Information Literacy Skills Retention Over the First Professional Year of Pharmacy School

Abstract

The authors aimed to determine if first-professional-year pharmacy students retain library literature search skills throughout the school year. Students (n = 61 consented) were given an identical seven-item quiz on basic library search skills prior to library instruction in the fall semester and at the end of the spring semester. There was no significant difference between median scores on the two quizzes, nor were any significant differences noted in subgroup analyses. Search competency may be retained to a higher degree if library instruction is moved later in the pharmacy curriculum when literature search skills are used more often.

KEYWORDS:

• Information literacy
• knowledge retention
• library instruction
• pharmacy instruction

Notes

*Comparing differences in mean quiz scores (Quiz 2 – Quiz 1) between groups.

*Comparing differences in mean quiz scores (Quiz 2 – Quiz 1) between groups.

*Comparing differences in mean quiz scores (Quiz 2 – Quiz 1) between groups.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Deborah Chiarella

Deborah Chiarella, MLS ([email protected]) is Coordinator, Education Services, and Senior Assistant Librarian, Health Sciences Library, State University of New York at Buffalo, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214-8033.

Tina M. Khadem

Tina M. Khadem, PharmD ([email protected]) is Postdoctoral Fellow

Jack E. Brown

Jack E. Brown, PharmD, MS, BCPS ([email protected]) is Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice & Administration Office; both at Wegmans School of Pharmacy, St. John Fisher College, 3690 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618.

Mark J. Wrobel

Mark J. Wrobel, PharmD ([email protected]) is Clinical Assistant Professor, Director PharmD Advisement, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, 272 Kapoor Hall, Buffalo, NY 14214-8033.