Integrating Library Research Skills into the BSW Curriculum via E-Mail

ABSTRACT

Junior level social work students were found to have a limited understanding of, and familiarity with, library technology. A class listserv created to facilitate student discourse in Practice I was found to be a successful medium for integrating information on library skills and technology. A social work librarian participated on the listserv for the purposes of familiarizing students with the role of reference librarians, introducing information on library research skills and developing student-librarian relationships. Pre- and posttests reveal that student understanding and usage of library technology increased over the semester in which library and technology instructions were provided. Other potential uses of e-mail are addressed.