Library instruction as independent study: The summer enrichment program experiment at Iowa State University

The purpose of this study was to investigate student propensity to learn library use skills independently, as well as to determine whether learning was enhanced through the use of culturally oriented materials. Seventy‐nine participants of color were studied to measure the impact of such variables as independence, culturally centered exercises, and pass rates when using an independent study bibliographic instruction (BI) packet. All packets included the same library use concepts, half expressed as culturally centered, half as classical exercises. Of this number, 40 participants were given multicultural exercises; the other 39 were given classical examples. Within these two groups, 20 from each group were invited to use the services of a peer counselor for help with questions related to the exercises; the others were not offered this option (in order to test for independence). The opportunity to conduct this study resulted from the library's participation in the Summer Enrichment Program (SEP).