Reflecting on Lesson 2: The Reference Process & Information Skills

Lesson two provided a wealth of information regarding the reference process and information skills.  The Riedling chapter really helped me better understand how the process worked.

Riedling broke the reference process down into three key elements: information, students and answers.  She then explained how it is up to educators and TL’s specifically to link students to information which will provide them with answers to their enquiries.  Riedling noted five steps in the reference process.  She began by stating that students have needs which evolve into questions.  These questions require answers.  IN order to find the answers, students must search for information.  Once information is accessed, it needs to be evaluated to ensure that it provides the accuracy necessary to answer the students’ original question.  Riedling description of the process helps simplify the enquiry learning process.  More importantly, she makes it clear that TL’s have a lot expected of them with regards to their role in the reference process.

I believe that having high expectations of the TL is very fair.  The TL is the face of the school library program.  If the library hopes to achieve its goals of fostering information literacy skills, then the TL must go out of their way to do their part.  TL’s should have a great deal of knowledge on a variety of topics.  Most importantly, a TL should have knowledge about the reference process and how they can best assist students.  I think that it is a given that TL’s should have good communication skills as their job revolves around helping students and answering their questions.  If a TL can not communicate well with students and staff, then they will always find promoting the library goals difficult.  The one expectation Riedling has of TL’s which may not be all that realistic is with regards to being patient.  While teachers and TLs should be patient when working with students, it is difficult to remain so when always at the beck and call of students.  If I was a TL, I would find keeping my patience very challenging!

Lesson two also focused on the importance of information skills.  As an educator, I believe it is important to foster information skills whenever possible.  In order for students to become lifelong learners and productive members of society, they need to be taught how to find, analyze, evaluate and express information.  I believe that this can be done by ensuring students have mandatory visits to the library.  This would allow the TL to explicitly teach information skills.  The TL could also reach out to students and staff by creating learning activities and lessons for teachers which would focus on and promote information skills.

This week’s lesson definitely helped me understand the reference process and realize the vital role that the how the TL plays in assisting with it and promoting information skills.