Time-Tested ERIC Bibliographic Instruction (BI): Give Them a Pole and Teach Them To Fish (Fiche).

This article outlines an Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) CD-ROM bibliographic instruction (BI) session at an academic library, which is intended to produce knowledgeable and competent ERIC searchers. The 1.5 hour lecture session includes: a basic introduction to the ERIC database; narrowing down a search topic; using the thesaurus and keyboard function keys; and formulating a search strategy, including Boolean logic and Venn diagrams. The lesson plan outline, search strategy form, and strategies for teaching students how to access ERIC are provided. Techniques and strategies things which have proven to be unsuccessful in previous BI sessions are discussed, including searching without development of a strategy, searching free-text, and walk-in BI clients. Commentary on what works in a BI session includes formal sessions, strategy development prior to searching, and use of the library's search form and ERIC thesaurus. An appendix contains the "ERIC Bibliographic Instruction Outline." (MAS)