Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Computer Literacy And Library Anxiety On Students' Library Experience, Terry Dwain Robertson, Lauren Matacio

Terry Dwain Robertson

Despite growing up with technology, are college freshmen well prepared for library research, or does their computer savvy actually put them at a disadvantage? Do other factors such as library anxiety affect students’ research experience? How can secondary educators better prepare their students for the leap from a small school library to a large college or university library? How can college librarians make new students’ first library experience a positive one? These questions are addressed in this article.

Supplementing A Librarian's Information Literacy Toolkit With Textbooks: A Scan Of Basic Communication Course Texts, Melissa Kozel-Gain, Rick A. Stoddart

Rick A Stoddart

This inquiry subjectively examines selected basic communication textbooks for information literacy concepts from the communication discipline point of view. Librarians can build on these concepts in library skills instruction sessions for first-year communication students. This analysis reveals that communication textbook authors are addressing information literacy concepts and standards with content, exercises, examples, and, most importantly, context; and the authors are often utilizing their own discipline-specific terminology to do so. Because finding, using, and evaluating information is a cornerstone of communication education and because the most successful information literacy efforts result from learning its tenets in a variety of contexts, librarians …

Online Introduction To Information Literacy: Ticking That Box Or Embedding That Attribute??, Robbie Collins, A. Hill

Robbie Collins

The University of Wollongong introduced an online compulsory undergraduate Information Literacy Introductory Program (ILIP) in 1999. Extensions and adjustments make ILIP 2003 a requirement for postgraduate coursework students as well as undergraduate students. ILIP is also highly recommended to incoming research students. Such policy initiatives for a compulsory online learning tool raise interesting questions about the interaction of University policy and learning and teaching policy, about the implementation of such policy and about the effectiveness of the tool both alone and as part of a process. This paper suggests that the compulsory ruling has effected the tool’s development and implementation. …

20 Tips On Networking (Or Outreach) And Collaboration, Susan A. Ariew

Susan A. Ariew

Moving from Outreach to Collaboration: 20 Tips on Networking (or Outreach) and Collaboration.

Students' Perceptions Of Their Information Literacy Skills In The Media Center, Bonnie J. Grimble, Teresa Williams

Teresa Williams

This article cites a study on evaluating information literacy skills in students at media centers. The pre-test survey asked all freshman English students to critique their abilities before they received any formal instruction from the media center team. This enabled researchers to identify areas of research. The five main research areas were, point access, information skills when researching a topic, databases, the Internet and technology. These results indicated that it's not just the collection of print and non-print resources that influence students' use of the media center.

Writing Center And Library Collaboration: A Telephone Survey Of Academic Libraries, Lily Todorinova

Lily Todorinova

Writing and researching are highly interrelated processes and there is much overlap between the goals and responsibilities of writing center staff and librarians. There is little evidence, however, that partnership between writing centers and libraries has been instituted as standard practice in academic institutions. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to explore the current state of the relationship between the writing center and the library. A telephone survey was administered to librarians in a sample of 268 academic institutions. The results indicated that only 26.7% of libraries actively collaborate which their university’s writing center. A strong majority of the …

Carl Research Award [Awarded By The California Academic And Research Libraries Association], Shannon M. Staley

Shannon M. Staley

As the Library and Information Science profession has developed a range of core competencies for information literacy based on the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, the need to assess students' progressive understanding of those competencies has become critical to determining the effectiveness of various library instruction approaches. Currently, there is no standardized or uniform way of assessing student information literacy skills at our library. A review of the literature reveals that many assessment surveys in the field are created without a process of standardization to determine whether respondents interpret questions correctly. …

Csu Mini Grant [Awarded By California State University], Shannon M. Staley

Shannon M. Staley

To apply quality research on information literacy, two graduate students will be hired. One will employ appropriate statistical methods for data collection. The other will program these new statistical reporting features into an online assessment tool and improve its overall usability. This will enhance an understanding of how library instruction impacts SJSU students’ educational experience.

Solving The Rubrics Cube: Using Assessment To Sharpen Library Instruction, Elisa Slater Acosta, Susan Gardner

Susan Gardner Archambault

Solving The Rubrics Cube: Using Assessment To Sharpen Library Instruction, Elisa Slater Acosta, Susan Gardner

Elisa Slater Acosta

Making A Weak Link Stronger: Incorporating Information Literacy Into A Semester-Long Freshman Seminar, Tammy Sugarman, Anne Page Mosby

Tammy Sugarman

The freshman seminar, GSU 1010, is our campus’ response to the national trend to facilitate students’ transition from high school to college. Fall semester 2000 was the second year that Georgia State University offered new students the option of registering for a freshman seminar, and the first year that librarians participated as instructors. Our motivations for teaching this course were twofold: to move beyond the traditional “one-shot” library instruction class by teaching the same set of students for the entire semester, and to incorporate information literacy objectives into the three credit semester long course. This paper is a case study …

A Standardized Approach To Assessment: Results From A Pilot Study Of Library Instruction Sessions At San Jose State University, Shannon M. Staley

Shannon M. Staley

Introduction
We explore the use of a psychometric model for locally-relevant, information literacy assessment, using an online tool for standardised assessment of student learning during discipline-based library instruction sessions.

Method
A quantitative approach to data collection and analysis was used, employing standardised multiple-choice survey questions followed by individual, cognitive interviews with undergraduate students. The assessment tool was administered to five general education psychology classes during library instruction sessions.

Analysis
Descriptive statistics were generated by the assessment tool. Results. The assessment tool proved a feasible means of measuring student learning. While student scores improved on every survey question, there was uneven …

Beyond Buzz Words And Skill Sets: The Role Of Critical Thinking In Information Literacy, Anne E. Shelley

Anne Shelley

The concept of information literacy should go far beyond users’ acquisition of banked skills. The competence to execute a keyword search in a specific database, navigate a library catalog, or memorize a certain call number does not indicate users are able to think on their own feet. Users who are truly information literate have the capacities to solve problems, think independently and are able to structure their own research processes once they leave the classroom. Effective, engaging instruction is the vehicle through which users can achieve these sought-after attributes; when they are interacting with information and confronted with options, such …

Skills Needed For College Success, Sandra Shopshire, Rick A. Stoddart, Sara Seeley, Chareen Snelson

Rick A Stoddart

A presentation on critical skills students will need to succeed in college in the 21st century.

Information Literacy: The Missing Link In Early Childhood Education, Kelly Heider

Kelly Heider

Assessing An Institution-Wide Information Fluency Program: Commitment, Plan, And Purposes, Penny Beile

Penny Beile

Information Literacy Assessment: A Review Of Objective And Interpretive Measures, Penny Beile

Penny Beile

Your Library Instruction Is In Another Castle: The Development Of Information Literacy Based Video Games At Carnegie Mellon Univeristy Or How To Make A Library Arcade, Daniel R. Hood

Daniel R Hood

Being part of an institution possessing a world-renowned computer science school and a reputation for developing innovative new technologies, the University Libraries at Carnegie Mellon were motivated to explore a new method of information literacy instruction. This method was to be the creation of a web-based video game. Through a $50,000 grant from the Buhl Foundation, awarded in the Spring of 2006, the University Libraries began developing a series of “web-based instructional modules." [1] The University Libraries soon formed a representative group of three librarians, selfdubbed the Library Arcade (LA) Committee, to help define how to best transmute the goals …

Junior Faculty Career Development Grant [Awarded By San Jose State University], Shannon M. Staley

Shannon M. Staley

The need to assess students’ understanding of information literacy competencies has become critical to determining the effectiveness of library instruction. This is particularly true at San Jose State University, where measurement tools are not uniformly applied. Currently, many online achievement tests measure student competence at a general rather than course-specific level. This project proposes the development of an application that enables librarians to create assessment tools matching specific learning objectives of individual courses. Preliminary findings will be shared at information literacy conferences, where experts convene to exchange ideas. Harvesting feedback, the application will be further developed through additional grant funding.

The Sister Libraries Partnership Program: A Carnegie Mellon University Libraries Pilot Project, Daniel R. Hood

Daniel R Hood

In 2005 the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries received a grant from the Eden Hall Foundation called Information Literacy for the Region. A key aspect of this grant encourages collaboration between Carnegie Mellon University Libraries and local school and public libraries on information literacy initiatives. An Information Literacy Fellow position was created to plan and administer these initiatives. Ideas for collaborative activities spawned from a focus group discussion held at Carnegie Mellon in summer 2006. Western Pennsylvania School Librarians Association members and Carnegie Mellon librarians got together to discuss how to foster interest in local, grass roots information literacy projects. Lack …

Take A Deep Breath: On Not Losing The Turtle In The Technology, Marilyn R. Pukkila

Marilyn R. Pukkila

Understanding media messages and selecting worthwhile sources of information require the ability to analyze and deconstruct messages.

Implementing An Embedded Information Literacy Program At The University Level: Best Practices, Ann Agee

Ann Agee

Information literacy is the ability of individuals "to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information" (American Library Association, 1989, para. 3). At San Jose State University (SJSU), information literacy has been traditionally taught through one-shot, 50-minute lectures delivered by university librarians to students enrolled in a select few undergraduate courses. This method of instruction has proven to be neither sustainable nor effective. The lectures are not tailored by discipline and students might receive the same lecture several times while completing their lower-division coursework.SJSU wants to replace this format with …

Information Literacy For Branch Campuses And Branch Libraries, James Hooks, Carl Rahkonen, Chris Clouser, Kelly Heider, Rena Fowler

Kelly Heider

Course Management Systems, Libraries And Teaching: Exploring Relationships For Learning, Christine N. Turner

Christine Turner

With a literature review and four case studies this article presents current trends and practices in CMS use in higher educations. CMS influence on teaching, learning, academic library services and information literacy instruction in Australia and the United States is explored. CMSs have not yet fulfilled their potential.

From Game Studies To Bibliographic Gaming: Libraries Tap Into The Video Game Culture, Christy Sich

Christy Sich

No abstract provided.

The Other Side Of The Podium: Student Information Needs From Inside The Classroom, Marilyn R. Pukkila

Marilyn R. Pukkila

A few things the author learned about students and research when she audited classes on her campus as part of her sabbatical.

Development And Validation Of The Information Literacy Assessment Scale For Education (Ilas-Ed), Penny Beile

Penny Beile

Development And Validation Of The Beile Test Of Information Literacy For Education (B-Tiled), Penny Beile

Penny Beile

Handout For Community Connections For Teacher Information Literacy, Stephanie Davis-Kahl, Lisa Payne

Stephanie Davis-Kahl

This handout was distributed during the poster session of the same name.

Community Connections For Teacher Information Literacy, Stephanie Davis-Kahl, Lisa Payne

Stephanie Davis-Kahl

No abstract provided.