Enabling End‐Users: Information Skills Training

Citation

Lauretta Edwards, S. and Bruce, C. (2007), "Enabling End‐Users: Information Skills Training", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 25 No. 4, pp. 622-623. https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830710840581

Do you need a manual to train your information literacy trainers? Enabling End‐Users is an easy‐to‐read, step‐by‐step guide to information skills training. The user focus in this work is evident, and this will serve the new trainer well. The work is full of tips, summaries, questions to ask and sample questionnaires.

Enabling End‐Users will find a place in the hands of any librarian in any academic, public or special library. It will also find a place in the hands of any information literacy specialist. While the work is very practical in its approach, and the writer makes no explicit claim to the work being research based, the work adopts a sound approach to training which resonates with much contemporary learning and training literature. Trainers adopting it will find that they are being encouraged to use an evidence‐based approach to developing and implementing their information literacy programmes.

The several chapters of the work cover topics such as:

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  seeking information;

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  identifying key issues (relating to end user education);

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  the information professional as educator;

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  the searching process and searching techniques;

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  preparing training materials;

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  one‐to‐one tuition;

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  the group training experience; and

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  electronic resources and the computer gateway.

Poyner herself is a health librarian, but the topics discussed and examples provided are treated generically, so that this work is relevant to all likely contexts. In the words of the author, end‐user information skills training can be fun. It can be rewarding. It is now becoming an essential tool in the educational role expected of library and information professionals. IT can also be daunting. Many such professionals may be unwilling converts to this extension of their job description and need help. Others will be taking up designated skills training posts but lack experience in getting started (p. ix).

No, it is not rocket science here, but the text reads simply and well. Overall, this is a small, valuable manual that many libraries could adopt and use as a text to train the trainer.