The document discusses the transition from traditional library research instruction to instruction focused on using the Summon discovery tool. It describes how pre-Summon classes focused on teaching students to search individual library databases to find specific sources, while post-Summon classes teach students how to critically evaluate search results and engage with different scholarly formats uncovered through a single search. The document also notes the debate around whether users should have to learn library systems or if systems should be intuitive to use.

1. Cambridge University Library
Summon – a game of 2 halves
Emma Coonan, Research Skills & Development Librarian
Cambridge University Library
Isla Kuhn, Deputy & Reader Services Librarian
Cambridge University Medical Library

2. Cambridge University Library
From ‘finding’ to ‘decoding’:
a Summon before-and-after snapshot
Emma Coonan, Research Skills & Development Librarian
Cambridge University Library

3. Before and after Summon
2011: ‘How to find things on your reading list’
2012: ‘How to decode your reading list’

4. The „reading list‟ session
• First step in modular Research Skills provision
• Target audience:
o students in directed learning phase
o newcomers to Cambridge library system
• Essay writing rather than extended research
• Tracking down known items, not discovering
‘unknown unknowns’

5. 2011: „How to find things ...‟
Aims
• To discover how to decipher your reading list
• To learn how to find incomplete references
• To find out where to search for what
• To save yourself time and energy in getting to the sources
you need
‘Phrenology’ by dylan17, flickr.com CC BY-NC 2.0

6. 2011: „How to find things ...‟

7. 2012: „How to decode ...‟
Learning outcomes
• understand reading list structure and purpose
• know how to critically evaluate a reading list
• understand the various material formats
• recognise and reconstruct incomplete references

8. 2011: „Where to search for what‟ handout

9. 2012: Guide to major scholarly formats

10. 2011: System does not match user expectations
Tip: if you‟re being asked
to read a chapter, you
need to look up the book
title on LibrarySearch
Davidson, D., ‘Locating literary language,’
in Literary Theory after Davidson, ed. Reed
Way Dasenbrock (University Park:
Pennsylvania State UP, 1993)

11. 2012: Engaging with the found material
Beware of “white rabbits”
- ideas and arguments that lead
away from your topic
• Maintain your critical distance from the text
• Keep asking: how does this contribute to my
understanding/my argument/my essay/my research?

12. Cambridge University Library
Summon – the other side of the coin
Isla Kuhn, Deputy & Reader Services Librarian
Cambridge University Medical Library

13. Dave‟s Law
users should not have to become
mini-librarians in order to use the library
http://www.daveyp.com/blog/archives/1800

14. But in the words of Ben Goldacre…..
"I think you’ll find it’s a bit more
complicated than that…"
http://www.badscience.net/2008/12/i-think-youll-find-its-a-bit-more-
complicated -than-that-and-other-excellent-christmas-gifts/

15. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-20014/Back-pain-Just-ignore-it.html

16. Advice to rest in bed versus advice to stay active
for acute low-back pain and sciatica.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007612.pub2/abstract

17. 1. clinical trial.pt. 24. or/13-23 46. exp Bed Rest/
2. randomized.ab,ti. 25. exp Spine/ 47. bed rest.mp.
3. placebo.ab,ti. 26. discitis.ab,ti. 48. or/39-47
4. dt.fs. 27. exp Spinal Diseases/ 49. 24 or 38
5. randomly.ab,ti. 28. (disc adj degeneration).ab,ti. 50. 12 and 49
6. trial.ab,ti. 29. (disc adj prolapse).ab,ti. 51. 48 and 50
7. groups.ab,ti. 30. (disc adj herniation).ab,ti.
8. or/1-7 31. spinal fusion.sh.
9. Animals/ 32. spinal neoplasms.sh.
10. Humans/ 33. (facet adj joints).ab,ti.
11. 9 not (9 and 10) 34. intervertebral disk.sh.
12. 8 not 11 35. postlaminectomy.ab,ti.
13. dorsalgia.ab,ti. 36. arachnoiditis.ab,ti.
14. exp Back Pain/ 37. (failed adj back).ab,ti.
15. exp Low Back Pain/ 38. or/25-37
16. backache.ab,ti. 39. exp activities of daily living/
17. (lumbar adj pain).ab,ti. 40. activities of daily living.tw.
18. coccyx.ab,ti. 41. day to day activ$.ti,ab.
19. coccydynia.ab,ti. 42. daily activit$.ti,ab.
20. exp Sciatica/ 43. ordinary activit$.ti,ab.
21. sciatica.ab,ti. 44. normal activit$.ti,ab.
22. spondylosis.ab,ti. 45. stay$ active.ti,ab.
23. lumbago.ab,ti.

18. Horses for courses?
Postgraduate
vs
Undergraduate
Known Knowns (eg reading lists)
vs
Unknown Knowns (eg self-directed research)
Just enough
vs
Everything
But……

19. PUBMED MATHSCINET
GEOref JSTOR CINAHL FACTIVA
SCOPUS ARTstor ERIC LEXIS NEXIS
SUMMON

20. Thank you
Isla Kuhn
Cambridge University Medical Library
ilk1@cam.ac.uk / @ilk21
www.slideshare.net/ilk21/jibs-2013-summon
Emma Coonan (in absentia)
Cambridge University Library
Emma.Coonan@lib.cam.ac.uk / @LibGoddess
www.slideshare.net/LibrarianGoddess/before-and-after-summon