@article{2960b1b79db0403f8a89223b61f3e526,
title = "Government information and library instruction: A means to an end",
abstract = "Instruction in the use of government information presents the librarian and the student with significant instructional and learning challenges. This article describes the conceptual framework and the evaluative methods used in credit courses covering United States and intergovernmental resources and taught by the librarians in the Documents/Maps Section at the Pennsylvania State University Libraries since 1979. Included is a discussion of how a variety of collaborative and partnership teaching models between academic faculty and library faculty can provide greater rewards for librarians and better fulfill student needs. It is argued that many hidden benefits accrue from such credit instruction, including enhancing faculty status, contributing to staff training, and improving awareness and knowledge of documents collections. Finally, suggestions for maximizing resources and minimizing workload in order to make such instruction more manageable in a busy library section are included. The article concludes that government documents librarians can contribute to the national goal of creating life-long learners by providing such credit instruction.",
author = "Sheehy, {Helen M.} and Debora Cheney",
note = "Funding Information: Successw ith “Federal and Legal Information Sources” prompted the development of a second three-credit course devoted to research in intergovernmentali nformation. The Political Science Department has expanded enrollment in its International Relations (IR) Program, now the largestp rogram in that department.T his, coupled with the increased interest in international issuesa cross all areas of the University{\textquoteright}s curriculum, has resulted in heavy use of the intergovernmental materials (e.g., United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), and World Bank) and a growing number of course-integrated lecture requestsd evoted specifically to these materials.I n 1993t he International Documents Librarian, sensing an opportunity to capitalize on increasing international interest and seeking an opportunity to teach intergovernmental materials more comprehensively, approached faculty members in the Political Science, History, and Geography Departments regarding the need for a course focusing on research using intergovernmental information resources. The faculty{\textquoteright}s response to the proposed course was encouraging. One Political Science faculty member suggestedt he course be required for all studentsi n the IR Program and recommendedt hat the course be offered at the 300-levels o that studentsw ould be encouragedt o take the course in their junior year to be better-preparedf or the higher-level research-basedc ourses taken in their senior year. After additional consultation, the International Documents Librarian developed a proposed syllabus for “Introduction to Research in International Relations” to focus on the intergovernmentalo rganizations and selectedr esourcesr elated to international relations from the U.S. government, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The course was first taught fall semester1 995[ 12]. While these two courses form the core of the credit instruction that is offered currently by the Section, two other courses have been taught by Documents/Maps Section librarians. The first course, “Information Strategies for Policy Analysis” (Panal. 5971) was a one-credit experimental course for students in the graduate program in Policy Analysis in 1991.I t was taught by a Documents/Maps Section librarian at the request of that program and, while specifically designed to meet its needs, was basically an abridged version of “Federal and Legal Information Sources.” The University discontinued the Policy Analysis Program the following year.",
year = "1997",
doi = "10.1016/S1352-0237(97)00028-2",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "24",
pages = "313--330",
journal = "Journal of Government Information",
issn = "1352-0237",
publisher = "Elsevier Ltd",
number = "4",
}