Myths About Libraries & Library Research

Abstract

With all the technology pouring into libraries over the last ten years, bibliographic instruction has been virtually transformed into database instruction. We no longer teach students how to find books in the card catalog or use Humanities Index to find journal articles. Instead we show them how do keyword searches with Boolean operators in the OPAC, and we introduce them to general and specialized databases to find articles. So when I was asked to talk about the library to a first year study skills class in a classroom that had no computer access, I momentarily found myself at a loss. I certainly didn’t want to bore them with statistics, floor plans, and a detailed explanation of the Dewey Decimal System. Instead, I asked myself what kind of basic information might benefit students coming to the library to do research for the first time? And perhaps more importantly, what misinformation might be damaging their efforts and increasing their frustration? In answer to these questions, I came up with five myths about libraries and library services which can cause students to form attitudes and expectations that sabotage their library experiences.