­ ganizational structure of the source cited and rec­ ognizes the importance of the link in evaluating the usefulness of the source identified. 3. How information sources are intellectually accessed by users. General Objective: The user can identify useful information from information sources or informa­ tion systems. T l. The user understands that although any in­ formation about an information source could be used to help identify and locate it, there are certain elements of information called access points which are accepted by the research com m unity as the most pertinent through which to identify a source. a. The user recognizes th at the “author” entry is a commonly used access point. b. The user recognizes th at the title of a recorded information source is another commonly used ac­ cess point. c. The user recognizes th at a “subject” topic, or description field is a commonly used access point. d. The user recognizes th at the use of additional access points depends on the structure and format of the source used to identify new information. d. 1. The user recognizes th at each element of in­ formation found within a citation may potentially be used as an access point. d. 2. The user recognizes th at information found w ithin an abstract or summary may potentially be used as access points (usually through the method of key word searching where each word can be used as an access point). d. 3. The user recognizes th at additional access m ay be available through codes, categories, or mapping which may not be obvious in the inform a­ tion source or system. e. The user understands th at some sources use controlled vocabulary assigned by an indexer, cat­ aloged or computer program mer as access points. e. 1. The user recognizes th at most controlled vo­ cabulary describes the subject or author of the in­ formation source. e. 2. The user recognizes th at the rules governing indexing practices may influence the process of re­ trieval. e. 3. The user understands th at there may be printed or online lists or thesauri which may aid in the identification of these access points. e. 4. The user recognizes the relationship of broader, narrower, and related terms. T2. The user understands th at there are a variety of information sources called access tools whose prim ary purpose is to identify other information sources through the use of access points. a. The user recognizes th at access tools used vary by discipline or subject area. b. The user recognizes that access tools used vary by the type of information source needed. c. The user recognizes th at access tools vary in form at and recognizes the implications of form at as it relates to the availability of access points. d. The user recognizes the importance of the or­ ganizational content of the access tool in determ in­ 260 / C & R L N ew s ing w hether or not it is a good information source. e. The user understands th a t no access tool is comprehensive in scope. f . The user understands the importance of select­ ing the appropriate access tool in order to identify useful inform ation sources. T3. The user understands how to m anipulate ac­ cess points to identify useful information or infor­ m ation sources. a. The user understands when it is appropriate to search for inform ation through the use of a single access point. b. The user understands the concept of Boolean logic and its im portance in searching for inform a­ tion under more than one access point. c. T he user u n d e rsta n d s th e im p o rta n c e of browsing. d. The user understands the im portance of prox­ imity searching (looking for two or more words in the same sentence, paragraph, record or file). e. The user understands th at given insufficient inform ation to identify a particular access point, there are steps which may help identify it. e. 1. The user understands truncation. e. 2. The user understands key w ord searching and knows when it may be appropriate and possi­ ble. T4. The user can evaluate the citation retrieved or th e accessed in fo rm a tio n a n d d e te rm in e w hether or not it is at the appropriate level of speci­ ficity. T5. The user recognizes the absence of recorded information sources on a specific topic, realizes the implications and recognizes the alternatives. a. The user realizes th at the lack of recorded in­ formation sources does not preclude the existence of unrecorded inform ation sources. b. The user recognizes th at the lack of recorded information may suggest the necessity of original analysis or d ata collection. c. The user recognizes th at he/she m ay have to change the direction of the search if the use of unre­ corded inform ation sources or the gathering of pri­ mary data is not feasible. 5. How information sources are physically orga­ nized and accessed. General Objective: The user understands the way collections of inform ation sources are physi­ cally organized and accessed. T l . The user understands th at libraries and li­ brary systems may group inform ation sources by subject, author, form at, publisher, type of m ate­ rial, or special audience. a. The user recognizes th at many library systems are decentralized and the m aterials at each loca­ tion m ay be distinguished by subject, form at, p u b ­ lisher, type of m aterial, or by special audience. b. The user recognizes th a t m aterials in like for­ mats are usually housed together in special areas of the library or in particular units of the library sys­ tem along w ith the appropriate equipm ent needed to utilize these materials. c. The user understands th a t a lib ra ry m ay choose to house materials by one publisher together in one location or disperse them throughout the li­ brary’s holdings. d. The user recognizes th at types of materials may be grouped together in order to provide ease of use or because of preservation and m aintenance concerns. e. The user recognizes th at some libraries pro­ vide separate collections for special user groups. f. The user understands that materials on like subjects are usually housed together. f . 1. The user recognizes th at some branches of a library system may be designated by the subject area or discipline. f. 2. The user understands th a t classification schemes are designed to enable libraries to locate materials on the same subject in the same discipline in close proximity to each other. T2. The user understands th at the library uses call numbers to assign a unique physical address to each item in the collection. T3. The user understands th at individual items w ithin a library system’s collections are listed in special holdings or location files. a. The user understands th at there is usually a central holdings or location file for the library’s col­ lection and th at m ight be in one or more formats. b. The user understands th a t various special col­ lections in the library or library system m ay have special holdings file and th at they may or may not be subsets of the central file. c. The user is aware th at there are special files which can be used to identify the holdings of items available from other libraries. T4. The user understands th at the library staff is comprised of individuals w ith varying degrees and areas of expertise, who provide certain services through departm ents and who may be helpful in accessing information. T5. The user understands the policies and proce­ dures used by library departm ents and recognizes th at these may vary. T6. The user understands th at the campus li­ brary is not the only location through which to re­ trieve necessary m aterial. a. The user recognizes th at libraries do not have comprehensive holdings and th at one library may lend an item from its collection, or furnish a copy of an item from its collection to another library not under the same administration. b. The user recognizes th at in order to facilitate library cooperation in resource sharing, m any li­ braries have developed networks and consortia. c. The user understands th at inform ation sources m ay be available for purchase by individuals through publishers and or document delivery ser­ vices and th at some inform ation sources are only available on a purchase basis. d. The user recognizes th at personal networks may be essential to retrieving appropriate inform a­ tion. M ay 1987 / 261 Glossary Access: to retrieve information. Access points: specific pieces of inform ation identified as being useful to the retrieval of infor­ mation. Bibliographic structure: the fram ework of ex­ plicit links of footnote references and bibliographic citations or implicit links of tacit relationships. Citation: a bibliographic record (or systematic sequence) which includes the inform ation neces­ sary to access an information source physically. Communication: the transfer of information in the various media from one person, place, or device to another. D ata: the symbols or characters of a language. Examples: the letters of the alphabet; numbers; etc. D ocum ent (Recorded Inform ation Source): a physical entity in any medium upon which is re­ corded all or p art of a work or m ultiple works. Ex­ amples: book, journal article, etc. Inform ation: a grouping of data which has a particular meaning w ithin a specific context. Ex­ amples: a word, a name; etc. Inform ation source: a single entity from which information is retrieved. Examples: a person, a book, a journal article, an index, etc. Inform ation system: an organized structure of interrelated information sources. Examples: anon- line catalog, etc. Intellectual access: the isolating or selecting of useful inform ation from information sources or sys­ tems. Physical Access: the physical retrieval of an in­ form ation source. Process: m anipulating, preparing, and handling information to achieve the desired results. Structure: the logical arrangem ent or organiza­ tion of information. U n reco rd ed in fo rm a tio n : oral co m m u n ic a ­ tion. ■ ■ ACRL m e e tin g s in S an F r a n c isc o A tentative schedule for A L A ’s San Francisco Conference, June 27-July 2,1987. ACRL board of Directors First meeting: Saturday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m . Second m eeting: Tuesday, June 30, 2:00-5:30 p.m . Executive Committee and Section Officers lunch­ eon: Saturday, June 27, 12:30-2:00 p.m . O rientation for new Committee Chairs and new Section Officers Continental Breakfast: Sunday, June 28, 8:00-9:00 a.m . ACRL GENERAL President’s Program /Membership: Monday, June 29, 2:00-5:00 p.m . ACRL DIVISIONAL COMMITTEES Academic Library Statistics: Saturday, June 27, 9:30-11:00 a.m .; Monday, June 29, 9:30-11:00 a.m . Academic Status: Sunday, June 28, 9:00-11:00 a.m .; Monday, June 29, 9:00-11:00 a.m .; Tues­ day, June 30, 2:00-4:00 p.m . Academic Status—“Terminal Degree” Hearing: Sunday, June 28, 8:00-10:00 p.m . Audiovisual: Sunday, June 28, 9:30 a .m .-12:30 p.m . Audiovisual—H earing on Standards: Saturday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m . Books fo r College Libraries Advisory: Sunday, June 28, 11:30 a .m .-12:30 p.m .