Topics and Features of Academic Medical Library Tutorials

ABSTRACT

In a 2007 study, librarians at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Library examined freely available online tutorials on academic medical library Web sites. The team identified tutorial topics, determined common design features, and assessed elements of active learning in library-created tutorials; the team also generated a list of third-party tutorials to which medical libraries link. This article updates the earlier study, describing changes and trends in tutorial content and design on medical libraries' Web sites; the project team plans to continue to track trends in tutorial development by repeating this study annually.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic medical libraries
• computer-assisted instruction
• interactivity
• screencasting software
• screen recording software
• tutorial
• user education
• Web sites

Notes

*Some tutorials were created using more than one type of software. In these cases, each software product was counted, so the total number was 737 instead of 684.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rozalynd P. Anderson

Rozalynd P. Anderson, MLIS ([email protected]) is Assistant Director for Education & Outreach at University of South Carolina School of Medicine Library, 6311 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.

Steven P. Wilson

Steven P. Wilson, MLIS, MA in English Literature ([email protected]) is Coordinator of the Center for Disability Resources Library at University of South Carolina School of Medicine Library, 6311 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.

Felicia Yeh

Felicia Yeh, MLIS ([email protected]) is Assistant Director for Collections Management at University of South Carolina School of Medicine Library, 6311 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.

Betty Phillips

Betty Phillips, MLIS ([email protected]) is Education and Outreach Specialist at University of South Carolina School of Medicine Library, 6311 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.

Mary Briget Livingston

Mary Briget Livingston, MLIS ([email protected]) is Systems Librarian at University of South Carolina School of Medicine Library, 6311 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.