Off to New Orleans

No question today - need to complete work on the presentation for all of you. Don't forget to bring example assignments and instructional materials (if you have them) with you. Looking forward to meeting you all on Friday!

Discussion Question 9: Federated Searching and Google Scholar

Many librarians see Google Scholar as a low cost alternative to expensive federated searching engines. Have you looked into Google Scholar or connected your holdings to it? What are the pros and cons of using Google Scholar for federated search?

Instructional Material Examples

If you have any examples of instructional materials (handouts, tutorials, web FAQs, etc.), please bring them to the preconference with you. We will be looking at examples from other schools.

Discussion Question 8: Federated Searching and Millennials

What are the characteristics of millennials when it comes to research? How do these traits make federated searching more/less appealing?

Discussion Question 7: Federated Search and the Reference Desk

How do you utilize federated search tools at the Reference Desk? Do you use them differently than you do in the information literacy classroom?

Discussion Question 6: Federated Search and CMS

Have you or has your institution used federated search to more fully integrate the library into your course management system? Describe what you have done.

Assignment/Integration Examples

In the preconference, we will be looking at some examples of successful lesson plan that have integarted federated searching. If you have any from your own experience, please feel free to post them here or to bring them to the preconference.

Discussion Question 5: Federated Searching Interface Design

What has your institution done to tweak the federated search user interface to make it easier to use and to alleviate any information literacy issues?

Discussion Question 4: Federated Searching in the Classroom

Are you teaching a federated search tool at your institution? If so, what have your experiences been (positive or negative)? What about your students - what have their reactions been?

Discussion Question 3: Federated Searching's Audience

What you limit teaching federated searching to a particular audience (in the college world, examples might be freshmen, undergraduates, graduate students, faculty)? Who do you think will benefit most from it?

Discussion Question 2: Federated Searching 's Effect

Do you believe federated searching will have a positive impact, negative impact, or no significant impact on student information literacy? Why do you believe this?

Discussion Question 1: Federated Searching Features

For those who offer access to a federated search product, what features do you find most useful and most frustrating about it?

Your Take on the Content

Below is a brief preliminary outline of what I will be covering in the preconference in New Orleans. Is there anything else in addition to what is noted here that you would like me to cover?

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BACKGROUND:

Climate
What students want (Millenials, Recent OCLC report); their research likes/dislikes
Competition from Google

Federated searching – the solution?
Definition, graphical representation

Examples of Fed search products

FEDERATED SEARCHING AND INSTRUCTION:

The Big Debate: Emerging Schools of Thought within Librarianship about Federated Search Products

ACRL INFORMATION LITERACY STANDARDS:

Examination of Info Lit Standards

Summary of Instructional Issues

Assessment of current federated searching technologies
Surveys of librarians, students

INTEGRATION PLAN:

Is federated searching meant to be targeted at a specific learning level? (i.e. freshmen, seniors, grad students, faculty)

Example goals of a federated search lesson

Introducing federated search into existing sessions
Lesson and Exercise Ideas

Instruction materials
Handouts, workbooks, tutorials

Library web site

User Interface issues impacting information literacy

Course Management Systems

Federated search at the Reference Desk

Bibliography of resources for further reading

Preliminary Survey

To assist me in crafting the content for this preconference, and to help me learn more about all of you, I have composed a brief web survey. Please take a moment to complete it. Results will be presented at in New Orleans.

Welcome to the ACRL Preconference Federated Search Blog

Welcome to the "Federated Search: How Do We Teach It?" blog. I've created this blog to offer you all a venue in which to start thinking about federated search products and their possible impact on patron information literacy instruction.

Over the next ten days I will be posting discussion questions which will directly relate to content that will be explored in the preconference. I hope you will be willing to add comments responding to these questions. You may participate as much or as little as you want.

Thanks for signing up for the preconference. I look forward to meeting all of you in New Orleans and continuing the conversation.