Library use and the development of critical thought

✍ Scribed by Stephen H. Plum

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 482 KB
• Volume: 1984
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0271-0633
• DOI: 10.1002/tl.37219841805

✦ Synopsis

Librav use instruction, when u h e d as a discipline, encourages thc dcvelopmmt of patterm of critical thought in he independmt inquirer.

Library Use and the Development of Critical Thought

Stephen H. Plum Library instruction should develop in the student those patterns of critical thought that lead to efficient and independent library inquiry. These patterns of thought enable the student to interact successfully with the information systems of an academic library and thus to identify and locate the information relevant to the student's problem or question. The interaction of the student with library systems shares characteristics with the process of problem solving, and instruction in library use increases the possibility of productive interaction. Of great interest to bibliographic instruction librarians is the nature of student patterns of thought. O n what habits of thought can the student draw that lead to the creative and systematic discovery of information? What kinds of teaching instill the desired patterns of thought? What structure or framework supports bibliographic instruction?

The most useful framework is provided by the context of the discipline area of study; that is, the process of original research in a discipline and the use of a discipline's literature and its library information systems. Discipline context provides structure to library use instruction and develops the desired patterns of thought in the independent inquirer. The following experiences in teaching two upper-level, bibliographic instruction courses support the importance of the role of the discipline context in library use instruction. The dis-T. G. Kirk (Ed.). I r r n u i y I& TaAiiy R& ?/A&u Lbmiu. New Direction* for Tuching ud h r n i n g . no. 18. S.n F n n c k Jracy-&u. June 1984.