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This paper shares the results of semi-structured interviews with 30 community college librarians who have instruction duties. The interviews explored these librarians’ perceptions of students’ information literacy (IL) strengths and weaknesses as well as their views of students’ self-perceptions. Participants believe that students are confident in their ability to find information and are proficient in using technology to find information. Participants consider students’ overconfidence to be an IL weakness along with: not understanding the research process; being overwhelmed by information; and, in some cases, having poor reading comprehension skills. Views are mixed as to whether students’ IL skills vary based on their program of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent semi-structured interviews with 28 librarians and branch managers on the placement of social workers in public libraries revealed a need for library and information science (LIS) programs to better prepare students for their role as social service information providers and to provide models for working with and supervising social workers in the library. It is clear that libraries are experiencing increasing demands to respond to the social-service information needs that users bring to the library, and the importance of libraries to communities in times of uncertainty and crisis is clear. In response, some libraries are including social workers on staff, but this trend does not completely relieve librarians of the need to serve the public's social-service information needs. LIS students need to understand the professional boundaries of librarianship and social work and to develop the ability to feel confident in their interactions with users who have been traumatized, are in crisis, or are struggling with challenges such as the need for credible health information; home and food insecurity information; legal aid; access to the Internet for individuals and families from low-income situations; accessible adult education programs; and more. Interview participants offered a number of suggestions for how to incorporate social work concepts into LIS education and asked for several specific skills such as training in mental-health first aid, de-escalation techniques, and greater knowledge of social-service resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of a survey of heads of public library administrative units concerning their experiences with and perceptions of the employment of social workers. Among respondents, only six employed social workers. Among those who have not hired a social worker, fewer than half said that they were currently interested in hiring a social worker. Respondents revealed many issues that need to be considered, despite the many benefits that library administrators expect libraries to experience from adding a social worker to their staff. The top three reasons for not hiring a social worker are funding, licensure, and liability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impact of information and communications technology (ICT) use on rural child welfare practice using a technology‐in‐practice framework to derive the social structures that are instantiated by rural child welfare workers (CWWs) and to examine their agency as actors. ICT use was tracked, and interviews were conducted with rural CWWs who work with children and families to gain an understanding of and describe their day‐to‐day ICT use at the practice level. Findings demonstrate that CWWs enact social structures along four frames: bureaucratic structure, family centricity, ICT context and information–documentation culture. In terms of agency, CWWs not only are constrained by but also exert some influence on the social structures they enact through facilities (material resources), norms and interpretive schemes. These findings have implications for how ICT can be used to facilitate the CWW–client relationship and the need in rural areas for increased infrastructure to support CWWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching is a core role for librarians in academic contexts, although most librarians are not formally prepared to teach and encounter significant challenges in the role, including complex relationships with campus colleagues. The purpose of this research was to explore how community college librarians, an understudied population, understand their teaching role. Online interviews lasting fifteen to seventy-four minutes were conducted with thirty community college librarians who provide information literacy (IL) instruction. Participants were recruited by direct email invitation and were asked questions relating to their instructional practices. Interview transcripts were analysed qualitatively, with a specific focus on participants’ experiences of the teaching role. Participants reported positive relationships with students, and significant challenges in their relationships with disciplinary faculty and administrators. Their lack of formal preparation for the teaching role led to infrequent and informal assessment and evaluation practices. Pre-service education for the teaching role could be strengthened to provide librarians with the skill set and confidence to provide more effective instruction. Instructional quality is critical as the importance of IL is increasingly recognized as key to academic, workplace, and personal success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semistructured interviews were conducted with community college students in Florida and New York, two diverse states with robust community college systems, to explore their self-perceptions of their information literacy (IL) needs. Findings indicate that students value IL in their personal lives, their academic work, and their careers, though it means somewhat different things to them in each of those areas. They think of IL in terms of skills rather than threshold concepts, and they feel that the most important skill is finding information, followed by evaluating information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The trial YOURTREAT aims to compare the pragmatic, short-term psychotherapy Narrative Exposure Therapy for Children (KIDNET) with treatment as usual (TAU) for the treatment of young refugees in Germany. This update outlines changes made to the study protocol in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic with the aim of allowing the continuation of the clinical trial while ensuring the safety of the staff and the participants, maintaining methodological quality, and ensuring compliance with legal regulations.Methods: The major amendments to the original study protocol include (1) the possibility of using telehealth technology for the conduction of diagnostic and therapy sessions, (2) a reduction of the diagnostic set, and (3) an increased flexibility in the time frame of the study protocol.Discussion: The adaptations to the study protocol made it feasible to continue with the trial YOURTREAT during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the diagnostic set had to be shortened, the primary outcomes and the main secondary outcomes remain unimpaired by the amendment. Therefore, we expect the trial to provide evidence regarding effective treatment options for young refugees in Germany, a population that has received little scientific attention so far and has only very limited access to mental health care in the German health care system. In light of the current pandemic, which globally increases the risk of mental problems, the situation for young refugees is likely to aggravate further. Thus, the clinical and social relevance of the present trial YOURTREAT is even more important in these particular times.Trial Registration: German Clinical Trials Register (Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien; DRKS) DRKS00017222 . Registered on May 15, 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goals of this article are to promote the use of the experience sampling method (ESM) in library and information science education and research, by describing its origin in flow theory and demonstrating its use in a study of information and communication technology (ICT) use (i.e., electronic record-keeping systems, email, text messaging, social media, online meeting tools, apps) among rural child welfare workers. This article reviews the methodological considerations of ESM and demonstrates, step by step, how to structure such a study and approach data analysis. Findings, conclusions, and implications of the rural child welfare worker study are also reviewed. This paper will be of use in courses on theory, research, information behavior, information practices, technology adoption and use, and the assessment of information programs and services. It can be used to further orient students to theory, to help them make the connection between theory and method, and to promote critical thinking about research findings and conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The gap between service need and service provision for alcohol-related disorders is highest in resource-poor countries. However, in some of these contexts, local initiatives have developed pragmatic interventions that can be carried out with limited specialized personnel. In an uncontrolled treatment study, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, safety, costs and potential effects of an innovative locally developed community-based program (the Treatment Camp) that is based on an inpatient clinic that moves from community to community. Methods: Out of 32 treatment-seeking individuals 25 took part in the one-week Treatment Camp that included detoxification and counseling components. Re-assessments took place 5 and 12 months after their participation. We explored the course of a wide range of alcohol-related indicators, using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) as primary outcome complemented by a timeline follow-back approach and the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale. Additionally, we assessed impaired functioning, alcohol-related stigmatization, symptoms of common mental health disorders and indicators of family functioning as reported by participants' wives and children. Results: All alcohol-related measures decreased significantly after the Treatment Camp and remained stable up to the 12-month-assessment with high effect sizes ranging from 0.89 to 3.49 (Hedges's g). Although 92% of the participants had lapsed at least once during the follow-up period, 67% classified below the usually applied AUDIT cutoff for hazardous drinking (≥ 8) and no one qualified for the dependent range (≥ 20) one year after treatment. Most secondary outcomes including impaired functioning, alcohol-related stigmatization, symptoms of depression and indicators of family functioning followed the same trajectory. Conclusions: We found the Treatment Camp approach to be acceptable, feasible, safe and affordable (approx. 111 USD/patient) and we could obtain preliminary evidence of its efficacy. Due to its creative combination of inpatient treatment and monitoring by medical personnel with local mobility, the Treatment Camp appears to be more accessible and inclusive than other promising interventions for alcohol dependent individuals in resource-poor contexts. Effects of the approach seem to extend to interactions within families, including a reduction of dysfunctional and violent interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation examines experiences with and perceptions of information reported by first-year college students whose level of information literacy skill is known. Participants were identified as having either proficient or below-proficient information literacy skills based on an objective test of their abilities. Interviews were performed outside of a classroom or library context and were equally interested in imposed (school assignments) and self-generated (personal) information seeking. The study uses a phenomenographic approach to collect, categorize, and analyze transcripts from seventy-seven interviews. The resulting categories of description illustrate how conceptions of information mask and minimize the need for individuals to attain information literacy skills, the primacy of the Internet and people as information resources, limited interest in information quality, and differences in experience with and perceptions of information when imposed and self-generated contexts are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young adult information needs related to HIV/AIDS persist. However, in recent years, little has been written in either the research or the professional literature in library and information science about the HIV/AIDS information needs of youth. This article reports on a content analysis of young adult novels written in English between 1995 and 2005 that contain at least one character who is HIV positive or who has AIDS. The methods, definitions, and research questions replicate a study that assessed young adult novels published between 1981 and 1994 and bring the study forward by focusing on newer works and trends that have developed in this body of literature. While some of the problems identified in the previous study persist, in the current body of literature under study, improvements have been made in terms of providing more specific, usable, and personally relevant facts about HIV/AIDS for young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an exploratory study, interviews were conducted with fifteen librarians to learn about their perceptions of and experiences with the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Participants reported that they are implementing the Framework implicitly rather than explicitly, and their instruction has become more interactive and hands-on. A key strategy to success has been getting buy-in from other librarians and faculty. The participants have encountered a number of challenges in implementing the Framework, including time constraints within the one-shot model of instruction and resistance from some librarians and faculty who feel that the Framework is too highly conceptual to be practical for students, many of whom lack basic information literacy skills. Finally, participants indicated it is difficult to assess learning based on the Framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gerard Genette defines the "peritext" as those parts of a book that wrap around the book but are not part of the book proper. Such elements include the book jacket, title page, table of contents, foreword, glossary, index, and so on. These elements can serve various functions, and giving careful attention to these framing elements can enhance the reading experience. Sometimes these elements contain, or consist wholly of, images that help to promote reading of the book or provide supplemental information to that contained within the book proper. In this essay, we use Gross and Latham's peritextual literacy framework (PLF) as a means for investigating how peritextual images serve the promotional and supplemental functions as defined by the PLF of winners of the Young Adult Library Services Association's Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. We also employ Serafini's categories of representational, interpersonal, and compositional structures in examining how these images serve to arouse curiosity and to provide additional information that enhances the reading experience and invites readers to cross the threshold and enter the text proper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Queries the content of young adult novels pertaining to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), with reference to a study conducted on the issue. Definition of young adult fiction; Assessment of HIV characters in novels; Fears of protagonists concerning AIDS.

Abstract Findings from in-depth interviews with academic librarians reveal initial perceptions of the value of the new Association of College and Research Libraries ' Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education and information about individual experiences in implementing the framework into information literacy skills instruction. Fifteen academic librarians, recruited through the ILI-L listserv, participated in Skype interviews that averaged 50 min in length. Participants shared that the Framework has had an impact on their teaching, helps them to better articulate the role of the librarian and the concept of information literacy, supports collaboration with faculty, and presents new empirical research opportunities for academic librarians. At the same time, acceptance of the Framework by librarians has not been universal, implementing the Framework into one-shot information literacy instruction is difficult, and full implementation of the Framework may require a restructuring of how information literacy education is approached. Highlights • Respondents to a survey feel that using the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy has improved their teaching. • Respondents feel that the framework has improved their ability to articulate their role as information professionals. • Respondents feel that the framework opens a door for new research in the area of information literacy. • In working with colleagues, respondents have encountered resistance to the framework. • Faculty attitudes about information literacy can be an impediment to implementing the framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An online survey sent to the community of professional librarians in the United States who provide information literacy instruction in academic libraries provided insights into their practices and the challenges they face. Data include current pedagogical methods, client groups of focus, assessment and evaluation, marketing, instructional objectives, incorporating the new Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education into instruction, the role of technology in instruction, the importance of relationships with faculty and administrators, and a range of common challenges faced by instructional librarians. The survey results can help to identify best practices, to improve current practice, to compare practices across different contexts, and to inform preprofessional preparation of librarians who will become providers of instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The peritextual literacy framework (PLF) is a tool for accessing, evaluating, and comprehending the content of media using elements that frame the body of a work and mediate its content for the user. Paratextual elements are the focus of research in classification, bibliometrics, reader’s advisory work, and in studies of authorship and publication. However, paratextual theory is just beginning to be acknowledged in LIS. The PLF closes a gap in paratext theory by categorizing the functions of peritext into six types: production, promotional, navigational, intratextual, supplemental, and documentary. The PLF is unique that it provides both a framework for further research on peritext, as well as a pedagogical tool that supports teaching in the areas of information literacy, media literacy and analysis, critical thinking, reading, and media design and production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual assault is a prevalent, yet underreported and stigmatizing crime that disproportionately affects college-age students. The literature of Library & Information Studies does not currently address the ways in which survivors may seek information after an assault. Blending findings from Psychology and LIS, this study proposes the Information Seeking of Sexual Assault Survivors (ISSAS) model, which examines the seeking process through various stages of healing. The article concludes with directions for future research as well as insights on serving survivors within the academic library while being mindful of one's appropriate professional role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the first tier of a multi-tier research project, U.S. faculty from the School of Teacher Education and the School of Library and Information Studies seek to create synergies between teacher education and library initiatives in order to understand the best ways to encourage collaboration between teachers and librarians. This article discusses the results of an exploratory research project in which secondary teacher education coursework and library and information studies coursework were mapped to 21st century skills to investigate the ways in which preservice teachers and librarians are being prepared to collaborate and teach 21st century skills. Findings indicate that while some 21st century skills are covered in various courses throughout each preparation program, there is not a systematic approach for the teaching of 21st century skills in the preparation of future teachers and librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community colleges offer a unique context in higher education and yet specific guidance on implementing the ACRL Framework in community colleges is lacking. Semi-structured interviews with 30 community college librarians who had instruction duties explored the state of the implementation of the Framework in community colleges and the effect of the recent pandemic on information literacy instruction (ILI). The Framework is most lauded for its effect on the design and delivery of instruction, but its components mainly underpin ILI rather than being explicitly taught. The pandemic limited one-shot information literacy instruction but opened up opportunities for embedding librarianship in online courses. The value of this study lies in the potential for identifying opportunities for improving ILI in community colleges, based on a better understanding of librarians' attitudes and experiences of their instructional roles. Community college librarians with responsibility for ILI can be more fully supported when their instructional challenges are better understood. • Information literacy instruction practices in community colleges are understudied. • The ACRL Framework is reported to be useful in the design and delivery of instruction. • A diverse population, time limits, and faculty attitudes complicate the adoption of the ACRL Framework. • The complete ACRL Framework is rarely used in instruction. • COVID-19 decreased one-shots but offered new opportunities for embedded information literacy instruction online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Attaining Information Literacy Project has focused on identifying first-year college students with below-proficient information literacy skills, gaining an understanding of those students' self-views and perceptions of information literacy, gaining an understanding of their instructional experiences and preferences, and developing an intervention that will address their instructional needs. Focus groups were conducted with students with below-proficient skills to determine their instructional preferences. The findings from the focus groups indicate that students place a high value on personal relevance in the knowledge and skills they are learning, and they prefer a combination of demonstration and hands-on activities, interaction with the instructor and other students, and the availability of supplemental instructional materials in the form of handouts. In addition, they feel that incentives to participate in instruction are crucial and that a number of communication strategies are needed to advertise effectively the availability of instructional sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Over the course of three years, an educational intervention was developed to teach information literacy (IL) skills, change perceptions of IL, and to recalibrate self views of the abilities of first year college students who demonstrate below proficient information literacy skills. The intervention is a modular workshop designed around the three-step analyze, search, evaluate (ASE) model of information literacy, which is easy to remember, easy to adapt to multiple instructional situations, and can provide a foundation for building information literacy skills. Summative evaluation of the intervention demonstrates that students who attend the workshop see an increase in skills and awareness of information literacy as a skill set. Increases in skills, however, were not sufficient to move participants into the proficient range. While workshop participants were able to reassess preworkshop skills, skills gained in the workshop did not result in recalibrated self-views of ability. Like the development of skills, the recalibration of self-assessments may require multiple exposures to information literacy instruction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Analyze, Search, Evaluate (ASE) process model is one result of the three-year IMLS study, Attaining Information Literacy (AIL), which focused on developing interventions for students who test as below-proficient on an objective information literacy skills test. The ASE process model provides a three-step process that is easy to understand and remember and that can be used as the basis for a variety of information literacy (IL) interventions. It was developed in response to data provided by below proficient students in surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Both the ASE process model and the related AIL educational intervention were developed using iterative formative evaluation and underwent extensive summative evaluation. This article introduces the ASE process model and explains how it can be used in community and Junior colleges to prepare students for college-level work, entrance into the workforce, and self-directed learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the design and development of an educational intervention intended to improve information literacy skills based on research with first-year college students. The intervention was developed over the course of a three-year period, during which time grant funding was received from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), supporting the collection of research data on the learning needs of first-year college students who scored below proficient on a standardized information literacy test. A variety of empirical methods including tests, surveys, interviews, and focus groups were used to collect data. The resulting intervention is a modular session that can be used as a stand-alone presentation or incorporated into other information literacy interventions. The design of the intervention stresses three main research goals: orientation to information literacy as a skill set, improved ability to self assess skills, and the acquisition of at least one skill that demonstrates the utility of instruction. At the heart of the intervention is the three-step Analyze, Search, Evaluate (ASE) process model of information literacy, which is easy to remember, easy to adapt to multiple instructional situations, and can provide a foundation for building additional information literacy skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study replicates a previous study based on work in psychology, which demonstrates that students who score as below proficient in information literacy (IL) skills have a miscalibrated self-view of their ability. Simply stated, these students tend to believe that they have above-average IL skills, when, in fact, an objective test of their ability indicates that they are below-proficient in terms of their actual skills. This investigation was part of an Institute of Museum and Library Services-funded project and includes demographic data about participants, their scores on an objective test of their information literacy skills, and self-estimates of their ability. Findings support previous research that indicates many students come to college without proficient IL skills, that students with below-proficient IL skills have inflated views of their ability, and that this miscalibration can also be expressed by students who test as proficient. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intervention was developed for first-year community college students with below-proficient information literacy skills for the purpose of helping them gain an understanding of information literacy as a discrete skill set, develop a more accurate view of their own skill levels, and learn at least one skill they could apply in imposed and self-generated information-seeking tasks. Using an experimental design, the researchers conducted a summative evaluation of the intervention through pre- and post-intervention test scores, pre- and post-intervention tests, pre- and post-intervention surveys, post-intervention interviews with participants, and a debriefing with the intervention instructor. This paper focuses of the results of the post-intervention interviews. Those results suggest that students learned at least one skill from the intervention. The results are mixed as to whether they gained a greater understanding of information literacy as a skill set and whether they recalibrated their perceptions of their own information literacy skill levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation uses interview data on student conceptions of and experiences with interacting with information. In addition, student scores on the Information Literacy Test (ILT) provide data that allow for comparison of student perceptions to their level of information literacy as measured by a standardized test. A relational approach, informed by competency theory and the imposed query model, provide the framework for the study design and interpretation of the data. Findings reveal a general view of information literacy focused on product rather than process, a perception of achieving information skills on their own, a preference for people over other information sources, and an emphasis on personal interest as key to successful information seeking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Project GATE (Children's Access to and Use of Technology Evaluation), based on grades 4-8 children's responses from surveys, focus group participations, and observations in the Saint Louis Public Library, girls' attitudes toward computers and toward their skill level were equally as positive as those of their male counterparts. Girls differed little from boys in what they wanted to learn and how they used computers, with games the largest portion of observed computer use for both genders. Eighty-five parents queried by survey and ten by focus group responded very similarly about their children's attitudes and use. Juxtaposing this study with other contemporary research findings suggests that some former research results, as well as conventional wisdom about gender differences in relation to computers, no longer hold true for net-generation youth. The need for moving on beyond these already-addressed issues into more sophisticated analyses is established. The Project GATE study is unique in speaking to these gender-related questions in a public library setting. The results draw attention to the public library as a venue for studying informal use of computers and for self-generated information seeking and recreation, as well as homework-related use, in a gender-neutral environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Competency theory predicts a miscalibration between students'' self-assessments of their information literacy skills and their actual skill level. This study investigates whether such a disparity is evident among incoming freshmen who test as non-proficient on a standardized test of information literacy. In addition, this study analyzes Information Literacy Test scores and library anxiety test scores to provide preliminary data on whether library anxiety is related to information literacy skill attainment. Findings reveal that the relationship between information literacy skills and self-assessments predicted by competency theory are evident in the domain of information literacy. This study did not find an association between information literacy skill scores and total library anxiety scores. However, a significant negative correlation between information literacy scores and the subscale “knowledge of the library” indicates that as information literacy scores rise, anxiety scores related to a lack of knowledge of the library fall. The findings suggest that traditional information literacy instruction may not be effective with non-proficient students, who are unlikely to see themselves as needing or benefiting from such instruction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Alice Miller’s work provides a theoretical framework to assess the effects of child abuse and its relationship to the development of creativity, hatred, and violence in the novel Ender’s Game. Analysis focuses on the extent to which children are manipulated in order to meet the needs of adults, the presence of behaviors such as the repression of feelings and memories, the idealization of perpetrators, blind obedience to authority, and the expression of repressed feelings in destructive acts, and identification of a helping witness as predictors for the actions and outcomes in this story. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Assessing Quality in Digital Reference project is a first step toward understanding the cost of digital reference services in libraries. This article presents three measures isolated by project participants as being most useful for their immediate needs: total cost of providing digital reference service, the cost of digital reference service as a percent of the total reference budget, and the cost of reference as a percent of the total library or organizational budget. In addition, it reviews selected outstanding issues in the ongoing question of how to determine the cost of reference services in libraries and offers direction for further study toward a general cost model for information services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competency theory suggests that people who function at a low level of skill lack the metacognitive ability to recognize their own incompetence and are unable to accurately assess the skill levels of others. Therefore, they tend to overestimate their own abilities and to proceed with confidence as they develop awkward strategies and make poor decisions. Worse still, because the incompetent do not know they are incompetent, they may be unlikely to seek training or skill-remediation services. This article reviews competency theory and outlines how this theoretical perspective may allow for a new approach to research and practice in the area of information literacy instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes children''s use of networked technology in three branches of an urban public library. Direct observations of their use of computers and data gathered from brief interviews with them were recorded using personal digital assistants (PDAs). Findings suggest that (1) the largest proportion of children''s use of computers is for access to games, (2) use of computers for communication purposes (e.g., chat, e-mail, and word processing) is minimal, and (3) repeat use of the computers varies by branch. Grade level analysis reveals that middle school students access games less than elementary students do at two branches and that middle school students use the computers more than elementary students do for communication purposes. Overall, girls and boys use games, chat, and e-mail in comparable proportions. In other categories of use, there are gender differences but no consistent pattern emerges across branches. This investigation provides a first view of children''s unmediated use of technology in the public library, their reasons for using library computers, and provides baseline data for assessing the outcomes of technology programs and services developed by the library to serve the needs of this user group. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although outcome-based evaluation was routine in governmental and nonprofit agencies by 2002, it had not been systematically applied to the evaluation of children''s services in public libraries. At the same time, digital technology had grown commonplace in public libraries, with 94.5% of libraries providing Internet access to the public in the year 2000. This article examines various definitions and models of outcome-based evaluation; describes the lack of knowledge regarding children''s use of technology in public libraries, despite their majority status among users; and presents an original outcome-based evaluation model (the Project CATE model) developed to assess this use. Although this unique, dynamic, and interactive evaluation research model was conceived as a collaboration between the Saint Louis Public Library and the Florida State University School of Information Studies, it is designed to be transportable and applicable in a wide variety of assessment situations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper reports on work from two studies in progress related to assessing digital library reference services and developing standards that support such services. The paper suggests that two types of standards--utilization and technical--should be considered together in the costing, statistics, and measures for digital reference services. The digital reference community has the opportunity to embed quality standards and assessment data into software and infrastructure by linking utilization and technical standards early in the evolution of digital reference markets. Such an approach would greatly enhance the collection and analysis of a range of cost data related to digital reference service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A secondary analysis of a user survey administered in 13 public libraries examined user ratings of reference services by transaction type. Transaction type is defined dichotomously as self-generated (users transacting questions they have determined for themselves) or imposed (agent users in the library seeking information on behalf of someone else). Users with self-generated questions rated library services lower than did users with imposed questions. Both groups rated the library experience lower than their reference desk experience, and imposed queries were responsible for proportionately higher “first time” use of the reference desk. No significant difference existed between groups for ratings of finding useful information in the library, finding everything wanted in the library visit, frequency of library use, or levels of attained formal education. There were significant differences found for ratings of the reference librarian''s service behaviors, user satisfaction with reference service, and frequency of reference desk use. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Focuses on two books about child abandonment and murder. "The Giver," by Lois Lowry; "Shade's Children,' by Garth Nix.

Focuses on a study which examined the implications of the imposed query model that informs reference training. Types of classification of reference questions; Significance of imposer's ability to transfer the question; Features of imposed queries.

Focuses on the acquisition of information in behalf of someone else. Model of imposed query focusing on special characteristics and concerns; Impact of query on research and reference practice; Role of user's point of view in improving bibliographic systems and reference process; Imposed query as an existing concept but unnamed in the field.

Offers insight on the evaluation of library services, citing the impact of an information-seeking behavior model, and the imposed query, on current approaches to library service and system evaluation. Tools considered in the evaluation process; Exploration of the implications of the imposed query model; Suggestions for incorporating the imposed query model; In-depth look at the study.

Purpose: The main objective of this study was to gain insight into schoolbased speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') perspectives on and experiences with telepractice as a service delivery model at the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic. A better understanding of the facilitating and challenging factors that belie telepractice-based services will guide the creation of training and resource development to further support remote speech-language services in schools. Method: Four focus group sessions using a semistructured format were conducted with 22 school-based SLPs from 14 states in the United States. The focus groups provided an opportunity for SLPs to reflect on their telepractice experiences, including pros and cons, necessary knowledge and skills, factors impacting telepractice service delivery, and student and family participation. Inductive thematic analysis was used to describe the collective experiences and perspectives of the participants. Results: Three themes regarding telepractice emerged: technology use, locus of control for decision making, and student and family engagement. Participants reported experiencing a range of successes and challenges when attempting to meet students' needs and identified gaps in resources and school capacity for telepractice. Conclusions: The findings revealed how school SLPs experienced telepractice service delivery during the remote learning portion of the 2019-2020 school year due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study increases our understanding of factors that facilitated and challenged the effective delivery of speech-language services via telepractice. To assist SLPs in future telepractice efforts, implications for professional development and further research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Compared to the general German population, refugees in Germany are a high-risk group for trauma spectrum disorders. Currently, many barriers exist for the implementation of a screen-and-treat approach for mental disorders as part of the routine health care provision during the early stage of the immigration process. Objective: The aim of the present study was to develop and test a systematic screening approach to identify individual refugees in need of mental health care during the initial immigration phase. Method: 167 newly arrived refugees underwent a screening interview with the Refugee Health Screener (RHS) carried out by Intercultural Therapy Assistants (ITAs). The ITAs were super-vised by psychologists at a reception centre in Bielefeld, Germany. A subsample of 48 persons partici-pated in clinical validation interviews. Results: Findings demonstrated the need for and feasibility of a systematic screening during the initial immigration phase. However, established cut-off values of the RHS had to be adapted and the screening procedure had to be adjusted due to the needs of a significant number of refugees in severe psychological crises. Conclusion: A systematic screening that is applied shortly after arrival facilitates the early identification of refugees at risk of developing mental disorders and may be helpful to prevent chronic symptom development and an aggravation of psychological crises. A systematic complementary screening procedure during the initial immigration phase was found to be useful for the identification of refugees in need of mental health care. The procedure could be implemented both safely and efficiently in conjunction with the initial medical check-up for recently arrived refugees. Responding to the needs of the refugees immediately following their arrival in Germany, we adjusted the cut-off of the screening instrument and suggest to explicitly include a detection procedure for severe psychological crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An online survey in Florida and New York of community college librarians with responsibility for information literacy instruction provides a snapshot of instructional objectives and practices, including librarians' beliefs about students' information literacy needs, strengths, and weaknesses. Survey results point to the influence of the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework in the community college context, the challenges librarians face as they work to implement it, and their successes in doing so. These data reveal opportunities to support and improve instruction and to prepare future librarians to work successfully in community college contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]