Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of Google Forms in the university library instruction classroom. Librarians at the Richard J. Daley Library at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) began using Google Forms as a way of increasing active learning and as an instrument of formative assessment. The paper describes the information literacy context at the UIC and gives examples of best practices for using Google Forms in library instruction. Design/methodology/approach – The authors collaborated with other instruction librarians at their institution to develop Google Forms for use in library instruction sessions and used them primarily in sessions geared toward first-year students. Findings – Google Forms provides an easy and inexpensive way to incorporate both active learning and assessment in library instruction sessions. Students and faculty were receptive to their use in the library classroom. These early findings will be incorporated into the longer assessment study by the authors, currently underway. Originality/value – While Google Forms has heretofore been used in primary and secondary school settings, it is only now being more widely adopted for use by instruction librarians at the university level. This paper will be of value to those who wish to use Google Forms in library instruction in college and university settings, among others.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to compare two bibliography assignments completed after one-shot library instruction to determine which research skills first-year students retain over the course of a semester. Design/methodology/approach A rubric was developed for citation analysis of student-annotated bibliographies and final bibliographies. Each assignment was scored on a three-point scale, and four criteria were assessed: the quality of sources used, variety of sources used, quality of annotations (for first assignment only) and citation accuracy. Findings Students scored highest on the quality of sources used in both assignments, although there was a statistically significant decline in overall scores from the first assignment to the second. Students had the most difficulty with writing annotations, followed closely by citation accuracy. Students primarily cited journal articles in their annotated bibliographies and reference sources in their final bibliographies. Website use increased notably from one assignment to the other. Originality/value This research is unique in its analysis of two separate bibliography assignments completed by first-year students over the course of a semester. It is of interest to librarians teaching one-shot library instruction or any librarian interested in assessing the research skills of first-year students.

This article explores the one-shot library instruction model by asking critical questions about how it has become ubiquitous in the field. The authors developed these questions with the intent to understand how early-career librarians become acculturated to one-shots, how social identity and positionality shape instructional practices, its impact on burnout, equity, and sustainability, and how the one-shot could be reimagined. This article employs personal critical reflection as a methodology, using interviews with the team of authors and two external participants. Analysis of the interview data showed themes of organizational acculturation with one-shot training, empowerment/disempowerment to employ different instruction models, and the tension between the transactional and relational nature of library instruction. Through these reflections, the article advocates that a relational instruction model helps promote equitable, reflective teaching and learning experiences for librarians and students alike as a way to disrupt the tradition of the one-shot.

A Phase 2 clinical trial with Black Cohosh and Red Clover was conceived in 2000 within our UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplement Research on Womenʼs Health. Prior to implementing the trial, a Phase 1 study was required and approval from FDA that an IND application was not required since the end point being measured was reduction in hot flashes in menopausal women. Menopause, for purposes of FDA is not considered a disease. The study was delayed for more than a year in order to prepare a botanically authenticated and chemically and biologically standardized extract. It was ascertained that the biological endpoint for purposes of the study would be interaction with certain serotonin receptors, in vitro. The study preparations had to be formulated and were subjected to accelerated stability studies. During the recruitment of suitable subjects the results of the WHI (Womenʼs Health Initiative) caused difficulty in the ability to recruit suitable women since the study had four arms, i.e. Black Cohosh, Red Clover, Placebo and Prempro and many women were reluctant to enter the trial if there was a possibility that there would be taking Prempro. Because of this, only 88 subjects were recruited of the 128 initially planned. However, the study was powered sufficiently if the dropout rate was less than 15 %. In the final analysis, Red Clover was shown to positively affect cognition but neither test preparation reduced hot flashes. A discussion of these results will be presented.

Within the literature for library and information science (LIS) practitioners, there are a number of books published about information literacy and library instruction ranging from practical instruction cookbooks with activities and lesson plans, to books more focused on critical information literacy. Practitioners and students who are interested in reading about library instruction and teaching information literacy have many choices, but those who are new to the topic may not know where to start. Laura Saunders, an associate professor at the School of Library and Information Science at Simmons University, and Melissa A. Wong, an adjunct instructor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, wrote Instruction in Libraries and Information Centers: An Introduction as an open access textbook that is designed to teach and prepare anyone interested in library instruction, particularly library school students taking coursework in this area. For those who feel shy or intimidated about learning theory, Sanders and Wong take great care in breaking down each theoretical concept and providing ample examples throughout the book. The authors include reflective exercises that allow readers to pause and reflect on the reading. They make learning theory much more accessible and digestible to students and those who are new to these concepts. Each chapter provides the key theories and cites foundational scholarship in education and LIS; so, if there are particular areas that one might want to learn more about, they can explore the further readings. The book is organized into five sections: Introduction to Instruction in Libraries, Foundations of Teaching and Learning, Instructional Design, Teaching across Venues and Modalities, and Program Management. The introduction begins with a fascinating historical overview of library instruction, positioning librarians as teachers and explaining why library patrons have needed instruction on how to access and use library materials. Saunders and Wong then define information literacy, taking a historical approach and exploring how the definition has shifted over time, as well as its application in the libraries and archives field. They also take note of other movements in the field to discuss critical approaches to information literacy, how various professional organizations like AASL, ACRL, and IMLS have used information literacy to guide instruction librarians and how understanding patron perspectives of information literacy can also guide the work of teaching librarians. In the Foundations of Teaching and Learning section, Saunders and Wong lay out some of the fundamental learning and educational theories. They break down general learning