A new course has recently been added to the WebJunction Illinois Course Catalog - Online Research Strategies for Librarians. Following are the description and learning objectives for the course.

Course Description

Increasingly, libraries have become the “go-to” place for help with all kinds of things. Because you are the librarian, people expect you to either have all the answers, or to at least know where to find them.

This course will provide you with some of the tools to help you do this and do it well. You will learn how to use search engines effectively, so that the results are both relevant and reliable. You will learn how to identify what is and what isn’t a reliable source of information.

The tips and techniques shared in this course will make you an even more effective librarian, better able to respond to patron requests for help.

Learning Objectives

In this course, you will:

• Learn how to prepare yourself and your library resources to better respond to questions posed to staff members every day.
• Create lists of reliable online resources to use with frequently asked questions.
• Learn how to evaluate online information sources, and to decide which Web sites you can trust as authoritative and reliable sources of information.
• Learn skills to pass along to your patrons, in either formal or informal workshops offered at your library.
• Get an overview of copyright issues, and understand why you need to be aware of this.
• Hear about ways to continue to improve your own skills, to keep up-to-date on the ever-evolving online world of research and learning.

To enroll in the course, visit WebJunction Illinois, click on the IL Course Catalog tab and then explore the “Reference and Information Resources” link under the “Library Services” topic. You must be a registered user of WJIL to enroll in this course for free.