Information Technology and the Teaching Role of the College Librarian

Reference librarians have a unique opportunity to encourage the development of lifelong self-directed information-seeking skills by introducing college students to information technology and its effective use. Educators now emphasize the need for students to be capable of lifelong learning outside-the formal classroom setting. At the same time, information technology is playing an increasingly larger role in students' personal and professional lives. This article reviews the ways in which new information technologies have already placed increasing demands for instruction on reference staff. It describes how college librarians are attempting to meet the demand through different approaches to end-user training, both formal and informal. It then evaluates which methods seem to be the most likely to foster self-directed learning behavior in the use of information technologies.