- Email: [email protected]
The use of electronic information sources by Israeli college students
PERSPECTIVES ON . . . ●
The Use of Electronic Information Sources by Israeli College Students by Shifra Baruchson-Arbib and Frida Shor
I
srael regards the development of information networks and the teaching of information literacy as one of the nation’s most important educational goals. Israeli institutions of higher education have a major role in implementing this goal1 and in promoting access to advanced electronic information technology and information resources (e.g., the national online catalog known as Aleph, CD-ROM databases, and the Internet). As a result, there are questions about both the extent to which students use these resources and the factors that affect the frequency with which they use them. The establishment of colleges in the mid-1990s by independent private organizations and public universities is a new phenomenon in the Israeli educational system. Until that time, Israeli high school graduates had seven main universities from which to choose. The purpose of these colleges was to make higher education available to a broader population that was not accepted into the universities Thirteen colleges received accreditation from the Israel Council of Higher Education to issue baccalaureate degrees. The colleges recognized the need to provide their students and faculties with modern libraries equipped with advanced computers, databases, and information-retrieval systems. The librarians at these institutions work with a heterogeneous population of students: religious and secular; Jews and Arabs; urban and rural residents; and new immigrants, especially from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia. One of the main tasks of Israel’s Ministry of Education is to familiarize these different groups of students with advanced information technology to provide them with the necessary tools to be modern researchers who can function independently and be equal members of the information society.2 This article examined the frequency of use of electronic information sources (EIS) at Ariel College, one of Israel’s largest colleges. To determine whether the educational system’s efforts to provide electronic equipment are indeed achieving their purpose, this article also investigated the factors that can increase EIS use.
Shifra Baruchson-Arbib is Associate Professor, Department of Information Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel ⬍[email protected]⬎; Frida Shor is Library Director, Ariel College, Ariel 44837, Israel ⬍[email protected]⬎.
The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Volume 28, Number 4, pages 255–257
LITERATURE REVIEW Beginning in the mid-1990s, Israeli academic research began to focus on a variety of factors that affect patterns of information use in the country’s educational institutions. The research so far, however, is quite preliminary and does not enable us to reach conclusions about factors that improve EIS use. Among the first studies is one by Snunith Shoham that discusses the information-seeking behavior of Israeli faculty members during 1994-1995. She found some differences between disciplines, but professional periodicals remain the most important resource for obtaining information. Faculty members also rely on colleagues in their departments as a way to obtain information.3 In 1997, Gloria Hammerschlag and Moshe Izhaki studied patterns of EIS use among Israeli medical researchers. One of their finding was that age is an important factor in EIS use. Medical researchers older than the age of 40 made less use of EIS than did their younger colleagues. At the time of the study, most of the researchers made minimal use of electronic periodicals (30.8%) compared to printed ones (69.2%). Medical researchers who thought they had good mastery of the Internet made frequent use of online information sources.4 A central issue related to the development of EIS use in Israel is the extent of students’ exposure to technological innovations in high school. In 1996-1997, Leah Ben-Tovim explored this issue based on a sample of 10% of the nation’s high schools. Most of these schools had computers, although they were initially designated for library management. About half of the schools maintained CD-ROMs, and 18.6% had Internet access. Computers use per day averaged 1.25 hours for teachers and almost four hours for students.5 Although today more schools provide Internet access, Michal Bibi’s study shows that the situation has improved only slightly.6 A study by Rachel Livne found that, to encourage effective use of information sources, bibliographic guidance in the form of a special course was needed. High school students who received such guidance conducted more systematic searches and used more information sources than students who did not receive guidance.7 EIS use patterns of students at Oranim College in northern Israel were also investigated. In Rachel Rabinovitch’s study young people used CD-ROMs more easily than did adults (36⫹ years old), and there was no disparity between women and men. Both male and female users who had a computer at home were more skilled at using databases, and most of these users in college turned to librarians for practi-
July 2002 255
cal guidance.8 Dalia Avigdori found in Jordan Valley College that younger people were more conversant with computer use than were older (36⫹ years old) people. In Avigdori’s study no differences emerged between those from different cultural backgrounds, whether Russian, Arabic, or Hebrew speakers. Most of the users turned to a librarian for assistance. There were disparities between those from different disciplines: students from computer science (80%) usually began a bibliographic search with the computer; 73.6% of the social science students did the same, whereas only 54.3% of humanities students did so.9 Additional studies have investigated the influence of social stratification on patterns of EIS use. In 1988, Irit Getz found that high school students from urban centers use more complex, extensive information searches than do those from rural areas.10 Focusing on the religious sector, Miriam Hiller-Daum investigated EIS use in hesder yeshivas (rabbinical schools that integrate army service and religious studies) and in ultra-Orthodox yeshivas. Whereas the hesder yeshivas accepted the use of Judaica databases, the slow development of EIS use among the ultra-orthodox yeshivas is attributed to a reluctance to use non-print religious sources.11
PROBLEM STATEMENT This study examined EIS use among students at Ariel College, where the college library provides the students with advanced information technology resources. It addresses the following research questions: “What is the frequency of EIS use?” “Which information resources (the Internet, CD-ROM databases, or Aleph) do students prefer?” and “What are the basic factors that increase or decrease EIS use?” Factors refer to prior knowledge in computer use, library instruction, faculty encouragement, and field of academic study. The answers to these questions will help elucidate how the efforts and investments of the educational system impact the EIS use among college students.
PROCEDURE The study was conducted during the years 1999-2000 among 10% of the 2,700 students studying for B.A. degree. A survey was distributed randomly to the 270 students, and all of them responded; however, some did not answer each question. Eighty-two students (30.4%) were from the natural sciences, and 172 students (63.7%) were from the social sciences. Sixteen students (5.9%) did not indicate their area of study.
Table 1 Breakdown of the Use of Different Types of EIS Type of EIS
No. of Respondents
Percentage
Do not use EIS
84
31.1
Internet
78
29.0
Aleph catalog
20
7.4
8
3.0
Internet and databases
12
4.4
Aleph catalog and Internet
10
3.7
2
0.7
16
5.9
Databases
Aleph catalog and databases All the sources together Did not respond Total respondents
40
14.8
270
100
not answer. Through T-test analyses, it was found that those with prior knowledge tend to use EIS significantly more than those with minimal prior knowledge (t(df ⫽ 268) ⫽ 2.8, p ⬍ .05). The study also examined whether library instruction affected the degree of EIS use. A total of 82.1% of the respondents had not received instruction, whereas 17.9% had. T-test analysis showed that those who had received instruction used EIS more than those who had not (t(df ⫽ 268) ⫽ 4.37, p ⬍ .05). Considering the effect of lecturer encouragement, it was clear that students that use EIS more frequently are those that were encouraged by their lecturers (t(df ⫽ 268) ⫽ 2.84, p ⬍ .05). As for the effect of area of study, for natural sciences and social sciences there was no significant difference on EIS use (t(df ⫽ 268) ⫽ ⫺1.06, p ⬎ .05). In a two-way analysis of variance, a significant interaction was found between prior computer knowledge and the area of study (F(1, 248) ⫽ 4.64, p ⬍ .05). Students in the social sciences who had prior knowledge used EIS more frequently than those without prior knowledge. This phenomenon did not occur among students in the natural sciences. Both those with and without prior knowledge used EIS equally. A significant interaction was also found between the degree of the lecturer’s encouragement and the frequency of EIS use in these two areas of
FINDINGS Almost one third of the respondents (31.1%) do not use EIS at all, and a small percentage (14.8) uses EIS several times per week. Twenty percent use EIS once a week, and the rest less frequently. The main EIS used is the Internet (43%), followed by Aleph (17.7%) and CD-ROM databases (14%); only 5.9% of the respondents used all the EIS together (see Table 1). As shown in Table 2, students use EIS for academic purposes (prepare for examinations and research papers) or personal purposes (e.g., e-mail, chat sessions, and computer games). To determine whether their knowledge of computers influenced EIS use, students were asked about their prior computer knowledge. In response, 50.4% claimed that they were knowledgeable, 48.9% said that they were not, and 0.7% did
256
The Journal of Academic Librarianship
Table 2 Purposes for Which EIS Was Used Purpose Academic
No. of Respondents 110
Percentage 40.7
Personal and academic
46
17.0
Personal
28
10.3
Does not use EIS
84
31.1
Did not respond
2
0.7
Total respondents
270
100
study (F(1, 202) ⫽ 22.82, p ⬍ .001). Lecturers who encouraged their students to use EIS particularly affected students in the natural sciences. In the social sciences, however, faculty encouragement had no influence on frequency of use. Considering the influence of library instruction, no significant interaction was found with the area of study (p ⬎ .05).
DISCUSSION The Israeli educational system still needs to make a special effort to develop further EIS use among college students, both through increased library instruction and through faculty encouragement. The current situation, in which almost one third of the students do not use EIS at all, indicates that the EIS available in the library are not being properly exploited. Not surprisingly, the most popular tool is the Internet because some students have access from home. That 14.8% of the respondents did not answer the question about the use of different types of EIS may indicate that they do not know or distinguish among different EIS sources. That the primary users are those who have a computer background and received library instruction and lecturers’ encouragement shows that the process of assimilating the tools requires deliberate planning by the college administration in collaboration with the librarians and academic staff. Most of the students did not receive library instruction probably because it was not a compulsory course. In addition, the librarians may not be adequately aware of the important role of instruction in EIS use. In a Delphi study conducted at Bar-Ilan University from 1998 to 2000, 40 experts from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Israel predicted that the task of providing instruction will be one of the most important roles of the future librarians.12 The situation in Ariel College strengthen this assumption showing the great need for professional instruction. No differences emerged in this study between the disciplines of the natural and social sciences. However, the study found a disparity: social science students who had prior familiarity with the computer used EIS more than did students in the natural sciences. Likewise, natural science students who received encouragement from lecturers used EIS more frequently than their counterparts. The reason for this is not clear. If future studies reach similar conclusions, it may indicate that social science students are more independent, whereas natural science students need greater faculty encouragement and guidance.
CONCLUSION The dual role of today’s library in the modern college is to make contemporary research tools available and to provide instruction and encouragement for using these tools. To fulfill this role, institution administrations must invest resources both in obtaining the tools and in marketing them to students by increasing the number of library instruction courses. The more widespread the initiative of the administrations, librarians, and lecturers, the more use students will make of mod-
ern EIS. But, while preparing special EIS instructional courses, librarians must consider students’ prior computer knowledge and build customized instructional programs for students with different degrees of knowledge. It is also essential that faculty members involve themselves in planning these instructional programs. Schools of library and information science (LIS) should emphasize the teaching role in their curriculum to help ensure that future librarians are good teachers. The goal is to educate students and to make them into sophisticated, independent researchers. The implementation of this goal requires cooperation among the Israeli Ministry of Education, LIS schools, college administrations, and college librarians. Such collaboration will help further integrate the use of EIS in Israeli colleges and enable Israel to become an advanced information society.
NOTES
AND
REFERENCES
1. “Knesset Report: Israel Prepares the Information Age: Educating for Information Education,” Information and Librarianship 28 (1998): 21–26 (Hebrew). 2. Gad Gilber, “Universities and Mini-Universities,” Academia 7– 8 (2000): 12–15 (Hebrew). 3. Snunith Shoham, “Scholarly Communication: A Case Study of Israel Academic Researchers,” Journal of Librarianship and Information Science 30 (1998): 113–121. 4. Gloria Hammerschlag, “Patterns of Use of Electronic Media by Medical Researchers in Israel for the Purpose of Locating and Disseminating Information,” Master’s Thesis (Ramat Gan, Israel: Bar-Ilan University, 1997) (Hebrew); Gloria Hammerschlag & Moshe Izhaki, “Using Electronic Journals in Medicine,” Information and Librarianship 23 (1998): 5–16. 5. Lea Ben-Tovim, “Exposure of Students and Teachers to Computing and Databases in High School Libraries in Israel,” Master’s Thesis (Ramat Gan, Israel: Bar-Ilan University, 1997) (Hebrew). 6. Michal Bibi, “Patterns of Information-Seeking Behavior among High School Writing Final Papers,” Master Thesis (Ramat Gan, Israel: Bar-Ilan University, 2000) (Hebrew). 7. Rachel Livne, “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Bibliographic Instruction for Term Papers,” Master’s Thesis (Ramat Gan, Israel: Bar-Ilan University, 2000) (Hebrew). 8. Rachel Rabinovitch, “Patterns of Use of CD-ROM Databases in a College Library in Israel: A Case Study at Oranim College,” Master’s Thesis (Jerusalem: The Hebrew University, 1995) (Hebrew). 9. Dalia Avigdori, “Use Patterns of Databases in a Heterogenic Population: The Case of Jordan Valley College,” Master’s Thesis (Ramat Gan, Israel: Bar-Ilan University, 2000) (Hebrew). 10. Irit Getz, “Bibliographic Search of High School Students in Preparation of Final Projects” Yad La Kore 23 (1998): 29 – 47 (Hebrew). 11. Miriam Hiller-Daum, “The Use of Database for Retrieval of Information in Judaica in Higher Yeshivas,” Master’s Thesis (Ramat Gan, Bar-Ilan University, 1996) (Hebrew). 12. Shifra Baruchson-Arbib & Geni Bronstein, “A View to the Future of Library and Information Study Profession: A Delphi Study,” Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 53 (2002): 397– 408.
July 2002 257
The Use of Electronic Information Sources by Israeli College Students by Shifra Baruchson-Arbib and Frida Shor
I
srael regards the development of information networks and the teaching of information literacy as one of the nation’s most important educational goals. Israeli institutions of higher education have a major role in implementing this goal1 and in promoting access to advanced electronic information technology and information resources (e.g., the national online catalog known as Aleph, CD-ROM databases, and the Internet). As a result, there are questions about both the extent to which students use these resources and the factors that affect the frequency with which they use them. The establishment of colleges in the mid-1990s by independent private organizations and public universities is a new phenomenon in the Israeli educational system. Until that time, Israeli high school graduates had seven main universities from which to choose. The purpose of these colleges was to make higher education available to a broader population that was not accepted into the universities Thirteen colleges received accreditation from the Israel Council of Higher Education to issue baccalaureate degrees. The colleges recognized the need to provide their students and faculties with modern libraries equipped with advanced computers, databases, and information-retrieval systems. The librarians at these institutions work with a heterogeneous population of students: religious and secular; Jews and Arabs; urban and rural residents; and new immigrants, especially from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia. One of the main tasks of Israel’s Ministry of Education is to familiarize these different groups of students with advanced information technology to provide them with the necessary tools to be modern researchers who can function independently and be equal members of the information society.2 This article examined the frequency of use of electronic information sources (EIS) at Ariel College, one of Israel’s largest colleges. To determine whether the educational system’s efforts to provide electronic equipment are indeed achieving their purpose, this article also investigated the factors that can increase EIS use.
Shifra Baruchson-Arbib is Associate Professor, Department of Information Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel ⬍[email protected]⬎; Frida Shor is Library Director, Ariel College, Ariel 44837, Israel ⬍[email protected]⬎.
The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Volume 28, Number 4, pages 255–257
LITERATURE REVIEW Beginning in the mid-1990s, Israeli academic research began to focus on a variety of factors that affect patterns of information use in the country’s educational institutions. The research so far, however, is quite preliminary and does not enable us to reach conclusions about factors that improve EIS use. Among the first studies is one by Snunith Shoham that discusses the information-seeking behavior of Israeli faculty members during 1994-1995. She found some differences between disciplines, but professional periodicals remain the most important resource for obtaining information. Faculty members also rely on colleagues in their departments as a way to obtain information.3 In 1997, Gloria Hammerschlag and Moshe Izhaki studied patterns of EIS use among Israeli medical researchers. One of their finding was that age is an important factor in EIS use. Medical researchers older than the age of 40 made less use of EIS than did their younger colleagues. At the time of the study, most of the researchers made minimal use of electronic periodicals (30.8%) compared to printed ones (69.2%). Medical researchers who thought they had good mastery of the Internet made frequent use of online information sources.4 A central issue related to the development of EIS use in Israel is the extent of students’ exposure to technological innovations in high school. In 1996-1997, Leah Ben-Tovim explored this issue based on a sample of 10% of the nation’s high schools. Most of these schools had computers, although they were initially designated for library management. About half of the schools maintained CD-ROMs, and 18.6% had Internet access. Computers use per day averaged 1.25 hours for teachers and almost four hours for students.5 Although today more schools provide Internet access, Michal Bibi’s study shows that the situation has improved only slightly.6 A study by Rachel Livne found that, to encourage effective use of information sources, bibliographic guidance in the form of a special course was needed. High school students who received such guidance conducted more systematic searches and used more information sources than students who did not receive guidance.7 EIS use patterns of students at Oranim College in northern Israel were also investigated. In Rachel Rabinovitch’s study young people used CD-ROMs more easily than did adults (36⫹ years old), and there was no disparity between women and men. Both male and female users who had a computer at home were more skilled at using databases, and most of these users in college turned to librarians for practi-
July 2002 255
cal guidance.8 Dalia Avigdori found in Jordan Valley College that younger people were more conversant with computer use than were older (36⫹ years old) people. In Avigdori’s study no differences emerged between those from different cultural backgrounds, whether Russian, Arabic, or Hebrew speakers. Most of the users turned to a librarian for assistance. There were disparities between those from different disciplines: students from computer science (80%) usually began a bibliographic search with the computer; 73.6% of the social science students did the same, whereas only 54.3% of humanities students did so.9 Additional studies have investigated the influence of social stratification on patterns of EIS use. In 1988, Irit Getz found that high school students from urban centers use more complex, extensive information searches than do those from rural areas.10 Focusing on the religious sector, Miriam Hiller-Daum investigated EIS use in hesder yeshivas (rabbinical schools that integrate army service and religious studies) and in ultra-Orthodox yeshivas. Whereas the hesder yeshivas accepted the use of Judaica databases, the slow development of EIS use among the ultra-orthodox yeshivas is attributed to a reluctance to use non-print religious sources.11
PROBLEM STATEMENT This study examined EIS use among students at Ariel College, where the college library provides the students with advanced information technology resources. It addresses the following research questions: “What is the frequency of EIS use?” “Which information resources (the Internet, CD-ROM databases, or Aleph) do students prefer?” and “What are the basic factors that increase or decrease EIS use?” Factors refer to prior knowledge in computer use, library instruction, faculty encouragement, and field of academic study. The answers to these questions will help elucidate how the efforts and investments of the educational system impact the EIS use among college students.
PROCEDURE The study was conducted during the years 1999-2000 among 10% of the 2,700 students studying for B.A. degree. A survey was distributed randomly to the 270 students, and all of them responded; however, some did not answer each question. Eighty-two students (30.4%) were from the natural sciences, and 172 students (63.7%) were from the social sciences. Sixteen students (5.9%) did not indicate their area of study.
Table 1 Breakdown of the Use of Different Types of EIS Type of EIS
No. of Respondents
Percentage
Do not use EIS
84
31.1
Internet
78
29.0
Aleph catalog
20
7.4
8
3.0
Internet and databases
12
4.4
Aleph catalog and Internet
10
3.7
2
0.7
16
5.9
Databases
Aleph catalog and databases All the sources together Did not respond Total respondents
40
14.8
270
100
not answer. Through T-test analyses, it was found that those with prior knowledge tend to use EIS significantly more than those with minimal prior knowledge (t(df ⫽ 268) ⫽ 2.8, p ⬍ .05). The study also examined whether library instruction affected the degree of EIS use. A total of 82.1% of the respondents had not received instruction, whereas 17.9% had. T-test analysis showed that those who had received instruction used EIS more than those who had not (t(df ⫽ 268) ⫽ 4.37, p ⬍ .05). Considering the effect of lecturer encouragement, it was clear that students that use EIS more frequently are those that were encouraged by their lecturers (t(df ⫽ 268) ⫽ 2.84, p ⬍ .05). As for the effect of area of study, for natural sciences and social sciences there was no significant difference on EIS use (t(df ⫽ 268) ⫽ ⫺1.06, p ⬎ .05). In a two-way analysis of variance, a significant interaction was found between prior computer knowledge and the area of study (F(1, 248) ⫽ 4.64, p ⬍ .05). Students in the social sciences who had prior knowledge used EIS more frequently than those without prior knowledge. This phenomenon did not occur among students in the natural sciences. Both those with and without prior knowledge used EIS equally. A significant interaction was also found between the degree of the lecturer’s encouragement and the frequency of EIS use in these two areas of
FINDINGS Almost one third of the respondents (31.1%) do not use EIS at all, and a small percentage (14.8) uses EIS several times per week. Twenty percent use EIS once a week, and the rest less frequently. The main EIS used is the Internet (43%), followed by Aleph (17.7%) and CD-ROM databases (14%); only 5.9% of the respondents used all the EIS together (see Table 1). As shown in Table 2, students use EIS for academic purposes (prepare for examinations and research papers) or personal purposes (e.g., e-mail, chat sessions, and computer games). To determine whether their knowledge of computers influenced EIS use, students were asked about their prior computer knowledge. In response, 50.4% claimed that they were knowledgeable, 48.9% said that they were not, and 0.7% did
256
The Journal of Academic Librarianship
Table 2 Purposes for Which EIS Was Used Purpose Academic
No. of Respondents 110
Percentage 40.7
Personal and academic
46
17.0
Personal
28
10.3
Does not use EIS
84
31.1
Did not respond
2
0.7
Total respondents
270
100
study (F(1, 202) ⫽ 22.82, p ⬍ .001). Lecturers who encouraged their students to use EIS particularly affected students in the natural sciences. In the social sciences, however, faculty encouragement had no influence on frequency of use. Considering the influence of library instruction, no significant interaction was found with the area of study (p ⬎ .05).
DISCUSSION The Israeli educational system still needs to make a special effort to develop further EIS use among college students, both through increased library instruction and through faculty encouragement. The current situation, in which almost one third of the students do not use EIS at all, indicates that the EIS available in the library are not being properly exploited. Not surprisingly, the most popular tool is the Internet because some students have access from home. That 14.8% of the respondents did not answer the question about the use of different types of EIS may indicate that they do not know or distinguish among different EIS sources. That the primary users are those who have a computer background and received library instruction and lecturers’ encouragement shows that the process of assimilating the tools requires deliberate planning by the college administration in collaboration with the librarians and academic staff. Most of the students did not receive library instruction probably because it was not a compulsory course. In addition, the librarians may not be adequately aware of the important role of instruction in EIS use. In a Delphi study conducted at Bar-Ilan University from 1998 to 2000, 40 experts from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Israel predicted that the task of providing instruction will be one of the most important roles of the future librarians.12 The situation in Ariel College strengthen this assumption showing the great need for professional instruction. No differences emerged in this study between the disciplines of the natural and social sciences. However, the study found a disparity: social science students who had prior familiarity with the computer used EIS more than did students in the natural sciences. Likewise, natural science students who received encouragement from lecturers used EIS more frequently than their counterparts. The reason for this is not clear. If future studies reach similar conclusions, it may indicate that social science students are more independent, whereas natural science students need greater faculty encouragement and guidance.
CONCLUSION The dual role of today’s library in the modern college is to make contemporary research tools available and to provide instruction and encouragement for using these tools. To fulfill this role, institution administrations must invest resources both in obtaining the tools and in marketing them to students by increasing the number of library instruction courses. The more widespread the initiative of the administrations, librarians, and lecturers, the more use students will make of mod-
ern EIS. But, while preparing special EIS instructional courses, librarians must consider students’ prior computer knowledge and build customized instructional programs for students with different degrees of knowledge. It is also essential that faculty members involve themselves in planning these instructional programs. Schools of library and information science (LIS) should emphasize the teaching role in their curriculum to help ensure that future librarians are good teachers. The goal is to educate students and to make them into sophisticated, independent researchers. The implementation of this goal requires cooperation among the Israeli Ministry of Education, LIS schools, college administrations, and college librarians. Such collaboration will help further integrate the use of EIS in Israeli colleges and enable Israel to become an advanced information society.
NOTES
AND
REFERENCES
1. “Knesset Report: Israel Prepares the Information Age: Educating for Information Education,” Information and Librarianship 28 (1998): 21–26 (Hebrew). 2. Gad Gilber, “Universities and Mini-Universities,” Academia 7– 8 (2000): 12–15 (Hebrew). 3. Snunith Shoham, “Scholarly Communication: A Case Study of Israel Academic Researchers,” Journal of Librarianship and Information Science 30 (1998): 113–121. 4. Gloria Hammerschlag, “Patterns of Use of Electronic Media by Medical Researchers in Israel for the Purpose of Locating and Disseminating Information,” Master’s Thesis (Ramat Gan, Israel: Bar-Ilan University, 1997) (Hebrew); Gloria Hammerschlag & Moshe Izhaki, “Using Electronic Journals in Medicine,” Information and Librarianship 23 (1998): 5–16. 5. Lea Ben-Tovim, “Exposure of Students and Teachers to Computing and Databases in High School Libraries in Israel,” Master’s Thesis (Ramat Gan, Israel: Bar-Ilan University, 1997) (Hebrew). 6. Michal Bibi, “Patterns of Information-Seeking Behavior among High School Writing Final Papers,” Master Thesis (Ramat Gan, Israel: Bar-Ilan University, 2000) (Hebrew). 7. Rachel Livne, “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Bibliographic Instruction for Term Papers,” Master’s Thesis (Ramat Gan, Israel: Bar-Ilan University, 2000) (Hebrew). 8. Rachel Rabinovitch, “Patterns of Use of CD-ROM Databases in a College Library in Israel: A Case Study at Oranim College,” Master’s Thesis (Jerusalem: The Hebrew University, 1995) (Hebrew). 9. Dalia Avigdori, “Use Patterns of Databases in a Heterogenic Population: The Case of Jordan Valley College,” Master’s Thesis (Ramat Gan, Israel: Bar-Ilan University, 2000) (Hebrew). 10. Irit Getz, “Bibliographic Search of High School Students in Preparation of Final Projects” Yad La Kore 23 (1998): 29 – 47 (Hebrew). 11. Miriam Hiller-Daum, “The Use of Database for Retrieval of Information in Judaica in Higher Yeshivas,” Master’s Thesis (Ramat Gan, Bar-Ilan University, 1996) (Hebrew). 12. Shifra Baruchson-Arbib & Geni Bronstein, “A View to the Future of Library and Information Study Profession: A Delphi Study,” Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 53 (2002): 397– 408.
July 2002 257