Crib Notes for Test Prep

Autor/in	Paulk, J. Sara
Titel	Crib Notes for Test Prep
Quelle	In: Library Journal, 134 (2009) 10, S.48-50 (3 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0363-0277
Schlagwörter	Information Needs; College Applicants; College Entrance Examinations; Aptitude Tests; Study Guides; Public Libraries; Certification; Test Preparation; High School Equivalency Programs; Vocational Education; ACT Assessment; General Educational Development Tests; Graduate Record Examinations; Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery; SAT (College Admission Test) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Information need; Informationsbedürfnis; College applications; Studienbewerber; Aufnahmeprüfung; Aptitude test; Eignungsprüfung; Eignungstest; Studienberater; Studienführer; Public library; Stadtbücherei; Öffentliche Bibliothek; Abschlusszeugnis; Zertifizierung; Ausbildung; Berufsbildung; Assessment; Hochschulzulassung
Abstract	Over the past year, libraries have made the national news owing to soaring public usage driven by tough economic times. Much of this increased traffic stems from patrons coming to their local branches to use resources that will help them improve their chances at employment. While some demand practical job-hunting and career materials to help them land a job immediately, other customers seek study guides for standardized or certification tests as they decide to go back to school to further their education for career advancement or to make a vocational change. In these recessionary times, budget-strapped libraries will have to determine users' primary information needs before selecting the appropriate resources. Patrons who never finished high school want guides that help them prepare for the GED (General Education Development), a test substitute for a high-school diploma, while those interested in enlisting in the U.S. armed forces must study for the required ASVAB exam (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery). College applicants have to take the ACT (American College Test) or SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), and those going to graduate school are likewise required to take the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) and specific entrance exams for advanced degrees (law, medicine, business, etc.). Other patrons, having completed specialized vocational training, must pass certification or licensing tests before they can be employed, and applicants for government jobs must prepare for civil service tests. Obviously, libraries can't purchase every type of exam, but the top four test books they must have (and reorder when they are inevitably stolen) are for the ASVAB, ACT, SAT, and GED. In determining which series to buy, librarians must consider each publisher's particular approach. Kaplan's ASVAB and GED study guides incorporate hundreds of practice questions with a short analysis of the correct answers, while Barron's titles feature a diagnostic section, review section, and then more practice exams. The review sections in the Princeton Review series take a more in-depth look, with drills on specific areas of knowledge such as charts, reading comprehension, etc. And the "For Dummies" series has a more chatty scheme and less of a pure test-taking structure, which may serve some testers better. In this article, the author presents a selective bibliography organized on a triage system: (1) essential titles for all public libraries; (2) necessary titles for libraries with some monies for title replacement; and (3) buy based on funds and demand (for libraries with healthy funding). (ERIC).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10