Library Instruction / Information Literacy

In support of the college mission, the library offers customized library instruction and guidance in support of curriculum, research and lifelong learning. This key library service speaks directly to the college’s Vision;Teach every individual; serve every business.

A Time Magazine article, “How to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20th Century” summarized findings from the report “Tough Choices or Tough Times” from The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce.

 According to the Time article, there is a need for students:

• to have a global awareness
• be able to communication effectively and work collaboratively
• to develop portable skills that foster creativity and innovative thinking
• to be smarter about new sources of information and become discerning consumers of information

The last point from the Time article speaks directly to “information literacy,” which we incorporate into library instruction.  According to the Association of College and Research Libraries’ (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, “Information literacy is the set integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.”

Information Literacy forms the basis of lifelong learning, common to all disciplines, learning environments, and levels of education.

The Framework is organized into six frames, each consisting of a concept central to information literacy, a set of knowledge practices, and a set of dispositions. The concepts, presented alphabetically are:

• Authority is Constructed and Contextual
• Information Creation as a Process
• Information Has Value
• Research as Inquiry
• Scholarship as Conversation
• Searching as Strategic Exploration

In the GTC Library we see students clearly heading for the 21st Century workforce. They represent a cross section of American cultural, ethnic, economic and demographic diversity. We see them working productively as individuals and collaboratively – either through BLACKBOARD or at group study tables. We see them working hard to learn fundamental skills, from basic math to reading and writing. We see the creative results from their applied learning. And we take the opportunity to help guide these students as they navigate a new world of information resources, from the familiar library books and print journals to a myriad of electronic works that emerge from the ether – including Google & Wikipedia. Our charge is to help them learn to make decisions and choose the most appropriate and relevant information options.

Instruction Methods

Library staff uses a variety of methods to deliver library instruction:

• Online research guidance, tips, strategies, and tutorials in LibGuides and LibAnswers
• In-person consultations and guidance in the library and elsewhere on campus
• Hands-on lecture/demonstrations in a classroom &/or lab setting

Goals for Library Instruction in General

• Be a leader in promoting information literacy and facilitating information discovery and access.

• deliver outcomes-focused instruction sessions
• provide a library instruction session to students registered in classes in which they are introduced to information inquiry and research
• empower learners to access resources independently at their convenience
• create new and foster existing relationships with faculty members and to work collaboratively with them on information literacy
• promote the concept of information literacy and the Library’s role in student success
• assess the effectiveness of library instruction sessions and institute improvements as appropriate

Objectives

• Deliver an introduction to information literacy concepts & abilities through a one-time instruction sessions and/or online tutorials
• Develop library instruction curriculum appropriate for novice learners lower-level undergraduate students
• Attain 100% faculty participation for students in First Year Experience, English, and Speech courses
• Deliver course specific research/library instruction in other programs & disciplines
• Develop and/or expand the library’s engagement with faculty in support of library instruction and information literacy initiatives in LibGuides

Learning Outcomes based on ACRL Framework for Information Literacy

In development

Authority Is Constructed and Contextual

• Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is:
  • constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority
  • contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required

Information Creation as a Process

• Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method.
• The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary
  • the resulting product reflects these differences

Information Has Value

• Information possesses several dimensions of value, including as a commodity, as a means of education, as a means to influence, and as a means of negotiating and understanding the world.
• Legal and socioeconomic interests influence information production and dissemination.

Research as Inquiry

• Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field.

Scholarship as Conversation

• Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and interpretations.

Searching as Strategic Exploration

• Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops.

References

http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework

"The First-Year Experience and Academic Libraries: A Select, Annotated Bibliography", American Library Association, February 27, 2008. http://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership/sections/is/iswebsite/projpubs/tmcfyebib  (Accessed May 27, 2015) Document ID: 2399be88-2f3b-9304-7102-a71d6d5ad436

"Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education," American Library Association, September 01, 2006. http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency.cfm
(Accessed March 22, 2010) Document ID: 185693

How to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20th Century.” Claudia Wallis, Sonja Steptoe.
Time. New York: Dec 18, 2006. Vol. 168, Iss. 25; p. 50 http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1177845641&Fmt=3&clientId=30437&RQT=309&VName=PQD