The University of California Libraries: A Plan for Development (1977)

106 The University of California Libraries
bring the library into the role of a more active participant in the
instructional process." 10 The success of this method and the enthu-
siasm with which the classes have been received appear to result from
two sources: first, classes "provide an effective way for covering a
lot of material for a lot of students" who cannot be reached as well
otherwise, and secondly, the classroom format is a familiar one to
students: "classes are, after all, the principal effort of most
academic institutions, students are accustomed to learning in this
way, and courses provide a structure and sequence for the learning
activity that differs materially" 11 from the orientation and point-
of-use instruction methods mentioned earlier.
The University of California libraries have been particularly
aware of, and concerned about, the need for such instruction, and
within the last few years formal courses have been established in one
form or another on almost every campus. As of 1977, the situation,
by campus, is as follows:
Berkeley. Bibliography I, a course sponsored by the UC Berkeley
School of Library and Information Studies, is the largest and oldest
program in the system. Pre-enrollment for the fall of 1976 numbered
almost 900 students, of whom approximately 369 were accommodated in
16 sections.
Davis. A three-unit course entitled "Introduction to Library
Research and Bibliography," developed by the library staff and sponsored
by the English Department, is taught by four librarians in two
sections. In addition, a course entitled "Biomedical Information
Retrieval" has been offered since 1967 by the Health Sciences Library
staff.
Irvine. A two-unit course called "Biblio-strategy," developed and
taught by librarians and sponsored by the Humanities Department, is in
its third quarter.
10 This is also a recommendation of the Carnegie Commission on Higher
Education, as pointed out in the Final Report of the LAUC Committee on
Library and Bibliographic Instruction, from which the quotation is
taken (p. 4).
11 Final Report of the LAUC Committee, p. 2.