Library Instruction Geared To The Personality Of Engineering Students

Engineering professors and psychologists have extensively studied the personality of engineering students. 2, 5, 7, 12, 15, 20-26 This paper offers applications for library instruction that take into account the predominant personality characteristics of engineering librarians’ typical audience. It outlines several suggestions for tailoring library instruction to the traits of engineering students. Implications for lecture-oriented instruction, activities, and instructional modules are given. The Myers-Briggs and Holland Vocational systems have been used extensively in characterizing engineering students and are reviewed here. In addition, differences between librarians’ traits, those of engineering students, and those of engineering faculty create interesting dynamics for library instruction.