Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Review Of Information Literacy Through Theory, Vivian F. Bynoe

Communications in Information Literacy

Review of Hicks, A., Lloyd, A., & Pilerot, O. (Eds.). (2023). Information literacy through theory. Facet Publishing.

Addressing Barriers To Research-Informed Practice: A Library And Social Work Collaboration To Empower Future Practitioners, Amanda Dinscore, Debbie Gonzalez

Communications in Information Literacy

Social work education prioritizes the use of research to inform practice. As university students, prospective social workers have a wealth of research available to them as well as librarians to help them find, evaluate, and use that information. However, access to much of this research ends once the student graduates—at a time when it is most needed to inform their professional practice. To address this challenge, a librarian and a social work faculty member worked with one class of students in their final semester of a bachelor’s degree in social work program to promote awareness of information privilege and barriers …

Independent Long Covid Journalism As A Lens For Critical Information Literacy: Conversations With The Sick Times Founders Betsy Ladyzhets And Miles W. Griffis, Andrea Baer

Communications in Information Literacy

Both the COVID-19 pandemic and the acceleration of climate change illuminate how difficult it can be to make sense of information about wicked problems—that is, issues that are highly complex and have no simple or complete solutions (Rittel & Webber, 1973). One approach to grappling with wicked problems is to consider the information practices that different people, communities, or professions use to make sense of those issues. In this Perspectives piece, I explore possible ways to practice and teach about critical information literacy by looking to the views, experiences, and professional practices of two independent journalists who report on …

Engaging Graduate Medical And Health Sciences Students In Scholarly Communication: The Des Moines University Library’S Research & Scholarly Communication Peer Associate Program, Gina Schlesselman-Tarango, Jill Edgerton, Elizabeth Pryor, Rainie Valencia

Communications in Information Literacy

This piece introduces the Des Moines University Library’s Research and Scholarly Communication Peer Associate Program, focusing on the curriculum of a five-day summer institute developed for graduate medical and health sciences students and rooted in a critical information literacy framework. The authors outline the institute’s philosophy and approach and provide readers with key content areas, materials, activities, and homework prompts. Initial program assessment is discussed, and the authors share their thoughts on how the program might continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of students. The article concludes with reflections from two peer associates who participated in the program …

Critical Online Library Instruction: Opportunities And Challenges, Tessa Withorn

Communications in Information Literacy

Although critical information literacy, critical pedagogy, and online library instruction are commonly discussed in the library and information science literature, they are rarely discussed together. This qualitative interview study with academic librarians conducted in 2022 identifies opportunities and challenges of teaching critical information literacy online. Findings suggest that critical information literacy and critical pedagogy can be integrated into online library instruction through online workshops, digital learning objects, and online credit-bearing courses. However, librarians face challenges implementing critical pedagogy online related to the lack of dialogue and co-creation of knowledge between students and instructors, limitations of the one-shot model of library …

Oppressive Authority: Dismantling, Reexamining, And Reconstructing Notions Of Authority In Information Literacy Instruction, Melissa Chomintra

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

The following chapter examines ways knowledge authority structures can be oppressive in relation to information literacy instruction and discusses how librarians can implement equitable and inclusive pedagogy in their library instruction by dismantling, reexamining, and reconstructing notions of authority.

Are We Teaching Critical Information Literacy Asynchronously?: A Content Analysis Of Digital Learning Objects In Open Repositories., Tessa Withorn

Faculty Scholarship

Get ready for new ideas for how to incorporate critical information literacy into your asynchronous online instruction! It’s time to go beyond teaching simply how to find, use, evaluate, and cite information to explore the social construction and political dimensions of information. Digital learning objects (DLOs) such as videos, interactive tutorials, and online modules are a great way to expand on these information literacy concepts. This content analysis of publicly available DLOs in open repositories reports on what information literacy topics librarians are currently teaching and highlights exemplary DLOs that cover concepts related to critical information literacy.

Dominant Covid Narratives And Implications For Information And Media Literacy Education In The “Post-Pandemic” United States, Andrea Baer

Libraries Scholarship

Over the past three+ years that COVID-19 has changed everyday life across the globe, the entire world has been tasked with making sense of new, evolving, and often conflicting information, including public message that is often confusing and shaped by political agendas and interests. Dominant narratives about the COVID-19 pandemic illustrate of the complexities and importance of information literacy, and more specifically of critical information literacy, which asks us to interrogate the ways that power and social structure influence what information is created and circulated and how we interact with and respond to it as individuals and collectives. In this …

Leveraging Critical Information Literacy To Develop Social Justice-Minded Data Literacy Competencies, Ben B. Chiewphasa, Matthew L. Sisk

Journal of Critical Digital Librarianship

Librarians who interact with data in different contexts can come together in a community of practice – leveraging each other's perspectives to collectively engage with critical librarianship and reimagine social justice-related learning outcomes for information and data literacy programming. Specifically, this paper explores the overlapping goals of different critical literacies (such as critical information literacy and QuantCrit), showcasing that synergies exist between social justice-oriented librarians with distinctive roles and responsibilities. By leveraging a community of practice as a vehicle for continuing education in inclusive pedagogy, librarians can empower their patrons, students, and colleagues to challenge and act upon surrounding data …

The Library Language Game: Information Literacy Through The Lens Of Wittgenstein's Language Games, Kathleen A. Langan

Communications in Information Literacy

Labeling information is a precarious and risky enterprise. Catalogers have the task of fitting unique concepts within established and rigid language frameworks while also minimizing personal bias. The way information literacy librarians interact with labeled information also influences how users interact with information. Labeling moves beyond the role of categorizing, it also contributes to meaning making and knowledge building. Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations serves as a philosophical footing to illustrate how the labeling of things, in this case information, shapes the way we give things meaning. Critical librarianship and philosophy of information theory add to the discussion by considering how personal …

Introducing Critical Librarianship To Information Professionals: Using Critical Pedagogy And Critical Information Literacy In An Lis Graduate Course, Marcia Rapchak

Communications in Information Literacy

Critical librarianship, which critiques the role of libraries and information professionals in maintaining systems of oppression, has been growing in popularity in the profession, and instructors in Library and Information Science (LIS) have begun to address critical librarianship in their coursework. While critical pedagogy and critical librarianship have influenced approaches to LIS education, the intersection of these two has not been as thoroughly addressed. Additionally, the literature on critical information literacy focuses largely on library instruction. This case study explores a critical pedagogy approach in a critical librarianship class that prepares students for critical information literacy instruction. The instructor implemented …

Three Non-U.S. Perspectives On The Covid-19 Experience In Libraries, Sarah Ruslan, Edward Junhao Lim, Jennifer Aw Stubbs

UConn Library Presentations

This was an interactive panel presented at the Critical Pedagogy Symposium. Our presenters’ theme was their atypical work experiences across different cities.

• Jennifer shared her perspective as a privileged economic migrant (White American woman in Shanghai). Colleges and graduate schools have been online–successfully–for over a decade. Our students are not alone. This is the new normal and it is cool.

• Sarah shared her perspective both as a library student doing her fieldwork on a controversial topic during the lockdown in Singapore, as well as a library staff managing on-site student workers who live on campus while she worked from home. …

Beginning And Extending The Conversation, Maria T. Accardi, Emily Drabinski, Alana Kumbier

Communications in Information Literacy

The co-editors of this special issue of Communications in Information Literacy describe the origins and context for this issue and provide an overview of the ideas and perspectives of the contributors.

That Was Then, This Is Wow: A Case For Critical Information Literacy Across The Curriculum, Margaret Rose Torrell

Communications in Information Literacy

This article applies a Writing across the Curriculum approach to Critical Library Instruction. The information landscape has drastically shifted over the past ten years, altering the ways we perform, interact with, access, and understand research. These changes call for critical library instruction programs that are more robust and sustained than the one- or two-shot critical library instruction lesson I had described in 2010. However, college classroom practices, due to a variety of challenges, have been slow to adapt to this need. In this article written from my perspective as an English teacher, I identify the central place of critical information …

Beginning And Extending The Conversation, Maria T. Accardi, Emily Drabinski, Alana Kumbier

Publications and Research

The co-editors of a special issue of Communications in Information Literacy describe the origins and context for this issue and provide an overview of the ideas and perspectives of the contributors. The issue looks back at the past decade since the publication of Critical Library Instruction: Theories & Methods (Library Juice Press/Litwin Books, 2010).

Critical Information Literacy, Emily Drabinski, Eamon Tewell

Publications and Research

This encyclopedia entry presents a brief introduction to critical information literacy, an approach to teaching people how information is produced, organized, circulated, and preserved.

Exploring Epistemological Lineages: Using The Gallery Walk With Students And Instructors Of A First-Year Seminar Course, Gina Schlesselman-Tarango

Library Faculty Publications & Presentations

This chapter explores how the gallery walk, an activity that mimics the experience of exploring work on display in a museum or art gallery, can be used in credit-bearing courses with a focus on information literacy and in accompanying instructor professional development.

Analyzing The Laws Of Mil: A Five-Step Scientific Conversation On Critical Information Literacy, Andréa Doyle

Communications in Information Literacy

This essay mixes epistemological considerations on truth and science, a critical information literacy exercise on the 5 Laws of MIL (Media and Information Literacy), LIS theory and international experience reports. It is constructed in five parts, in line with the 5 Laws of Media and Information Literacy (Grizzle & Singh, 2016) and Ranganathan’s laws (1931). First, a critique of the Laws of MIL is presented; then a specific social context puts the first part into perspective; the feedback from the international community on the first two is followed by new research on library/MIL laws; and finally, matters of space, readers, …

Illuminating Social Justice In The Framework: Transformative Methodology, Concept Mapping And Learning Outcomes Development For Critical Information Literacy, Nicole A. Branch

Communications in Information Literacy

The intentional omission of learning outcomes from the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education has caused concern and criticism from some librarians; however, the call to action within the Framework to locally develop learning outcomes is an opportunity to illuminate the social justice, critical thinking, and higher order thinking elements of information literacy. This study applies the transformative research paradigm using the methodology of concept mapping to test the development of learning outcomes for one of the frames. Concept mapping is a mixed-methods approach and includes focus groups, hierarchical cluster analysis, and multidimensional scaling. The methodology has been …

Information Into Action? Reflections On (Critical) Practice (Keynote Address, Wilu 2018), Karen Nicholson

FIMS Presentations

In this keynote address, I consider the WILU 2018 conference theme “Information into Action" as representative of normative mainstream discourses of innovation, entrepreneurialism, vocation, and practicality in contemporary academic libraries.

Teaching As A Political Act: Critical Pedagogy In Library Instruction, Melia Erin Fritch

Educational Considerations

This article establishes a theoretical framework for critical library instruction (and thereby critical information literacy) that is built upon critical feminist theory, critical race theory, and engaged pedagogy, among others. Using the ideas and work of theorists to create a path linking the ideas of critical analyses together, the author demonstrates the importance and need for critical information literacy within library instruction to empower students, creating opportunities for lifelong learning. Noted within the article are the obstacles for librarians who focus on feminist engaged pedagogy in their teaching; however, the author shares with readers that the challenge is in fact …

Lesley University Library Newsletter, Vol. 2(2), Hedi Benaicha, Jonah Lee Santiago, Micki Harrington, Zack Wray, Rachel Fernandez, Philip M. Siblo-Landsman, Abby Mancini, Marie Wasnock, Samantha Quiñon Snair, Jamie Glass, Alexis Dhembe, Robyn Ferrero, Tyahra Angus

Philip M. Siblo-Landsman

The Spring 2018 Lesley University Library Newsletter is an overview of developments that have taken place in the library since the Fall 2017 semester. It reports on success stories, gives insight into personal accounts of library resources, and new developments to enhance the quality of services.

The newsletter begins with an overview by Dean Hedi BenAicha and is followed with contributions from many of the staff members of the library. This includes Sam Quiñon's article, "Attention Faculty: what Lesley Librarians Actually Do," which indicates how the library field has changed and how important it is for librarians to engage in …

Lesley University Library Newsletter, Vol. 2(2), Office Of The Dean Of The Library, Hedi Benaicha, Jonah Lee Santiago, Micki Harrington, Zack Wray, Rachel Fernandez, Philip M. Siblo-Landsman, Abby Mancini, Marie Wasnock, Samantha Quiñon Snair, Jamie Glass, Alexis Dhembe, Robyn Ferrero, Tyahra Angus

Library Newsletter

The Spring 2018 Lesley University Library Newsletter is an overview of developments that have taken place in the library since the Fall 2017 semester. It reports on success stories, gives insight into personal accounts of library resources, and new developments to enhance the quality of services.

The newsletter begins with an overview by Dean Hedi BenAicha and is followed with contributions from many of the staff members of the library. This includes Sam Quiñon's article, "Attention Faculty: what Lesley Librarians Actually Do," which indicates how the library field has changed and how important it is for librarians to engage in …

Hot Topics: Critical Information Literacy For Global Citizenship, Social Justice, And Community Participation, Sean Leahy, Alan Carbery, Faith Yacubian

ACRL New England Chapter Annual Conference

Justification for embedding information literacy instruction as part of the college curriculum can come in many forms. From responding to the proliferation of unreliable sources of news in hyper-partisan times, to heeding employers’ calls for improved workplace information-seeking skills, to addressing the integral role of information literacy in critical thinking, there are numerous avenues at our disposal when promoting the value of librarian instruction. But, what about the more entrenched social issues that impact our campuses and communities more broadly? What role does information literacy instruction have in addressing long held prejudices? How might it be a component of efforts …

Falling Out Of Praxis: Reflection As A Pedagogical Habit Of Mind, Heidi Lm Jacobs

Heidi LM Jacobs

No abstract provided.

Realizing Critical Business Information Literacy: Opportunities, Definitions, And Best Practices, Ilana Stonebraker, Caitlan Maxwell, Kenny Garcia, Jessica Jerrit

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

What does it mean to be an ethical businessperson, and how does an ethical businessperson create, locate, organize, and evaluate business information? Critical business information literacy (CBIL) is the application of social justice to business information literacy. This article seeks to define, discuss, and realize CBIL by tracing the literatures of critical librarianship, critical management, and corporate social responsibility. To establish best practices, the authors drew upon applications of CBIL at four institutions of different size, geography, and scale. The intent is to provide spaces and foundations for further CBIL application and discussion.

Teaching And Un-Teaching Source Evaluation: Questioning Authority In Information Literacy Instruction, Katelyn Angell, Eamon Tewell

Brooklyn Library Faculty Publications

This study details the design of library instruction sessions for undergraduate students that intended to encourage critical source evaluation and the questioning of established authorities, and appraises these instructional aims through a thematic analysis of 148 artifacts containing student responses to group and individual activities. The authors found a widespread reliance on traditional indicators of academic and scholarly authority, though some students expressed more personal or complex understandings of source evaluation, trustworthiness, and authorship. Based on the findings, recommendations are made for academic librarians interested in promoting learners’ senses of agency and authority.

Critical Information Literacy In Practice: A Bibliographic Review Essay Of Critical Information Literacy, Critical Library Pedagogy Handbook, And Critical Literacy For Information Professionals, Lua Gregory, Shana Higgins

Communications in Information Literacy

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Critical Information Literacy: Foundations, Inspiration, And Ideas., Cindy Gruwell

Library Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Falling Out Of Praxis: Reflection As A Pedagogical Habit Of Mind, Heidi Lm Jacobs

Leddy Library Publications

No abstract provided.