ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


November 1994/ 639

C onference

C ircu it

" L O E X "  goes w e s t!

B y M ary I. P ie tte a n d  D e le y n e  W en tz

“Teaching a n d  learning in a 
climate o f  constant change”

A t last a library user education conferencein the West! Linfield College, O regon
State University (OSU), and Willamette U

sity picked up  the challenge and provided an
o p p o r tu n ity  fo r L ibrary O r ie n ta tio n  a n d
EXchange (LOEX) in the West.

“Cultivating the Electronic Landscape: Teach­
ing and Learning in a Climate o f Constant
Change” was the them e o f the conference and
a call for papers attracted an enthusiastic re­
sponse. A gathering of nearly 140 instruction
librarians m et at Willamette, June 10-11,1994. 
The organizers of the conference—Loretta Rielly
of OSU, Susan Barnes Whyte of Linfield Col­
lege, an d  Jan  Davis T udor of W illamette—
planned an exciting program offering new  so­
lutions in a “climate of constant change.”

Betsy Wilson (University of Washington) set
the tone of the conference in her keynote ad­
dress called “Glacier or Avalanche: Shifts in the
Electronic, Education and Library Landscape.”
Teaching, she observed, in this fast-changing
environment, was indeed w rought with slides,
falls, and “top of the m oun­
tain” views. Including breath­
taking slides of Mount Rainier It w a s  n
and the flat landscapes of the " a n  ove
Midwest, W ilson aptly illus­
trated the changes instruction undigest
librarians face. She noted that a sure r
technology is changing not 
only how  w e find information m ental 
but also the information and
the people w ho use it. We greet new  users
with diverse backgrounds, different needs, and
demands. Wilson urged her audience to break

 
 
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w ith old paradigms an d  take som e time for 
“visioning.” Libraries must be part o f the “new, 
learning communities.” Librarians will be con­
sultants, designers and educators— ”the value- 
added librarian.”

Value-added librarians
Mera­ny “value-added” librarians and consultants 
continued to extend the them e of W ilson’s pre­
sentation through their w orkshops. Such titles 
as “King Kong vs. Godzilla: A Team Approach 
to Training on Internet Resources,” “The Inter­
net, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” “Grace 
under Pressure,” and “But How ‘Ya Gonna Make 
‘em Drink,” all reflected the conference them e 
and concerns. All addressed instruction and just 
how  to teach in the midst o f dynamic chaos. 
Suggestions and examples w ere many—w ork­
shops for faculty; presentations m ade to the 
university’s presidential council; and classes, 
classes, classes. The m essage in m any sessions 
was to limit the size of the class, provide hands- 
on  training, and recognize that instruction will 
be labor-intensive. Teach flexibility and prob­
lem-solving skills to cope with change, for there 
will b e change.

Above all—teach evaluation skills. While stu­
dents and faculty will b e able to join the net­

works for gophering, discov­

ed that ery , a n d  e x c h a n g e , m an y   speakers rem inded their au­
ad of diences that there is the good, 

the bad, and the ugly and stu­ facts is dents need to know  that. The 
ipe for I n te r n e t p r o v id e s  m u c h , 

maybe too much—current re­d lock." p o rts , c u ttin g -e d g e  n e w s, 
facts, discussions, and m uch

that is “spotty” and often undocum ented. It was 
noted that “an overload of undigested facts is a 
sure recipe for mental gridlock.”

M ary I. Piette a n d  Deleyne Wentz are reference librarians at Utah State University Library, Logan; e-mail: 
Piette: marpie@cc.usu.edu; Wentz: delwen@cc.usu.edu

mailto:delwen@cc.usu.edu


6 40/ C&RL News

Peaks and pitfalls
With much sharing of the “peaks and pitfalls” 
of the electronic environment, practical and in­
novative solutions were offered. OSU’s Gate­
way guides the researcher online. The Univer­
sity o f M ontana partners a librarian and a 
computer services person to instruct the Inter­
net. Multimedia classroom presentations using 
Macromind Director can also lead to better in­
structional materials. Addressing different styles 
of learning was also stressed. The key ingredi­
ent is respect for the learner. Lectures were 
termed ineffective and more hands-on practice, 
and cheerleading were strongly recommended.

“Isn’t it time to stop confusing teaching with 
learning?” began the Saturday morning session 
by Mary Ellen Litzinger (Penn State University) 
and Randall Hensley (University of Hawaii). 
Litzinger reviewed theories of learning and es­
pecially emphasized that each learner has his/ 
her ow n learning style. She recom m ended 
building a repertoire of choices for each class 
and trying to vary instruction within the class 
for more than one learning style. Most impor­
tant is creating a socially engaging environment 
where learners can feel comfortable and able 
to learn. Designing classrooms w here termi­
nals are in “pods” instead of rows, encourag­
ing participation, building team-based exercises, 
and providing materials that allow the students 
to review another time—all are musts.

Are there any right answers? There are prob­
ably many. But being aware and being chal­
lenged to consider instruction from a new  per­
spective leads to innovative solutions. The 
information highway will become navigable as 
all of us learn to change and try new patterns 
of instruction.

Having a western “LOEX” conference diver­
sified attendance with more community col­
lege librarians and public librarians participat­
ing. Our electronic environment is building new 
partnerships.

Several themes emerged from the confer­
ence. First, plans for another “LOEX of the West” 
in 1996 are a must. Second, Betsy Wilson’s 
phrase, “teach as though people are important,” 
reverbrated throughout the sessions. The elec­
tronic universe brings challenges and even ava­
lanches, but people are the users and they are 
the key.

A special recognition goes to Linda Shirato, 
editor/director of LOEX Clearinghouse, East­
ern Michigan University, for her advice and sup­
port. They made the conference possible. ■