Western Kentucky University Libraries, Preparing Information Literate Students at WKU: Report of the Task Force on Universal Information Literacy (original) (raw)
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The Reference Librarian, 2005
While there is much discussion today about information literacy, proper implementation of it within university campuses is still a struggle, often due to the fact that librarians and teaching faculty have different "cultures" that create different priorities. Librarians focus more on process and faculty more on content, though the two are not mutually exclusive. Past attempts by librarians to collaborate with faculty to produce information literate students have had limited success. A bolder plan-to imbed information literacy credit courses within existing departments-shows promise to avoid cultural conflict while creating a proper climate for collaboration.
1999
This report presents the following five instructional objectives tailored to meet the goal of preparing Adelphi University (New York) freshman to become independent learners and information literate: (1) students will be introduced to the services and resources of the university libraries; (2) students will understand the role of the librarian as an information specialist; (3) students will learn to use ALICAT as an example of a library catalog whose features are transferable to other databases; (4) students will be able to distinguish between a periodical index and the World Wide Web for credible, reliable sources for their research; and (5) students will understand the basics of searching periodical indexes and abstracts using electronic resources. Each objective is followed by an explanatory concept. The instructional module is in two sessions, the first of which provides for an introduction to the library proper, the role of the librarian, and a demonstration of the online public access catalog. The second session introduces indexes and abstracts and demonstrates the use of electronic resources. Suggested activities are appended to each session, and an assessment is attached, as well as a list of suggested books and Web sites used in the preparation of this report. (Contains assessment questions and a list of some Web site literacy resources consulted by report committee members.) (MES) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
From Library Orientation to Information Literacy (IL
Information literacy (IL) is an essential practice and integral part of user education in Libraries. IL is the ability to identify the needed information, locate it, evaluate it and use effectively the needed information. 1 Library orientation, user education, library instruction and bibliographic instruction are alternative terms used for IL in past. A historically performed one-hour library orientation session for newly enrolled students is not enough in today"s era of information and knowledge society. The variety of complex information resources in digital formats along with the printed resources demand a specialized user"s training. In this context librarians need to revisit their role with regard to user education.
2015
The need to teach information literacy skills to undergraduate students is often framed as a 21 st century concern, but debate over the value and practice of teaching this set of skills can be found as far back as the early 1900’s. This article reviews the history of information literacy instruction in academic libraries from its origins to the present, examines the current state of information literacy instruction in academic libraries, and explores possible future directions that this instruction may take. Looking to the past, present and future shows that while library instruction has evolved, many central concerns remain unanswered.
Redesigning Freshman Seminar library instruction based on information competencies
Research Strategies, 2000
During summer 1997, instruction librarians at Pepperdine University's Payson Library began restructuring Freshman Seminar library instruction sessions because they observed that students were not acquiring the needed library and information literacy skills. Too much material was being presented in too short a time with no opportunity for hands-on experience. Taking advantage of the opportunity for Web-based instruction, students now tour the library and learn catalog searching skills at their own pace outside of class. Librarians reinforce vital library skills and introduce the students to a general database during classroom instruction which includes hands-on experience. Evaluation indicates that students completing the program are more likely than those not completing it to select an appropriate library resource for identifying print and electronic information sources on a topic, but room for improvement exists.
2013
TEACHING, LEARNING AND LITERACIES Librarians are involved in instruction through face-to-face, online, and/or blended classes in areas of their specialty, as well as in general, core and other courses. They offer training on databases, research tools, bibliographic management programs, and in other specific areas to support education and research in the academic units. Technological advancements coupled with drastic changes in users' information needs and expectations are having a great impact on library instruction. The existing information literacy models are outdated, as undergraduate students are more technologically savvy, and their expectations are higher. Librarians should avoid developing a library-centric program and should set information literacy discourse within a framework that is relevant and valuable to classroom faculty and align it with the educational goals and mission of the institution. Some experts considered the possibility that librarians
Got a Minute? Instruction Tune-Up for Time Pressed Librarians
2016
So what can you expect from this book, beyond 19 well crafted, well argued essays?! The breadth of topics in this book means that unlike many publications, this book is designed to be dipped into-while some topics may be very familiar to you, others may be completely new, or may serve as a refresher. Whatever your interest, students have taken a number of different approaches to explore a wide range of instruction topics. Some students have helpfully rounded up research into ideas that you may not yet have got round to implementing in your instruction program-whether this is integrating the library into the Learning Management System (Cyndi Landis), creating an instructional Youtube channel (Saleh Aljalahmah) or visual literacy (Brittiny Tirapelle). Others have scoured the literature looking for and presenting best practices for technologies such as LibGuides (Meghan Damour) or for working with special populations such as transfer students (Chelsea Heinbach), English Language Learners (Joanna Stankiewicz) or Seniors (Renate Robey). Students have also uncovered a number of new instruction techniques and technologies that may be of interest, including the idea of visible learning (Meghan Ecklund) or new citation managers (Andrea Copland). Another group of students set out to challenge conventional ways of thinking, whether this is about the educational theory of connectivism (Michael Bovee), the notion of scholarly authority in the classroom (Paul Worrell), or the need for asynchronous learning opportunities (Kate Wimer). Others have taken a deep dive into the connections between theory and practice, whether this is digital media and literacy programming (Cortnye Rusch), multimodal learning and Youtube (Joe Richard) or new and emerging trends in school libraries (Kerena Burns). In fact, topics that go beyond academic library issues are well represented, with a group of students focusing on approaches to teaching intellectual freedom (Rachel Reddick) or health literacy (Tiegan Ziegler) in public libraries, as well as the use of primary sources within school libraries (Rebekah Thurston). The instruction librarian herself is not forgotten either, with Kathryn Bodnar's paper rounding up advice about how to deal with burnout. Whether you read the book from cover to cover, or dip in and out as your semester lets you, the papers that are gathered here represent both the students' exertions to write a paper that will be useful for busy practitioners as well as an important contribution from the next generation of instruction librarians. In her recent post on the ACRLog, Elizabeth Lieutenant (2016) highlights the need for practitioners to become more involved within LIS education, pointing out that "while it may be easy for practitioners to dismiss the relevance of LIS education to our profession's needs, it is those dismissals that contribute to LIS failing the future of our profession." It is in this spirit of mutual engagement and exchange that this book was written and I hope that the importance of continued reflection on and application of these ideas will become clear as you read through these LIS students' valuable contributions to the field. Alison's Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to say a huge thank you to the anonymous peer reviewers who were so generous with their time, expertise and feedback. Hailing from five states within the US, as well as from Canada and the UK, this project would not have been possible without their energy and support as well as their generous willingness to meet the tight deadlines I set… Thank you for your help! Lastly, thank you to the students of LIS4330, who have explored the complex and intricate world of information literacy with patience and good humo(u)r. They have not only put up with my ability to relate everything back to figure skating, but have also, through the liveliness of our discussions and the depth of their questions, engaged me even more deeply in the maddeningly fascinating world of information literacy. Thank you! References
Education for library and information science: a means to an end, not an end in itself
The work of library and information science (LIS) is strongly influenced by changes in society, which are complex and far-reaching. Educating future information professionals must take the changing context into account if they are to contribute effectively to the Information Society. It is posited here that IT does affect, and will continue to affect, libraries and librarianship, but that there is an essential core of knowledge that is unique to LIS, which can equally be seen to constitute a core for the "newer" areas of work. This core can be enhanced by the use of IT. This paper seeks to identify and describe this unique domain, and establish whether such a core is useful for each of the different information professions. Operational definitions of fundamental terms, such as information, document and knowledge, are essential for semantic and conceptual clarity in order to draw such conclusions. If workable definitions can be formulated, then common knowledge bases and the connections between these various aspects of professional information management might be easier to describe.