Gain access to the latest and most savvy research techniques for academic librarians with this robust guidebook written by industry leaders involved in setting national standards for the Institute of Research Design for Librarianship. Staying on top of professional trends in academic library research can help turn any librarian into an expert researcher. This practitioner's guide arms librarians with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively conduct research to enhance professional practice and perform successful inquiries. It discusses current practices of academic librarians; details the process of successfully planning, implementing, and publishing a study; and provides professional and personal development to improve research competency. Written by professionals at the upper echelon of their field, Enhancing Library and Information Research Skills comprises seven chapters that break down the research process and focus on individual steps in performing effective research. The book teaches academic librarians how to develop a research question based on a practical problem, determine the scope and objectives of a study, and select proper research design and methods. Readers will also understand how to identify resources to support the study, set a timeline for data collection and data analysis, write a dissertation, and identify the proper venue for publication/presentation.

This work is a collection of previously unpublished papers in which contributing authors describe and recommend best practices for creating, developing and teaching credit-bearing information literacy (IL) courses at the college and university level. Contributors include academic librarians from universities, four-year colleges and community colleges to demonstrate successful IL course endeavors at their respective institutions. It includes several case studies of both classroom and online IL courses; some are elective and some required, some are discipline-specific and others are integrated into academic programs or departments. Contributors discuss useful and effective methods for developing, teaching, assessing and marketing courses. Also included are chapters on theoretical approaches to credit bearing IL courses and their history in higher education. Organized around three themes, create, develop and teach, this book provides practitioners and administrators with a start-to-finish guide to best practices for credit-bearing IL courses.

Includes its Report, 1896-1945.