Presented at LILAC 2008

1. Information versus Inspiration:
Mind the Gap
Matthew Borg & Deborah Harrop

2. Before today, what has
been your experience of
using a library?
=
(Interactive tools, 2007)
+
Year 1 Undergrad

3. Eureka momentTranspennine train moment
- Use of college, school & public libraries.
- Emphasis on books & to a lesser
extent, IT facilities
 Opportunity: limited experience
of libraries
 Facilitating the opportunity
- Inspire ourselves, inspire academics,
inspire students

4. Us and them: bridging the gap
 Learning taxonomy, not information taxonomy
- Information is a mechanism, not the outcome
- Be learner focused, not inwardly focused on our goals
- Take a holistic approach and place learning in context
Information professional
Learner Academic
Inspiration
SCONUL seven pillars
(SCONUL, 2007)

5. Tailor skills to the curriculum
 3 year curriculum
- Develop objectives for course, module and session
- Must learn something new every year
 Talk the talk, walk the walk
- Market yourself to academic staff, develop the brand
 Outcomes
- Series of sessions on ‘Skills for Science’ module
- Identify specific info needs; for example,
Forensic Scientists undertake law module
- Retention strategy
- Involved in course planning

6. Be inspiration literate
 Present centred learning
- Enquiry based for example,
actually research assignments
- Avoid ‘perfect’ searches; it does
not promote learner autonomy
 Assessment
- Interactive tools provide
formative feedback
- Achievable short terms
goals & progression
 How do they think?
- Don't deliver what they don't
need
- Auditory, visual, kinaesthetic
- Associate material to existing
knowledge

7. Inspiring feedback
 Inspire audience to provide
feedback
 Get it quick
 Stop, start, continue
 Use feedback to inspire
yourself
 Tackle everyone
(Xollob58, 2008)

8. Peering
 Crucial to feedback is
working with
colleagues
 Reflection rather
than review
 Share knowledge
and practice
 Self-evaluation
(Fensterbme, 2008)

9.  Just say ‘no’; but suggest an alternative
and better session
 Use the ‘L’ word (that’s learning not libraries)
 Multipurpose icebreaker that forms an
activity, but also provides trainer with data
 Provide incomplete handouts
 Speak quietly; “of crucial importance…”
 Use verbal/visual association
 Focussed feedback – be specific
 Don't oversimplify your skills
Top tips

10. What next?
 We were inspired
 Inspire information as a mechanism – not an
outcome
 Something old, something new, something
borrowed, something blue
 Inspire by marketing
 Inspiring feedback
 Co-teaching
 Measure

11. References
 ANDRETTA, S. (2004). Information literacy: a practitioners guide. Oxford, Chandos.
 FENSTERBME (2008). Columbus Flickr Meet Group Photo. [online image]. Last
accessed 28 February at: http://flickr.com/photos/fensterbme/1425536855/.
 INTERACTIVE TOOLS (2008). Post it notes. [online image]. Last accessed 1 March at:
http://interactivetools.com/staff/dave/damons_office/IMG_0032.JPG.
 REECE, I. and WALKER, S. (2006). Teaching, training and learning. London,
Business Education Publishers.
 SCONUL (2007). SCONUL seven pillars of information literacy. [online image].
Last accessed 2 February at: http://www.sconul.ac.uk/groups/information_literacy
/sp/model.html.
 XOLLOBO58 (2007). Traffic Lights in Germany. [online image]. Last accessed 5 March
at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28289142@N00/528204122/.