Abstract
New approaches to user instruction of school libraries are emerging in the United States since 1980'. Concern about user instruction is shifted from ‹library› to ‹information›, and the central attention has been given to learning processes of students.
In view of theorization and institutionalization, this paper tries to examine the new approaches of user instruction. As a result of the examination, it becomes clear that theorization of user instruction is concentratedly evolving in the framework of ‹media program› in the United States. And also, it was observed that there are four ploblems among these approaches. Those are, (1) cooperation with school teachers is the necessary condition of user instruction, (2) the scope and the responsibility of school libraries for user instruction is ambiguous, (3) subject-related，or course-integrated user instruction is costly, and (4) it is insufficient for the reflection of skills in terms of the childrens' developmental stages.
Consideration of these problems are given, and directions for furthur research and discussion are identified, from the view point of Japanese school libraries.
