Work is not play

Bibliographic instruction has evolved from classroom sessions to present‐day online tutorials that range from brief Web pages to fully‐functional distance‐learning modules. Though libraries use a variety of tools (video clips, games, built‐in quizzes, guided screen capture, cross links, etc.) to create engaging tutorials for bibliographic instruction, the dullness and complexity of the subject‐matter ensures that most tutorials will be little used. The author suggests that the best online bibliographic instruction may use a format already familiar to computer users – an extensive, searchable set of frequently asked questions and their answers.