College and Research Libraries The Impact of CD-ROM Technology on a Bibliographic Instruction Program Caroline Blumenthal, Mary Jo Howard, and William R. Kinyon As CD-ROM technology continues to grow in popularity among libraries, its effect will be felt in many different ways. This article examines the effect of such technology on the bibliographic instruction program at Georgia State Univer- sity's Pullen Library. The preliminary steps to incorporating CD-ROM tech- nology are discussed, followed by an explanation of the changes in the way bibliographic instruction is conducted. The authors also plan for the future with a look at forthcoming developments and their impact on the bibliographic instruction program. t the heart of a rapidly expand- ing university in fast-growing Atlanta, Georgia State Univer- sity's William Russell Pullen Library's faculty and staff have con- sistently tried to meet the challenges and opportunities of high technology. By the early 1980s, the focus of this effort was a high volume of librarian-mediated on- line searches on Dialog and BRS. The demand for this service continued to grow as awareness of the service spread throughout the university community and to the surrounding downtown business and government centers. The demand reached more than 800 searches during the 1986-87 school year. Early in 1987, the Pullen Library fac- ulty decided to respond to the new CD- ROM technology coming into the mar- ketplace. The first step was to subscribe to Infotrac and set up an installation of four workstations, followed ·by Datext and SilverPlatter's ERIC. In the follow- ing years, thirteen databases and ten workstations were added to the CD- ROM service, including such diverse products as Medline, ABI/Inform, and MLA. Also, as a selective depository, the library started receiving a number of federal government documents on CD- ROM, including vitally important Bureau of the Census products and the National Trade Data Bank, in 1989. These condi- tions forced us to reconsider our teach- ing role. USER RESPONSE Response to this new, almost magical (at least for the students) technology was overwhelmingly enthusiastic. With Datext and ERIC, the large student population in business and education realized they had found a tool that could revolutionize their research. Many students and faculty who were accustomed to fee-based, librar- ian-mediated online searches perceived a threefold advantage to the new tech- nology: they could perform searches for themselves, there was no direct cost to Caroline Blumenthal is Reference Librarian and Coordinator of Bibliographic Instruction, Mary Jo Howard is Reference Librarian and Assistant Coordinator of Bibliographic Instruction, and William R. Kinyon is Assistant Head of Reference/Reference Desk Services Coordinator at Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3081. 11 12 College & Research Libraries them, and they could receive immediate results. Also, researchers who had formerly used the print indexes found the CD-ROMs efficient and fascinating. Of course, there was and continues to be a downside to this new wave of tech- nology and its high use by library pa- trons. Both have created what David Taylor refers to as a "new bottleneck in the library." He states that "CD-ROMs seem to be a service that people like so much that we will never be able to pro- vide enough of them." 1 Also, at Pullen Library, patron responSe has caused greatly increased activity at the reference desk as librarians have been called upon to teach people how to use the new sys- tems, as well as to tend to technical prob- lems and printer upkeep. Steven Zink states that CD-ROM's uniqueness and warm user reception have overshadowed an underestimation of the human re- sources required for its use.2 The authors have also found this to be true at Pullen Library. There, library staff now have to use time previously spent on other du- ties on the CD-ROM service. Additional professional and nonprofessional staff have been scheduled during peak times to assist patrons. Another effect of CD- ROM-based research has been a dra- matic increase in interlibrary loans and requests for interlibrary use cards. Inter- library use cards are issued as a result of a cooperative agreement among Atlanta- area academic libraries to allow the fac- ulty, staff, and students of one institution to use the library of another institution for a specific purpose for a limited time. CD-ROM BEGINNINGS IN BIBLIOGRAPHIC INSTRUCTION Participation in the library biblio- graphic instruction (BI) program has traditionally been a primary activity of the Pullen Library reference department faculty. For many years prior to library automation, library instruction classes had focused on using print indexes, ab- stracts, and the card catalog. However, in line with Loretta Caren's thesis that "the new technologies must be incor- porated into any state-of-the-art instruc- tion program,"3 use of Pullen Library's January 1993 new online catalog OLLI was included in BI classes as soon as the system became operational. The library staff equipped the BI classroom with an OLLI terminal linked to an Electrohome projector. The freestanding Electrohome transmits im- ages from the OLLI terminal to a large curved screen visible to the entire class. When Georgia State University in- stalled its first CD-ROM, all reference librarians went through an intensive pe- riod of orientation. Because some of the librarians had not chosen to do online searching, their realization that CD- ROM use would be required at the refer- ence desk as well as in the BI classes caused some apprehension. Each librar- ian scheduled time at the CD-ROM unit to learn the co;nventions of the software, database content, and the most effective searching strategies and applications. Because some of the librarians had not chosen to do online searching, their realization that CD-ROM use would be required at the reference desk as well as in the BI classes caused some apprehension. The next step was to develop simple and effective handouts on Boolean searching techniques. Also, because many of the school's CD-ROM databases are produced by different publishers and require unique search protocols, specialized instructions were written for each software product and modified for each particular database. Soon, the CD-ROM technology was incorporated into the BI program. There was a great demand for instruction in the use of CD-ROMs. As AI Kagan stated of his experience at the University of Con- necticut's Babbidge Library, "the CD- ROM service acted as a 'hook' to get undergraduates involved in the research process and helped to overcome their library phobias." 4 As CD-ROM usage continued to increase, the reference staff confirmed Craig Gibson's statement that, because students often consider CD-ROM indexes and online catalogs as magical devices, the need for teaching research concepts is now greater than ever before. Reference faculty found it imperative that these technologies be taught, as he suggested, "within a larger information-gathering or search strategy process." 5 In order to teach CD-ROM concepts, a CD-ROM player with the software of many CD-ROM databases was added to the BI classroom. Most of Pullen Li- brary's CD-ROM vendors granted per- mission to use superseded discs in class instruction. Like the 0 LU terminal, the CD-ROM workstation can be linked to the Electrohome so that both systems can be demonstrated during a BI session. Such demonstrations sparked lively stu- dent response and interaction. TEACHING CD-ROM AT GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY The new technology was first intro- duced to faculty because of their strong liaison to students . . Two demonstration sessions for faculty were scheduled during the fall quarter of 1989. Theses- sions began with a comparison of database contents and print counter- parts. The emphasis was on how com- puterized searching offers a new dimension in combining concepts that print resources lack. Following the intro- duction and demonstration time, faculty went to the reference department and used the CD-ROM of their choice. They were offered guidance and help from the reference librarians. This approach was successful on many levels. For instance, the new technology was introduced in a nonthreatening, inter- esting, and involving manner. Also, for many of the faculty, new vistas opened up regarding ease of research, thorough- ness of searching, and crea·tive interrelat- ing of subject areas through using Boolean operators. Finally, many profes- sors who had assigned large groups of students to do a search on ERIC within a limited amount of time modified their as- signments to allow for a realistic deadline. These professors had learned that there are limits to the number of students who can use the new technology simultaneously. The Impact of CD-ROM Technology 13 CD-ROM DEMONSTRATIONS After the faculty orientation to the new technology was initiated, demon- strations were started for students. Dem- onstrations were scheduled on a walk-in basis at varying times of the day and week in order to accommodate as many students as possible. To publicize these demonstrations, advertisements were placed in the school newspaper and re- minders to faculty, as well as on campus bulletin boards, library signs, and flyers. Schedules of drop-in sessions were placed at the reference desk. Attendance was low at first because the demonstra- tions were of specific subject areas. Generic sessions were set up to increase attendance. Students were requested to sign up at the reference desk and indi- cate their area of interest. This format proved to be successful and, therefore, is still used. Students are alerted to the demonstra- tions, as well as to the handouts, if they are novices or need more intensive coverage of strategies and conventions to use on the CD-ROM databases. This eases the pressure on reference desk librarians, who. are already pressed for time. While these CD-ROM demonstrations have increased the BI workload, they are important and will be continued. Even though the number of students reached is modest, it is still significant enough to reduce the traffic at the reference desk. BIBLIOGRAPHIC INSTRUCTION CLASSES Cooperative efforts with faculty are a strong factor in reaching students. As a result, perhaps the heaviest impact that CD-ROM service has had on Georgia State University's BI program is on the course-related classes taught each quarter. The courses range from freshman English to graduate-level courses. Before the advent of CD-ROM, the pri- mary focus of the BI classes was a review of the traditional printed indexes and other reference tools, as well as a demon- stration of OLLI. Now, however, most of the classes. also include a block of time for 14 College & Research Libraries demonstrating and discussing compact disc technology. The amount of time spent depends on the class being taught. Graduate students in education usually want (and need) the greatest portion of a BI session to learn how to use ERIC on CD-ROM, while freshman and sopho- more classes need a more balanced pre- sentation that includes the CD-ROM discussion but doesn't focus on it entirely. A variety of opinion exists among Pullen Library's reference librarians as to how much should be said about com- pact disc databases in beginning-level classes. Some think that the students in these classes should be given the tradi- tional basic instruction with only a men- tion of the CD-ROMs. Others think that a demonstration, at the very least, is needed because students often ask for a certain CD-ROM database or which computer to use to find certain material. The authors agree that students should be informed about the availability of the CD-ROM resources and encouraged to attend the CD-ROM drop-in sessions. On numerous occasions, when in- structors call to set up a BI session for their class, they have requested that the session include a demonstration of one or several CD-ROMs. There have also been many instances when an instructor will call not to set up a BI appointment, but to set up a CD-ROM demonstration only. For instance, when an accounting professor at Georgia State University learned that the school had Compact Dis- closure, he wanted his graduate students to see it. A BI session was arranged for the professor and seven of his graduate students. The session proved to be very productive, as evidenced by the students who have started using Compact Disclo- sure quite often. It is anticipated that, as time goes on, more upper division and graduate-level classes will request BI for certain databases; education classes will want to learn about ERIC; classes in marketing, management, and other bus- iness disciplines will ask for ABI/IN- FORM; health sciences classes will need MEDLINE, and so on. The classes are likely to include more than just the dem- onstration and discussion of compact January 1993 discs. For fullest use of a database, users need to understand Boolean logic, ap- propriateuse of connectors, the importance of thesauri for accessing information, the value of truncation symbols, and crystalliz- ing a topic into the most concise statement possible for identifying the main concepts to search. With this knowledge, users can search in depth rather than superficially. Also, students who recognize the impor- tance of learning skills to access both traditional and new sources become very serious about learning and desirous of help. THE FUTURE Critical Selection of Databases Judging from the changes experienced in the BI program, more modifications are expected in the future. For instance, there needs to be more discussion of the interrelationship of subject matter among databases and/ or print resources. This is a hard concept for students to grasp. They tend to think one-dimensionally and focus on one database or index as the answer to all their questions and research needs. As databases grow and expand their scope, it becomes increasingly clear that several databases will provide relevant information to a topic. For example, a student searching for critiques and anal- yses of Ronald Reagan's speaking style might think of speech communications journals and would be interested in Com- munication Abstracts. But the ERIC database also covers many of the same speech communications journals, and a search of the database retrieves several excellent references. This topic proved to be much harder to research in the printed Communication Abstracts than in the CD-ROM version of ERIC. In fact, because of the lack of appropriate de- scriptors, an initial scan of the printed version of ERIC also seemed to indicate that little information was there, but the flexibility of the CD-ROM allowed the searcher to pull up some good refer- ences. This creative type of thinking is what needs to be stimulated in the BI classes of the future. Students also need to be made aware of and encouraged to use more than just - the databases they are accustomed to using. Many medical and nursing stu- dents, for instance, know about the Index Medicus and/ or ME DUNE on CD-ROM, but they often are unaware that relevant citations can be found in PsycUT that would be missed in MEDUNE. Librari- ans at Pullen Library have been teaching about the existence of printed indexes for years and have recently begun teach- ing about CD-ROM versions of those in- dexes and new CD-ROM products without print equivalents. This keeps students up with what is available. In the future, the students will need to be taught about the viability and desirabil- ity of pulling information from multiple databases. With so much to learn, one question immediately comes to mind- how can a one-hour BI session cover all of this information? There is barely enough time as is. That is a question for another time. Locally Mounted Databases In the future, the BI program will probably face the issue of databases loaded on the campus mainframe. In- struction for databases on the main- frame could be incorporated into OLU classes because they would be accessed from the same terminals and would likely employ the same search software. Another option is for the CD-ROM classes to include instruction on the lo- cally loaded databases because these classes already provide i:r;tStruction on basic searching concepts and tech- niques. However, both classes already take up a full hour and often run over- time. Classes could be offered specif- ically for the databases on the main- frame, although this would increase the already heavy workload of BI classes each quarter. Whatever the solution is, it will have an impact on the CD-ROM service and, therefore, on the BI program. Librarian/Faculty Communication As the nature of the BI program changes, there will be a need for more and better interaction between librarians and teaching faculty. BI for particular databases is fine, but it is a mistake to The Impact of CD-ROM Technology 15 change the entire focus of library instruc- tion from the basic tools and processes of research to a discussion of one or two resources. When requests for BI classes are received, it will be important to de- termine if the class is one that needs only very specific instruction or if the BI ses- sion needs to include the basics that are traditionally covered. One-to-one dis- cussions between the librarian and the instructor who makes the request will be very useful. However, it will be impor- tant to continue to offer orientation for CD-ROMs to faculty to alert them to soft- ware innovations and new databases. Techno stress A challenge that already occurs when doing instruction for CD-ROMs, and that will only get worse as more databases are added, is the differing software syndrome. When teaching a class in which several databases are used, it is difficult to demon- strate one database using one software, then switch to another database and another software, perhaps even making a third or fourth switch, all the while ex- .Plaining the intricacies of each database and its search commands. To counteract this syndrome, librarians will have to practice more on the various databases, and perhaps do more preclass prepara- tion, while lobbying for greater stan- dardization. CONCLUSION Georgia State University's BI program has changed and expanded with techno- logical innovations. In short, the pro- gram has helped educate the entire university community, from students to faculty. Also, the computerized tech- nology requires critical thinking applica- tions in order to selectively process the overwhelming deluge of information that comes forth. As software changes, and hopefully continues to improve, even more selective applications will be necessary to sift and choose appropriate information. Georgia State's library is probably typical of most of the United States' aca- demic libraries that are becoming increas- ingly automated. Beginning perhaps with 16 College & Research Libraries online searching, moving to an online catalog, and then to CD-ROM databases, the library is a hub of various high tech- nologies added to a predominantly print collection. While librarians, staff, teach- ing faculty, and students used to deal primarily with the print format, the sit- uation has changed dramatically with the advent of high technology. Peter Lyman recently wrote that "the teaching role of the librarian will predominate in a digital library to create and support a new culture of information literacy."6 Whether in a formal BI class, at a CD- ROM workstation, or in a reference in- terview, new BI considerations will be imperative. The professional librarian must offer to the student both print and high technology sources. This profes- January 1993 sional should transmit awareness of the importance of the interrelatedness of topics and how the databases can pro- vide access to a variety of materials. Until formats of high technologies have been standardized, librarians will have to familiarize users with unique features which may affect access. The impact of new technology makes more intense faculty /librarian com- munication and interaction mandatory in order to inform students fully of new resources and technologies. Together, their efforts better enable students to be- come what the ALA termed "lifelong learners" who can always find the infor- mation needed for any task or decision at hand. 7 After all, this is our ultimate goal. REFERENCES 1. David C. Taylor, "Reference ROMs: Six Implications for Libraries Building CD-ROM Database Services," American Libraries 20(May 1989):454. 2. Steven D. Zink, "Planning for the Perils of CD-ROM," Library Journal 115(Feb. 1, 1990):51. 3. Loretta Caren, "New Bibliographic Instruction for New Technology: Library Connec- tions' Seminar at the Rochester Institute of Technology," Library Trends 37, no.3 (Winter 1989):367. 4. AI Kagan, ''The Impact of Introducing CD-ROM Services at the Homer Babbidge Library, University of Connecticut," Access Faxon 2, no.1 (Summer 1989):5. 5. Teresa Mensching, ed., "Dialogue and Debate: CD-ROM: The Aladdin's Lamp of Library Technology?" Research Strategies 7(Spring 1989):90-1. 6. Peter Lyman, "Library of the (Not-So-Distant) Future," Change 23(Jan./Feb. 1991):40. 7. American Library Association, Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, Final Report (Chicago: ALA, 1989), 1. ----