---------- Forwarded message ------r----
From: Jourdan, Robin (R.) <rjourdan@ford.com>
Date: Mar 23, 2007 10:03 AM
Subject: Enabling End-Users: Information Skills Training
To: blondee.joy@gmail.com, blondee.cloud@blogger.com
FREEPINT BOOKSHELF
< http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf>
"Enabling End-Users: Information Skills Training"
Written by Ann Poyner
Reviewed by Richard Gaston
One of the 'information skills' covered by this book is the critical
appraisal of material found when searching. Criteria are given for
evaluating print resources which provide us with a starting point for
this review. One of these criteria is 'Author': Ann Poyner is a
'professional librarian' with experience in the (national) health
service whose recent work has been through contributions to training
projects; she now works as a freelance information skills trainer.
By experience, the author appears to be well qualified, although whilst
she carefully generalises through the text, her health service
background makes occasional, uncomfortable appearances: are 'medicine
and healthcare' really 'particularly well served with a comprehensive
range of information sources', by comparison to law, business or
academia? Healthcare-specific search strategies such as 'is there a
particular treatment or intervention or interaction to be explored?'
are also included. As the book claims to be a resource for all (and
not just healthcare), 'information professionals, such sector-specific
examples are unhelpful. These could have been generalised, or examples
appropriate to other sectors included.
Healthcare bias aside, this book is well structured and full of
helpful advice which both new and experienced trainers will be able to
apply to their client training programmes. The book's first sentence
sums up its practical and affirmative approach: 'end-user information
skills training can be fun'. For me, the core resources were the
chapters covering: the searching process and searching techniques;
preparing training materials; one-to-one tuition, and group training
sessions. Each chapter is summarised with a set of bullet points and
then subdivided by clear headings making this accessible as a
reference manual for quick queries.
The book's general technique is to clarify the training process for
the trainer, and its simple, step-by-step approach helps information
professionals to recognise and then train in skills that we might
take for granted. The chapter on 'the searching process and searching
techniques' reminds the trainer to encourage clients to 'fully state
their information needs and build up a search strategy covering all
the aspects that are vital to their search', I suppose this might be
termed the self reference interview. Other key information skills
covered in this chapter include guidance around selection of
resources, and search operators and commands.
The chapter on one-to-one tuition covers all manifestations, from
ad-hoc queries, to structured sessions, to telephone training. It deals
with one of the trainer's greatest fears: difficult people. Two
examples are given: the 'independent end-user' with a misplaced
confidence in their own abilities, and the senior staff-member.
Difficult clients are also dealt with in the chapter on group
training, although suggestions for a more comprehensive strategy than
the following would have been desirable: 'try and identify anyone like
this early in the session and seek to involve [them]'.
This book is a valuable resource covering the training process from
planning to delivery and evaluation once training has been given.
Whilst the bias towards information in healthcare is a distraction,
it doesn't detract from the book's overall usefulness.
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Richard Gaston works in London as a business information researcher
for a global investment bank, with training as one component of his
role. Richard is a chartered member of CILIP - the Chartered
Institute of Library and Information Professionals. He writes for
FreePint in a personal capacity.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Related FreePint links:
* Find out more about this book online at the FreePint Bookshelf
< http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf/enable.htm>
* Read customer comments and buy this book at Amazon.com
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* "Enabling End-Users: Information Skills Training"
ISBN 1843341093, published by Chandos Publishing Oxford Ltd.
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Best Regards
Robin Jourdan
EAE/Enterprise Engineering
(v/f) 313-845-5316
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