Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Evolving Information Needs And Behaviors Of Undergraduates, Brianna Limas

School of Information Student Research Journal

Undergraduates comprise a highly complex information community, composed of many identities and with a range of interests and skills. Emerging technologies continue to play a critical role in undergraduates’ information behaviors. While prior literature has focused on the academic information needs of students, emerging technologies have brought to light the considerable role of their everyday life information behaviors. This paper seeks to explore the information needs and behaviors of undergraduates, in particular the current and incoming graduating classes. With increased focus on meeting everyday life information needs and continued appreciation and understanding of the versatility of emerging technologies in the …

Rapid Shifts In Educators’ Perceptions Of Data Literacy Priorities, Kristin Fontichiaro, Melissa P. Johnston

Journal of Media Literacy Education

To meet the challenges of a data-driven society, high school students need new arrays of literacy skills. In the United States, school librarians, who work across disciplines, are well-positioned to help students improve their data practice, but they first need new domain knowledge. This article presents findings from an evaluating survey and session evaluation data from a virtual data literacy conference, which were part of a federally-funded project to develop data literacy skills among high school librarians and educators. Findings indicated a noticeable shift in participant perceptions of the need and urgency for data literacy instruction across content areas and …

Assessing The Potential For Critical Thinking Instruction In Information Literacy Online Learning Objects Using Best Practices, Mandi Goodsett

Communications in Information Literacy

Critical thinking, while often used as a mere buzzword, is clearly relevant to the mission and expertise of librarians who teach. Even in online information literacy instruction, critical thinking remains an important goal. This study attempts to determine the ways and extent to which online information literacy learning objects follow best practices for teaching and assessing critical thinking. In this study, the researcher evaluated a sample of information literacy online learning objects in the Association of College and Research Libraries repository of peer-reviewed instruction materials, PRIMO, using a literature-based rubric. The resulting analysis provides evidence of the extent to which …

Learn The Terms: A Visual Glossary, 2020 Edition, Gayle Schaub, Vinicius Lima, Jessica Jerue, Claire Mooney

Open Teaching Tools

Understanding a discipline requires a fundamental understanding of its concepts, theories, and terminology. Critical to academic success, these are often assumed to be widely understood by students.

The students of Graphic Design V, fall 2020, created a poster to help students understand one of the ACRL Framework’s concepts, searching as strategic exploration. The bold, eye-catching informational poster, used both in and outside of the Library, promotes learning through an innovative design created by students for students.

Not A Blank Slate: Information Literacy Misconceptions In First-Year Experience Courses, Michelle Keba, Elizabeth Fairall

Communications in Information Literacy

Information literacy is the primary instructional focus of many librarians. With the development of a core set of information literacy threshold concepts, librarians often strive to impart these concepts to undergraduate students during their years of study. However, when students come to school, they are not blank slates. They arrive with preconceived ideas or misconceptions which can impede this process. In this article, the authors report on the results of focus groups held with first-year students at a private, liberal arts university. During the focus groups, participants were asked to share their perceptions of the misconceptions identified by Hinchliffe et …

Information Literacy Practices And Perceptions Of Community College Librarians In Florida And New York, Heidi Julien, Don Latham, Melissa Gross, Lindsey Moses, Felicia Warren

Communications in Information Literacy

An online survey in Florida and New York of community college librarians with responsibility for information literacy instruction provides a snapshot of instructional objectives and practices, including librarians’ beliefs about students’ information literacy needs, strengths, and weaknesses. Survey results point to the influence of the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework in the community college context, the challenges librarians face as they work to implement it, and their successes in doing so. These data reveal opportunities to support and improve instruction and to prepare future librarians to work successfully in community college contexts.

Designing A Collaborative Learning Experience Around The Framework, Samantha Godbey, Xan Y. Goodman

Library Faculty Publications

In late 2015, we presented a three-hour workshop on the nascent ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education at the European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL) in Tallinn, Estonia,1 after which we were approached about preparing a more in-depth learning experience on the Framework for a group of international librarians. These librarians were part of the AMICAL Consortium, a consortium of twenty-nine liberal arts institutions in Europe, Asia, and Africa. At this point, we had already led several active learning–filled workshops on the Framework, including the one at ECIL. We were also working on a coedited book on the …

Social Work Librarians Promoting Social Justice Through Critical Information Literacy, Sarah C. Johnson, Stephen Maher Mlis

Publications and Research

The Association of College and Research Libraries’ Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education aligns with the Council on Social Work Education’s mission to foster information literate students. Academic librarians discuss how the Framework aligns with social work educational competencies and propose how partnerships with teaching faculty help prepare research-informed students and practitioners.

Wtf Online: How Smu Libraries Took A Bite Off The Pandemic, Sumita Govindan, Rajendra Munoo

Research Collection Library

No abstract provided.

Stop, Think, Check: Ireland's Be Media Smart Campaign, Philip Russell

Articles

‘Be Media Smart’ is an Irish public awareness campaign calling on people of all ages to ‘Be Media Smart’ and ‘Stop, Think, and Check’ that information they see, read or hear across any media platform is accurate and reliable. This national media literacy campaign was aimed at enhancing people’s understanding of, and engagement with, media, while also empowering them with the skills to evaluate content across all platforms.

Workplace Information Needs Of Engineering And Technology Graduates: A Case Study On Two Continents, Margaret Phillips, Michael Fosmire, Marco Schirone, Christina Johansson, Frederick Berry

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

In this research category, work-in-progress study, the authors conducted eleven semi-structured interviews of employers (five from the United States and six from Sweden), in order to determine the information literacy skills and habits needed by engineering and technology graduates. The authors found similar information needs at both the Swedish and American corporations. They found that, while the core information literacy principles of identifying an information need, locating, accessing, evaluating, integrating, and documenting are valuable skills for students to have, they need to be translated to accommodate the socially constructed information landscapes of each corporation and the more fluid and subtle …

Using Understanding By Design To Create A University Orientation Class Grounded In Information Literacy, Jennifer Joe, Wade Lee

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Innovative Pedagogy

This article describes the process of redesigning UC1130: Information Literacy for College Research, a class taught at the University of Toledo, in Toledo, Ohio. This redesign was conducted by Jennifer Joe and Wade Lee-Smith, librarians at the university, and facilitated by the University of Toledo’s University Teaching Center, Denise Bartell, the Associate Vice Provost for Student Success, and Thomas Atwood, the Associate Dean of University Libraries, who was the creator of the original curriculum for UC1130. The course redesign was motivated by two factors: incorporation of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education, and the class’s inclusion in …

One Step At A Time: A Case Study Of Incorporating Universal Design For Learning In Library Instruction, Samantha H. Peter, Kristina A. Clement

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Innovative Pedagogy

This paper introduces the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an inclusive pedagogical principle that works to make instruction accessible for all by incorporating different needs of learners into instructional design. This article provides a brief analysis of the literature on UDL within the field of academic libraries and focuses specifically on library instruction. The paper then concludes with a comprehensive case study of the authors’ journey to actively incorporate UDL into their information literacy instruction sessions over a two-semester period, including lessons learned throughout their process.

Fogler Library: Research Tip — Access Library Resources Off Campus, Raymond H. Fogler Library, University Of Maine

UMaine Video

Learn how to use UMaine's Single Sign-On to quickly and easily access online databases, journals, and more. Raymond H. Fogler Library Reference Department instructional video to assist students to learn how to remotely access electronic library resources. The video is part of content created to assist students attending classes remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. This video contains music only.

Fogler Library: Research Tip — Find Ebooks, Raymond H. Fogler Library, University Of Maine

UMaine Video

Raymond H. Fogler Library Reference Department instructional video to assist students in locating E-books available through the library catalog, URSUS. The video is part of content created to assist students attending classes remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. This video contains music only.

Faculty Perceptions Of Students' Il Learning In First-Year Writing, Catherine Baird, Tiffany Soares

Sprague Library Scholarship and Creative Works

The study investigates the perceptions of first-year writing faculty of how their students develop information literacy (IL). The authors conducted 16 semi-structured interviews and analyzed them using a qualitative inductive coding method. The study contributes a close and nuanced understanding of faculty perceptions of IL learning to a literature with few recent qualitative studies. Faculty identify what they see as enablers and barriers to student learning. The authors conclude that the empathetic, process-oriented characterization of IL learning by these faculty invites further examination using multiple methodologies and elevation of faculty's voice in the discourse around IL.

The Concept, Design, Implementation, And Assessment Of Case-Based Learning In An Information Literacy Classroom, Junli Diao

Publications and Research

Case-Based Learning (CBL) is a popular and successful teaching method used for a long time in disciplines such as medicine, business, law, and computer science. In the past decade, there has been a trend to introduce CBL into library instructions as an active teaching approach in the field of library and information science. Although a few studies have been conducted to investigate the advantages of this teaching technique in the library and information science literature, there remains a substantial absence of first-hand instructional experiences and observations from academic librarians who are actively teaching information literacy. This article presents a personal …

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 …

Teaching Online Source Evaluation: Going Beyond Craap Using Lateral Reading, Andrea Baer, Daniel G. Kipnis

Libraries Scholarship

Lateral reading is the process of initially evaluating a web source by quickly moving off of the web source to see what others say about it. Research on “lateral reading” from the Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) and from Mike Caulfield has informed how many librarians think about teaching source evaluation. In this talk, we will share our experiences in developing a pilot online interactive module about lateral reading strategies.

Presentation for 2020 New Jersey Library Association College and University Section (CUS) Summer Workshop.

Uncharted Waters: Navigating with a compass for Adaptability

University Of Northern Colorado: Collaborate. Standardize. Grow, Lyda Mccartin

University Libraries Faculty Publications

Chapter 38 in the book Hidden Architectures of Information Literacy Programs: Structures, Practices, and Contexts edited by Carolyn Caffrey Gardner, Elizabeth Galoozis, and Rebecca Halpern. The chapter provides an overview of University Libraries Information Literacy and Undergraduate Support department and discussed the importance of standardizing one-shot curriculum in order to grow a robust information literacy program.

Rethinking The Neoliberal University: Critical Library Pedagogy In An Age Of Transition, Jason Coleman, Lis Pankl

Communications in Information Literacy

In the chapter we wrote 10 years ago for Critical Library Instruction: Theories and Methods we asked instructors to free themselves from the stifling heritage of positivism that privileged tools and instrumentality above meaning. Drawing on Henry Giroux and Oscar Wilde, we urged our peers to embrace dialogue that respects the individual and draws connections between information literacy and the students’ authentic goals and experiences. In this essay we describe numerous changes over that past decade that embrace the central themes of our chapter. We then explain that these examples coexist within a vast edifice of antithetical, neoliberal institutions. We …

Critical Library Instruction, Causing Trouble, And Institutionalization, Maura Seale

Communications in Information Literacy

This essay considers the institutionalization of critical library instruction in the decade since the publication of Critical Library Instruction: Theories & Methods. Drawing on the work of Sara Ahmed and Rod Ferguson, I suggest that because library instruction is marginalized within librarianship, critical library instruction can and has become institutionalized within the profession. The institutionalization of critical library instruction represents the management of the wider-ranging and more troublesome critiques of critical librarianship. The marginality of critical library instruction, however, means that it continues to function as a site of troublemaking.

Alexa, Ask My Library: How Do I Build A Custom Skill To Extend Reference Services?, Christopher M. Jimenez

Works of the FIU Libraries

The Reference Technology team at Florida International University recently published an Alexa Skill that incorporates the LibAnswers API into the device’s answer bank. We have several Echo Show devices at our public service desks to meet the demands of extended hours while also enhancing public service presence beyond the reference desk.

The Green Library at FIU’s Modesto Maidique Campus now operates on a 24/5 schedule, allowing students to access library facilities at any time during the week. In addition, both the Hubert Library and the Engineering Library Service Center stay open past times when personal reference assistance is available. This …

Student Research Journal, Volume 10, Issue 1, Student Reseach Journal

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Nothin' To It But To Do It! Simple And Effective Outreach To Faculty, Jillian Collier

South Carolina Libraries

This paper is a summary of a poster presentation, originally presented at the 2019 Annual Conference of the SCLA, which described a simple and effective method for outreach to faculty, encouraging them to schedule library instruction. Such a method can be used to improve communication with faculty and grow a library instruction program.

Uniting The Field: Using The Acrl Visual Literacy Competency Standards To Move Beyond The Definition Problem Of Visual Literacy, Dana Thompson, Stephanie Beene

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Visual literacy has evolved alongside information literacy and media literacy, reflecting social, technological, and cultural changes. Rapidly advancing technology, multimodal access to information and disinformation, and political rhetoric increasingly impact the perception, trust, and use of visual media. These broader technological and cultural shifts also change what it means to be a visually literate individual in the twenty-first century. Although much has been written about visual literacy, there is very little that reviews scholarship that uses the 2011 ACRL Visual Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. Through an analysis of 196 articles published from 2011 to 2019, this study …

Graduate Occupational Therapy Students: Communication And Research Preferences From Three University Libraries, Lisa A. Adriani, Daniel G. Kipnis, Ronda I. Kolbin, Daniel Verbit

Libraries Scholarship

Library liaisons from three universities distributed an anonymous survey to graduate occupational therapy students to gauge preferred methods of communication when conducting research. This article discusses three findings: whom the students prefer to turn to when seeking research assistance, which methods of communication students prefer, and how long students spend searching before asking for assistance. From 193 responses, the liaisons reasoned that students prefer consulting with their peers before seeking help from librarians or faculty or instructors and they prefer assistance face-to-face. Additionally, the majority are willing to research from 30 minutes to 1 hour before seeking research help.

Fogler Library: Writing A Research Abstract Workshop, Anne Marie Engelsen, Allyson Hammond

UMaine Video

The most important part of your research paper is your abstract. Its purpose is not only to concisely summarize your work but also to grab the reader’s attention and convince them that your research is valuable and important. An unclear abstract can set the stage for confusion, whereas a polished abstract prepares the reader by telling them what to expect from your paper.

This workshop will show you how to perfect your abstract (with an emphasis on the UMaine Student Symposium’s guidelines). We will begin with an overview of abstract-writing tips, followed by group activities for practice.

About the Speaker …

Innovative Education: Information Literacy Planning Reframed As Design Thinking, Kay Coates, Dylitchrous Thompson

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Innovative education can be conceptualized as the “new” ways and methods of delivering educational content mostly in the realm of civil discourse and academics. Information literacy plays a niche role in content delivery generally, but especially when the discussion centers on tertiary scholarship. Design thinking is one of the many innovative methods of teaching and learning that has taken traction in the field of education. Manifestly, however, librarians have practiced this since the profession became a lettered vocation. It is without adequately acknowledging that by providing information literacy, librarians continue to do their part skillfully and quietly for successful outcomes …

From Information Literacy To A Spirit Of Inquiry: A Tale Of Two Librarians, Maura Mandyck

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

With just two teaching librarians at our small liberal arts college on the Gulf Coast, we needed to create a coherent, reproducible, adaptable, and student-centered information literacy curriculum that would best serve the freshman English courses we work with most closely. Over the course of the last four years, we have blended the long experience and deep institutional knowledge of one of our librarians with the fresh-from-the-trenches (that is, high school librarianship and experience as an adjunct English instructor) perspective of the other to create the program of a Spirit of Inquiry, which we describe this way:

Active curiosity, diligent …