User training at the University of Ljubljana

1. User training at the University of Ljubljana dr. Alenka Šauperl, Faculty of Arts mag. Andreja Grčar, Faculty of Sports

2. Population: 1.997.004 (2003 census) Territory: 20.273 km2 Tallest mountain: Triglav (2.864 m) Adriatic coastline: about 42 km Capital city: Ljubljana (population 300.000) Indepentent state since 1991 Introduction to Slovenia 1/2

3. Introduction to Slovenia 2/2 • Currency: TOLAR Building: The National and University Library (1936-1941) Architect: Jože Plečnik (1872-1957)

4. The National and University Library

5. The National and University Library • 1774 • 1941

6. 2.300.000 documents 50.000 documents added annually 190.000 visitors 325.000 loans 10.000 ILL 36 computers with Internet access for library users 91 professional librarians The national library in 2001

7. 3 universities each with university libraries Faculties have their own libraries Central Technical Library Academic libraries University of Ljubljana

8. Three Slovenian universities

9. Three Slovenian universities • University of Ljubljana • 1919 • 26 faculties, 8.419 graduates in 2004 • Faculty of Arts, total of about 8.000 students in 2005/6 • Faculty of Sports, total of about 1100 students in 2005/6 • University of Maribor • 1975 • 13 faculties, 3.651 graduates in 2004 • University of Primorska (in Koper) • 2003 • 5 faculties, 341 graduates in 2004

10. Slovenian national library network • Almost 300 libraries cooperate in the national union cataloging system • High level of cooperation also in interlibrary loan and other services and activities • Cooperation among, and within public, academic, special and school libraries

11. The beginnings of user training • “Official” start in 1970 • Univ. of Maribor, 2-3 hour lectures about libraries, their resources and searching for first year students • Central Technical Library 1972/3 • Elective course for all students of the Univ. of Ljubljana

12. First guidelines • The National and University Library held a workshop on user training in 1974 • Result: guidelines on user training – information literacy • Breda Filo, librarian of The University Library of Maribor • teaching information resources per se is useless, because students are unable to associate information searching with the problem solving process • Revived interest in the 1980s with the Association of Yugoslavian Library Associations

13. Basic goals • understand that library and information services are sources of information, librarians and information intermediaries are there to provide help with seeking information • learn to search for information and to use the results of retrieval in everyday work and life situations and needs • learn the organization and function of different information sources and understand that searching for literature is only a part of the task of accomplishing their goal (assignment, project, work requirement) • learn to search, select and evaluate information sources and library materials

14. Results 1/2 • School libraries • Primary schools: an obligatory program since 1999 • Required 4 hours of information literacy in all of 9 academic years • Elective 35 hour course in the 9th grade • Secondary schools: elective program since 2000 • 15 hour course in any of these years

15. Results 2/2 • Since 1989 library instruction is a requirement in the national standards for academic libraries • Diverse efforts of university authorities: • Basic library instruction is • not provided to students at all the schools of the Univ. of Ljubljana • provided to students at most schools of the Univ. of Maribor • not provided to students at the schools of the Univ. of Primorska

16. University of Ljubljana • Long standing programs: • Biotechnical Faculty • Faculty of Law • Faculty of Medicine • Faculty of Natural Science and Technology • Faculty of Social Sciences • Faculty of Sports • Faculty of Theology

17. Faculty of Sports • Required course “Informatics in Sports” • For all first-year students • 60 hours of work

18. Goals 1/2 • introduces students to the phenomena, development and influence of informatics in our society, • make them aware of the information, that is important for them in their rolesas professionals, citizens, and parents

19. Goals 2/2 • learn the technology and methods of collecting, storing, handling and providing information as well as managing information systems. • learn the basic skills of using information technology, searching for information sources and professional writing

20. 30 hours of lectures with a computer science professor Introduction to information science Information systems Computers and information technology Information resources 15 hours of practical work with a sports professor 15 hours of independent work on three assignments Text processing Spreadsheet processing Searching for information in the library catalog and other information resources Informatics in Sports

21. Evaluation 1/4 • Survey among 226 first-year students in 2002/3 (147 responses in a pre-test and 100 in a post-test) • Students’ own assessment of their knowledge and skills • Significant differences: • use the computer for text processing more often than before • more confident in using e-mail, word processing and spreadsheet software, the Internet. • better able to search for library resources in the national union catalog using COBISS/OPAC

22. Evaluation 2/4 • Most students: • have problems in evaluating information retrieved from the Internet and other information resources • are not entirely aware of the data that are necessary for bibliographic citations. • are still not able to independent library users and need help from librarians

23. Evaluation 3/4 • This means that the information literacy goals have not been achieved with this course and that the professor needs to revise the course to better prepare students for the competent use of information sources.

24. Evaluation 4/4 • Students do not retain many of theinformation literacy skills from their secondary school experience. • REPETITION is important! • Information literacy skills should be a part of at least one of required courses in each year of study.

25. Faculty of Arts • Information literacy is a neglected topic • A unique and excellent example at one of the 20 departments • “Introduction to Geography” • Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts • Required course for all first-year students • Information literacy was incorporated in 1998/99

26. Structure: • Introductory tour of the library and meeting with librarians. Introduction of library rules, information resources in the library (1 hour in the library, 1 hour in the map collection, for groups of 15 students) • Lecture (librarian) on basic information science with the emphasis on information sources for geography (one 2 hour lecture for the class of about 50 students) • Practical work with bibliographic databases and other electronic informatio sources for geography: local and Slovenian catalogs and databases, international databases, the Internet (3 hours in groups of 7 students)

27. Learning materials • Chapter in the textbook written by the librarian (Dolgan-Petrič, 1999). • Internet support

28. Evaluation • positive • more confident with information resources after the course • more independent in the use of library materials and catalogs • negative • persistent problems with the selection and evaluation of resources from bibliographic or full-text databases and the WWW • more work for the librarians

29. Persistent problems • Librarians’ contribution to the teaching and learning process at the university • “support” staff • Importance of information literacy for a prosperous society • European goals, Bologna reform and the struggle for funding

30. Thank you. Come to visit Ljubljana and Slovenia.