Interviews
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Interview three practicing librarians in the type of library in which you expect to work. Ask them about the three roles described briefly below. Where do they feel they are on the continuum? At the beginning of this class and without any further investigation, what is your reaction to the three suggested stages? Post your interviews to: http://libr250transformations.pbwiki.com and also to Angel for grading.
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Background and introduction: In today's world, librarians of all types are serving as the human interface between information technology and users. This is quite a different role than in previous generations since it asks that the librarian step beyond the mere storage and retrieval functions of the library. In the older model, a teacher or a professor might come into the library for assistance with a class and find the librarian willing to help find materials that are useful to the teacher and then hand these materials over, thus completing the entire role responsibility. "I have helped you find materials - it is now your responsibility to use them."
The assumption of this module is that the responsibility of the librarian goes far beyond just storage and retrieval. Consider the following stages of interface with teaching and learning:
Stage One:
• The librarian inquires what types of materials/information resources would be helpful to a teacher/client.
• The librarian helps the teacher/client locate materials for the learners to use.
• The librarian is helpful to teacher/client and learners as they use the materials.
Stage Two:
• The librarian realizes that much frustration could be avoided using information technology if better planning were done with the teacher/client.
• The librarian and teacher/client plan together before the instructional experience begins.
• Given time, better materials and better activities for using those materials are designed.
• The teacher/client and the librarian work together as the materials and information technologies are used by the learners.
Stage Three:
• The librarians and the teacher/client form a partnership - an instructional design team.
• Together, as colleagues, they plan, execute, and evaluate an instructional sequence (a unit of instruction, a learning module, an inservice training program, a training module, or an entire course of instruction).
• The librarian takes responsibility along with the teacher/client to help learners master content (science, social studies, sales training, course content) and process (information literacy, the research process).
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