Library and Information Science Commons^™

"I Don't Think Librarians Can Save Us": The Material Conditions Of Information Literacy Instruction In The Misinformation Age, Amber Willenborg, Robert Detmering

Faculty Scholarship

This national qualitative study investigates academic librarians’ instructional experiences, views, and challenges regarding the widespread problem of misinformation. Findings from phenomenological interviews reveal a tension between librarians’ professional, moral, and civic obligation to address misinformation and the actual material conditions of information literacy instruction, which influence and often constrain librarians’ pedagogical and institutional roles. The authors call for greater professional reflection on current information literacy models that focus on achieving ambitious educational goals but which may be unsuitable for addressing the larger social and political crisis of misinformation.

Real Talk: Librarian Perceptions Of The Professional Conversation On Information Literacy Assessment, Amber Willenborg, Robert Detmering, Samantha Mcclellan

Faculty Scholarship

This qualitative study investigates how academic librarians perceive the professional conversation about information literacy assessment, focusing on their characterization of the discourse and the benefits of and barriers to their participation. Findings from phenomenological interviews indicate that librarians view the conversation as valuable and inspiring, but also divisive and inapplicable to many libraries. While they find value in sharing ideas and engaging in a community of practice, they may face such barriers as feelings of inadequacy and insufficient resources. The authors provide recommendations to help librarians, administrators, and conference planners foster more inclusive and productive engagement in the professional conversation …

Working Information Literacy : The Instruction Librarian Specialty In Job Advertisements, 1973-2013., Claudene Sproles, Robert Detmering

Faculty Scholarship

As information literacy has developed into one of the library profession‟s most important guiding principles, library instruction programs have increased in complexity and academic librarian job duties have expanded. This paper broadly tracks the evolution of information literacy instruction through an examination of select literature, as well as teaching-related requirements listed in select professional job advertisements published in ten-year increments from 1973-2013. These advertisements reflect the growing diversity of teaching-oriented positions appearing over time and the increasingly specialized nature of the required qualifications for those positions. The advertisements also demonstrate how information literacy continues to provide a conceptual rationale by …

Community Engagement: Computer Skills For The Homeless, Fannie Cox

Faculty Scholarship

What does it mean to provide information literacy skills? The number of homeless people is growing regardless of their socio-economic status, age, gender, race, religion, or ethnicity. An Outreach Librarian from a university developed a community partnership to teach computer skills to residents of a homeless shelter. This paper presents the benefits, impacts, and outcomes of these classes for both the residents and librarians.

Creating A Sustainable Partnership : Information Literacy Instruction For An Honors Program First-Year Orientation., Anna Marie Johnson

Faculty Scholarship

The information literacy literature contains many articles highlighting new instruction initiatives but few articles documenting sustainable ones. This article examines the literature on library partnerships in general and Honors Programs specifically and reports on the evolution of an ongoing fifteen year partnership between the University of Louisville Honors Program and the Ekstrom Library. It then discusses the development of this partnership and the changes in the information literacy program engendered by this partnership. It ends by defining some of the elements that made the partnership sustainable, ones that could potentially be transferred to other such partnerships.

"Research Papers Have Always Seemed Very Daunting" : Information Literacy Narratives And The Student Research Experience., Robert Detmering, Anna Marie Johnson

Faculty Scholarship

Taking an interdisciplinary approach that draws on narrative theory, composition scholarship, and investigations into the affective dimensions of the research process, this article discusses stories written by college students about their experiences locating, evaluating, and using information in the context of academic research. These narratives provide insight into how students conceptualize the research process and perceive their often tenuous roles as researchers. A textual analysis of a selection of student narratives is included, demonstrating how narrative not only enhances our understanding of the research experience but also enables students to raise larger questions about authenticity and power in the classroom.

Wikipedia, Ipods, And Chickens : An Active Learning Exercise To Teach Evaluation Of Information., Latisha Reynolds, Anna Marie Johnson

Faculty Scholarship

Librarians at the University of Louisville developed an evaluation of information exercise that is completely interactive. Students learn evaluation skills by participating in a small-group exercise, after which, the groups teach their classmates what they have learned.

Each small-group is assigned a different publication to evaluate such as a book, a website, a scholarly article, magazine or newspaper. They also have questions to answer in order to evaluate each source. After they evaluate the sources, each group chooses a student to present the information in front of the class.

The librarian acts as a facilitator to guide the students and …

Exploring The Political Dimensions Of Information Literacy Through Popular Film., Robert Detmering

Faculty Scholarship

Certain popular films contextualize the access, use, and interpretation of information within a political and social framework. As a result, these films function as alternative pedagogical sites for analysis and critique, facilitating critical thinking about information beyond the library and the classroom, and leading students to a deeper understanding of the fundamental need for information literacy. A conceptual basis for the consideration of film in politically engaged information literacy instruction is provided, supported by a discussion of three relevant films: Jason Reitman’s Thank You for Smoking (2006), Joel and Ethan Coen’s Burn after Reading (2008), and Oliver Stone’s W. …