Some colleges and universities in Illinois have worked with anthropologists to study library use. This study is one of several that come on the heels of the University of Rochester study. Their results are that both librarians and faculty expect college students to be more thoughtful, skilled, dedicated researchers than they are.
Their results match my experience, so I'm surprised at their surprise. Someone who is 20 years old today does not have much of a memory of a time Before Google (B.G.). The whole frame of mind about how search is supposed to work completely different from what an "old fogy" like me expects. I've tried to explain how sparse the information in the library's catalog is compared to what Google pulls off a Web site and why it requires a different mindset. I think it just gave them the impression that the library catalog and paper books are a lot of bother.
The one statement that troubles me is, "Librarians tend to overestimate the research skills of some of their students, which can result in interactions that leave students feeling intimidated and alienated, say the ERIAL researchers." Comments on my teaching evaluations sometimes say that the information I present is too basic, but at the information desk, I see students struggle with things that I think should be easy. I'm still trying to find the sweet spot: not too easy and not too difficult.
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