How to Design a Short Term Course for Library Users

[Dr.K.Nagaraju]

Dear professionals,, I am seeking your valuable guidance /opinions/suggestions regarding designing a short term course for library users.

As per the new regulations of UGC  Assessment Criteria and Methodology for Librarians, the college Librarian has to (v)Design and offer short-term courses for users. ( Page no 110)... 

I request suitable topics and how to proceed to introduce such short term courses in colleges.

Thanking you

Nagaraju

[Siddhartha Shankar Ray]

Dear Sri Nagaraju,

Thanks for your post.

On the very onset, I must confess that I am not suggesting any specific course for your help, I am rather indicating to some issues where you can develop the idea to prepare one.

First, check your clients' approach and what are their demands and how you can satisfy them. The items in your disposals are (a) Resources & (b) Access. Practically speaking, everything you should plan should be based/devised mostly (but not solely, at times) upon users' needs.

In this regard, you can first do some "house keeping jobs"  that is to organize your resources in a helpful sequences This is termed as KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION in present jargon!!  Here you can introduce the students (& teachers alike) how to find a particular document.

You can prepare an OPAC ( Catalogues are things of by-gone days) and introduce trainings for searching the database.

As a part of your "Collection Development Policy" ('Acquisition' is an ancient terminology!) you can subscribe some journals and books for general knowledge and  those meant for competitive examinations for jobs & higher educations. If the materials are in soft copies, you may initiate a workshop for searching of the materials,

In case your students are given "project work" as part of teaching process and you have subscribe to some databases,  searching the databases effectively is an important issue. You can organize trainings for  database searching, how to identify the key words and use of Boolean logic, truncated search etc. For young new comers, you can initiate hands-on practices for working with computers if need be. And most importantly how and why not to "Solely Rely/Depend" on internet for proper information & references etc.

Hope I could explain your query.

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta

the students

[Dr.K.Nagaraju]

Sir...  thank you so much for your comprehensive response. The activities you mentioned are really useful to design a course. I try my best by following your valuable guidance,

Nagaraju

[SHIVA KANAKALA]

Dear Sir,

Development of Digital Library for College .

[Munesh Kumar]

Dear Sir,

Libraries are the dependent bodies may be on an academic or syllabus, or research activities or accountable to the public need in case Public Library. As I can understand you are working for an Academic Library and query is related to the same.

I have few points herewith which may help you in designing the learning chart and content of the short-term course:

1. Library (all about, access, classification, cataloguing, shelving system, rules and regulations etc.)
2. Coursewise recommendation of books, supplement reading, MOOCs tutorials, and sources to obtain.
3. Online learning, MOOCs, YouTube Channels are to may be introduced for extra lectures.
4. Effective use of the internet in finding the information. Authentic and scholarly sources.
5. Understanding and knowledge of website licensing, credits and use policy so that the user's community could buildup the potential for research in future.
6. Useful software for computer, laptops and for mobile learning apps.
7. Similarly, for higher classes research, design and analytics software and source may be introduced.
8. Generally, student and people use pirated software, introduce open source and free software for them to be right and authentic users.

It is my suggestions and ideas on your query. In case any ambiguity or clearances sought, please let me know.

Thank you. 

[Dr.K.Nagaraju]

Thank you Munish Sir for your response and useful points to design a Short term course for Academic library users.

Nagaraju