Initial IT training in Departments of Information and Library Studies in the British Isles: a survey of student views

Abstract

A survey of 732 students at twelve Departments of Information and Library Studies (DILSs) measured their experience in the office-automation skills of typing, word-processing, spreadsheets and databases, their assessment of their knowledge and confidence with computers, the level of Information Technology (IT) provision, their preferences in software and hardware and method to complete assignments, and whether their IT training was suitable for their future employment requirements.

DILSs are recommended to provide keyboarding learning facilities, and a more rigorous IT knowledge test to ascertain better their students' actual needs. The use of integrated packages may provide a more suitable level of IT training than industry-standard packages.