Reference Services for the Adult Learner

Citation

Duckett, B. (2001), "Reference Services for the Adult Learner", Library Review, Vol. 50 No. 4, pp. 206-207. https://doi.org/10.1108/lr.2001.50.4.206.7

I did not realise, on seeing this smart, glossy, stylish two‐toned blue cover, that this was a book from the Haworth Press. Whatever happened to those dowdy grey covers we loved to complain about? Has someone heeded our comments? The internal layout could still do with some improvement, but I do believe the paper is a better quality too, less fluffy. So two cheers for the publisher! The Haworth Press oeuvre is usually pretty dense, content‐wise, so any measures to ease the readers’ burden are most welcome.

Some thought, too, has been given to the organisation of the material inside the covers. With 34 separate articles/chapters covering over 400 pages on a subject which, itself, is a shade fluffy, the seven sections which give structure to the whole are well defined and the contributors stick pretty close to their place in this structure. It was nice to see some striking phrases among the more pedestrian “information overload”, “multitasking”, and “information literacy”. What, I wonder, is “The Andragogical Librarian”, “The After‐Five Syndrome”, “Interactive Reference at a Distance”, and “Instructional Bricolage”? Even the frequent one‐per‐page sub‐headings that chart the reader through the text are clear and to the point. All in all, before any of the 34 articles are read, this book looks to be a carefully considered, tightly controlled, yet fresh work of art. A cheer for the editor as well!

The book, which is subtitled Challenging Issues for the Traditional and Technological Era, starts with a section on the “Information explosion, technophobia, and technostress”. Strategies are outlined for helping the technophobic patron and those who “freak out” at the mention of a database search. Amazingly, it seems, some users have forgotten how to use a card catalogue – technostress from an earlier era! Seriously, though, the increasing number of adults entering education are less likely to be familiar with the new technology, and this situation needs to be resolved before their talent and motivation are dissipated. The reduction of infojargon, the need to set task limits, and better help screens, are some of the solutions suggested. “Say It, Show It, Have Them Do It” sounds an excellent slogan. A case study concludes the section.

Section Two provides a number of essays that consider the characteristics, needs and expectations of adult learners, the better to serve them. The services and attitudes appropriate to the traditional academic institution are less appropriate to the mature “re‐entrant” – they are adults!; there is a need to reconsider the reference interview when dealing with a different clientele; and some of the lessons learnt in public libraries that these new clients used beforehand, are three pointers to consider. The third section provides an underpinning of this by a look at the themes of adult learning and the implications these have for reference and instructional services. There are differences in attention, perception, memory, and reality‐testing. Adults have a greater need to be self‐directed; they prefer experiential learning; they are more concerned with practical applications; and wish for growth and self‐actualization. Thus the adult‐focused “andragogic” librarian (as opposed to the child‐focused “pedagogic” librarian) needs to be more approachable, more “real”, have respect, empathise, and recognise critical “teaching” moments.

Section four focuses on the actual delivery of distance learning and features several case studies in North America and Australia. The librarian as facilitator providing “flexible delivery initiatives” is a key theme here. The evolution of distance learning from correspondence courses to virtual classrooms requires more than electronic access to databases, it requires dynamic and interactive electronic servicing, and a good calibre of librarian. A final paper reports on the library itself providing an information skills package. Section five takes up this theme of reference instruction and information literacy. Starting with the practicalities of “sensitizing” police students to research methodology, we are soon on to the Internet. A number of programmes are reported which have been developed to train students to use the Internet effectively. Many of them are librarian‐led. Section six covers two groups of learners with differing problems. The paper dealing with disabled students concludes with sound advice on the need for good communication and on the design of effective library Web sites. No fewer than four papers deal with the problems and needs of international students. “From the horse’s mouth” is the title of the last section. This reports the views from faculty, administrative, librarian and the students themselves. An index concludes the book.

Overall, this book provides a rich mixture of theory and practicalities, while the frequent case studies keep our feet on the ground. Maybe the mixture is a touch too rich, with several of the contributions overlapping. A reduction of about a third would have made the book more digestible. A pity, too, that no mention appears to feature UK practice. Although we share many of the problems, there are significant differences, in networking architecture and staffing structures at least, to warrant a chapter or two on UK problems and practice. Some other European input would have been welcomed too. Notwithstanding these caveats, this book is a fund of ideas for those responsible for distance learning.