Academic Libraries in the US and China (eBook)

Comparative Studies of Instruction, Government Documents, and Outreach

Bethany Latham, Hanrong Wang (Autoren)

eBook Download: PDF | EPUB

2013 | 1. Auflage
276 Seiten
Elsevier Science (Verlag)
978-1-78063-356-5 (ISBN)

Infos

Academic libraries have a long history both in the USA and China, with institutions developing along different trajectories, and responding to the rapidly changing library environment globally. Academic Libraries in the US and China compares current practices within Library and Information Science (LIS) in the USA and China, giving an historical overview of instruction, government documents, and outreach in academic libraries, as well as discussion and comparative analysis.An introduction leads to chapters on instruction, government publications, and outreach. Each topic is covered both for American and Chinese academic libraries. A conclusion then gives comparative analysis of US and Chinese academic libraries. - Provides a clear examination of the historical foundations of three key areas within the academic library - Includes examples of easy-to-implement current practices - Anticipates future trends

Hanrong Wang is a Professor and the Law & Technology Librarian at Jacksonville State University's Houston Cole Library. With more than a dozen years of experience in the field of library instruction and reference services, she has published scholarly articles on a wide range of topics in librarianship in academic journals. Hanrong has contributed numerous book chapters, with publications selected for presentation at a variety of international conferences

Textauszug

2

Instruction in Chinese academic libraries

Zhengjun Wang

Abstract:

This chapter focuses on library use and information literacy instruction in Chinese academic libraries. It emphasizes the part academic libraries and academic librarians in China have to play in information literacy given the current information explosion in the country, and the disparities to be found in user information literacy levels. Theory, methods, and content of instruction are covered, including traditional seminar and lectures, library use guides, and embedding instruction throughout the curriculum and within the online environment. The chapter ends with an examination of trends, anticipated futures, and recommendations for information literacy education in Chinese academic libraries.

Key words

Chinese academic libraries

library instruction

information literacy

bibliographic instruction

Introduction to instruction in Chinese academic libraries

The twenty-first century is an era full of competition and challenges. Along with the rapid development of science and technology, librarians in China now find themselves in a time of knowledge-based economies and an information age, facing a much more sophisticated information environment than ever before. According to UNESCO’s statistics, the accumulated knowledge of mankind in the most recent 30 years is about 90 percent of the total accumulated knowledge in human history, as compared with the mere 10 percent of human knowledge accumulated during the previous thousands of years of human development. In his book Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives, John Naisbitt used numbers to quantify the rapid growth of knowledge. According to him, the sum of human knowledge doubled between 1750 and 1900; it doubled again from 1900 to 1950, and doubled yet again from 1960 to 1965. Since 1965, human knowledge has doubled every five years (Naisbitt, 1982). By 2020, it is estimated that human knowledge will be doubling every 73 days.

The development of information has occurred at this rapid pace in recent years, but compared with some other countries, the development of information in China is still in its early stages. The China Internet Network Information Center (CINIC) published the 17th Statistical Report on Network Development in China in Beijing in January 2006. According to the report, as of December 31, 2005, there were 111 million Internet users in China. The number of Internet users and the number of broadband users were ranked the second highest in the world (CINIC, 2006). However, the rate of Internet penetration was only 8.5 percent, showing that China had at that time failed to reach the world average level of 15.2 percent, with approximately 970 million Internet users. According to these figures, China ranked 41st in the world in 2006 (People’s Daily, 2006). Thus, there is still room for information development in China.

Creating new products to further information development is not particularly popular in China for a number of reasons. Because of the high cost of Internet access, an insufficient number of information professionals, lack of laws regulating the information system, and lack of informational resources in Chinese on the Internet, the Chinese information system has not been fully developed. Information which the Chinese government considers to be harmful and misleading can be found in abundance on the Internet, which accounts for some reluctance on the part of China’s government to promote certain types of information development. There is a certain amount of chaos in the information industry in China, and redundant information construction projects still exist at the lower levels as a result of lack of coordination.

There is also a large gap between urban and rural areas in information use, especially in the number of Internet users and the penetration rate of the Internet between urban and rural areas. According to the survey mentioned above, the number of Internet users in urban areas was about 91.686 million, with penetration rates as high as 16.9 percent; however, the number was 19.314 million in rural areas, or a rate of only 2.6 percent, in 2005 (CINIC, 2006). The number of Internet users in rural areas equals merely one-fifth of urban users and one-sixth of the Internet penetration rate to be found in urban areas. Geographical differences also exist. Because of their poor infrastructure and lower education levels, the western areas of the country are far behind in the process of information development than in the east. In 2006 the percentage of Internet users in the east was 57.8 percent, and the percentage of IP addresses in the eastern region was 62 percent, 1.6 times that of western areas; 78.5 percent of domain names and 79.95 percent of websites were from eastern areas, about four times more than those which originated in the mid-west (Xinhua News Agency, 2006).

The influence of information is increasing with the rapid development of today’s information-driven society in China. Information, in return, can promote the development of economics, science, and technology. It is recognized as one of the most important factors in promoting the development of human society as well. Those who make full and effective use of information resources will also be pre-eminent in the development of science and technology in the world. With this goal in mind, education for the effective use of information has recently become a major concern in China.

Library information literacy instruction in China

As China entered the information age of computers and networks, there was an information explosion in the country. Fast-growing and more abundant information are features of the information age, and the importance of information can be seen as a primary factor in China’s current societal development. Facing such an endless stream of new knowledge and information, it is apparent that only those with knowledge of modern information technology and a firm grasp of effective retrieval and methods of use for information can survive. Information has become one of the most important commodities in modern Chinese society.

In recent years, with the rapid development of computer technology and network communication technologies, the means for accessing information have changed beyond recognition. Two or three decades ago, information could only be retrieved via print directories, indexes, catalog cards and so on in a library, a process that could be very time consuming and complicated. Today, information retrieval can be accomplished through a variety of approaches: by using databases or online resources, both of which may only take a few minutes. New technologies have made it possible for users to access the information they need conveniently and quickly.

With the rapid development of economy and society, there has been rapid expansion in human knowledge. Information technology reflects this; the update cycle is becoming shorter and shorter. A completely new information environment appears before users almost faster than they can blink. This proliferation of information technology is gradually changing the way of human life and interaction in China. Methods of education and learning are also changing. Information technology now figures widely in classroom teaching, daily living, and self-improvement. A knowledge-based economy and the globalization of information requires users to inculcate better skills for information retrieval and use. It is unsurprising, therefore, that information education has become a necessity in China, although only recently so.

In this era of advocating lifelong learning and the importance of knowledge and innovation, information literacy is essential. Learning to search for and use information, and learning to use the modern library, is especially important. Librarians, as educators, should remember the old adage that it is better to teach a man the art of fishing than to give him a fish. Teaching students to learn how to use information lays a strong foundation for their future lifelong learning. The library in China, as a place for collecting and disseminating human knowledge, is growing, paralleling the development of an information-driven human society. New technologies and new ideas must be applied to enrich the library and allow it to meet the needs of that society. It is not enough for a library simply to provide access to resources – it must instruct patrons in how best to find and use them.

Roles for academic libraries in information literacy instruction

As the information resource centers of universities, academic libraries should first focus on self-improvement in human and information resources, to strengthen the quality of information literacy education they can provide. The first step is building strong and relevant collections, which are essential for information education. Traditional libraries with no online access can no longer meet the instant information requirements of an increasing number of users. The fragmented infrastructure of traditional libraries faces severe challenges in the current networked environment. Overall planning with relevant and rational distributions of space should be the focus for academic library physical spaces. In collection development, a balance must be achieved and maintained between “quality” and “quantity.” Resources...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 30.6.2013
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Sprach- / Literaturwissenschaft
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Kommunikation / Medien ► Buchhandel / Bibliothekswesen
• Themenwelt: Wirtschaft ► Betriebswirtschaft / Management ► Wirtschaftsinformatik
• ISBN-10: 1-78063-356-4 / 1780633564
• ISBN-13: 978-1-78063-356-5 / 9781780633565