Library and Information Science Commons^™

Enchanted April, Christopher V. Hollister, Allison Hosier, Jacqulyn A. Williams

Communications in Information Literacy

This editorial is a tribute to former CIL co-editor-in-chief, April Schweikhard.

From Cynicism To Trust: Strategies For Teaching Students Source Evaluation Skills, Mandi Goodsett, Melanie Gagich

Communications in Information Literacy

Concerns about the spread and adoption of misinformation abound, and academic librarians have played a part in trying to stem the tide through information literacy instruction. However, teaching students how to evaluate sources can be complicated—teaching fact-checking skills may be insufficient if it increases students’ overall cynicism about information ecosystems. This study explores how teaching fact-checking and lateral reading skills, along with instruction about “bias filters,” can help to reduce the cynicism of first year writing students, while also increasing their misinformation detection skills. Results are mixed, but teaching about the information creation process and “bias filters” is especially promising. …

Visual Literacy Instruction At Scale: Developing Asynchronous Learning Objects For First-Year Art And Design Students, Jacqueline Huddle, Sarah Carter

Communications in Information Literacy

While learning modules are not new to academic librarianship, student-centered, asynchronous learning modules are an innovative approach not commonly considered within the academic librarianship literature. This article discusses the development and implementation of visual literacy asynchronous learning modules created by two librarians for a cohort of first-year studio art students. In creating these modules, the goal was to offer studio art students visual literacy instruction specific to their personal interests and future careers. Specifically, this article discusses the module design process and how student-centered learning can be incorporated into modules in order to offer deep learning opportunities.

Selected Artificial Intelligence Provisions In U.S. Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

The 2025 Fiscal Year National Defense Authorization Act contains multiple provisions relating to artificial intelligence (AI). These congressionally mandated provisions direct various sections of the Department of Defense (DOD) and individual U.S. armed service branches to execute congressional intent for AI policymaking. Examples of such intent include identifying and planning DOD's AI workforce, demonstrating AI biotechnology applications for national security, improving the human usability of AI systems, and establishing an AI security center. This presentation will note that reports on these initiatives must be prepared for relevant congressional oversight committees, and, in many cases, are in many cases, publicly released …

Fostering Ai Literacy In Undergraduates: A Chatgpt Workshop Case Study, Susan G. Archambault, Nicole L. Murph, Shalini Ramachandran

Librarian Publications & Presentations

This case study explores the design and implementation of a Chat-GPT literacy workshop for undergraduate students, aiming to equip them with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the AI-driven information landscape responsibly and critically. Drawing from a comprehensive literature review on AI literacy and employing a postphenomenological lens, the workshop incorporated best practices for teaching ChatGPT skills, including an emphasis on ethical considerations and critical reflection on the human-technology relationship. The postphenomenological perspective allows for a deeper understanding of how ChatGPT shapes students' experiences and practices. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study assessed the effectiveness of the workshop through …

Enhancing Nursing Student Research Skills Through Library Engagement, Maletta Payne

Southern University and A&M College: John B. Cade Library Publications

This article examines the experience of a Library Liaison at Southern University and A&M College who organized and facilitated a Library Day for over seventy undergraduate nursing students, providing instruction on locating quantitative research articles and responding to students’ research inquiries in real time.

A Different Perspective: Maslow’S Hierarchy & Information Literacy, Brian W. Keith, Amy Odwarka

All Faculty Scholarship

This presentation offers an innovative conceptual framework for intellectual freedom drawn from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The adapted system positions information literacy in a progressive journey tied to a student's academic growth, evolving from basic participation to advanced knowledge creation and intellectual independence. With this guide, libraries can structure information literacy supports based on the progression of student needs, some of which are foundational to success in library instruction settings. Universities can evaluate whether their supports—through libraries, technology, and academic services—are meeting students' needs at each level, ultimately guiding them toward becoming confident, independent researchers and scholars.

Conducting Effective Literature Searches And Writing Strong Abstracts, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This invited presentation for students at Poland's War Studies University communicates ideas on how Ph.D. students at this institution can enhance their research quality. Specific content includes formulating your research question, determining research aims and methodology, reviewing a research question checklist, understanding the meaning of search terms you propose to utilize, devising effective search strategies, consulting multiple varieties of information resources from multiple countries, finding gaps in literature, being able to distinguish between nuances in literature and data, writing succinct abstracts, and enhancing the clarity of your prose.

Not Red Or Blue, But Green: The Political Economy Of Media Bias For Librarians And Educators, Becka Cooling

All Student Capstones

This capstone was completed in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts in Sociology.

Designing Effective Library Treasure Hunts: Theory, Practice, And Framework Alignment, Ellwood Colahan

University Libraries: Faculty Scholarship

Treasure hunts have long been employed in academic library instruction as an interactive method for fostering information literacy skills through active learning, exploration, and adventure. This essay offers a comprehensive analysis of the theory and practice of library treasure hunts. It begins by distinguishing treasure hunts from scavenger hunts and emphasizing the importance of accurate terminology. The pedagogical principles underlying their effectiveness are then examined, followed by a review of the relevant literature. The essay also addresses the challenges associated with the labor-intensive process of designing and implementing these activities. A separate analysis course alignment, learning outcomes, and how the …

Primary Source Analysis: Using Digitized Time-Motion Study Films In The Undergraduate Business Classroom To Build Primary Source Literacy, Annette Bochenek, Renusree Varma Mudduluru

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

This paper details a study conducted in the context of a large Midwestern university’s undergraduate business class, employing the ACRL RBMS-SAA Guidelines for Primary Source Literacy in a guided in-class activity using digitized primary sources. Students participated in an introductory lesson pertaining to primary sources and their connection to business, followed by viewing and analyzing digitized clips from Frank and Lillian Gilbreth’s time-motion studies. In addition, they completed a reflective discussion board post, illuminating their connections to the ACRL RBMS-SAA Guidelines for Primary Source Literacy core ideas of the analytical, ethical, theoretical, and practical. Potential affective experiences were also examined …

Teaching Information Literacy In A Genai World: A 5cs Framework For Fostering Critical Engagement, Paul Cook, Adam Maksl

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Teaching Information Literacy in a GenAI World:
A 5Cs Framework for Fostering Critical Engagement

This interactive workshop will equip participants with a robust framework for teaching students the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the modern, multifaceted information ecosystems upon which GenAI is built and operates. The 5Cs of news literacy (context, creation, content, circulation, and consumption), as outlined in Tully, Maksl, Ashley, Vraga, and Craft (2021), will be adapted to information literacy more broadly and we will explain how that framework presents an excellent foundation upon which broader information literacy knowledge and skills can be built. As GenAI becomes …

The Disinformation Vaccine: A Case For Integrating Comprehensive Disinformation Education Into First Year Writing Classes, Benjamin F. Jackson

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Students’ exposure to disinformation and misinformation is far greater than it has ever been. As the ability of generative AI to produce image, video, and audio deepfakes grows more sophisticated, disinformation will become even easier to spread and harder to detect. The rapid spread of social, political, scientific, and medical disinformation has been deadly and its potential is disastrous. Security experts now warn that dis/misinformation is the greatest threat to national security. Americans at large and students in particular have a demonstrated lack of information literacy when it comes to detecting false information, and bad actors nationally and globally are …

Measuring Outreach In Unexpected Places, Renee Cole Montgomery, Chereeka Garner, Katy A. Miller

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

The University of Central Florida hosts one of the largest student bodies in the nation. Just looking at the numbers, it may seem like every library event is a huge success. However, when you compare this with the number of students represented, it becomes apparent that we are only reaching a fraction of the students who attend the university. For this reason, librarians are always looking for ways to reach as many students as possible. One of the best methods to develop meaningful programming is to ask students themselves what they want to experience.

To collect as much student feedback …

Establishing The Digital Commons Institutional Repository: One Department At A Time At Subr Library, Maletta Payne

Southern University and A&M College: John B. Cade Library Publications

This article examines the strategies implemented by the Institutional Repository Administrator at Southern University and A&M College to curate and sustain scholarly collections that preserve, disseminate, and increase the global visibility of the university’s faculty and student research. By promoting open access and ensuring the long-term preservation of scholarly output, these initiatives advance the institution’s research mission, foster academic collaboration, and contribute to the broader dissemination of knowledge.

The Data-Driven Library: Communicating The Value Of Your School Library Program To Administrators, Parents, Students, And Colleagues, Shala Howell

Learning Hub

This article examines the use of data dashboards as a tool for teacher librarians to advocate for their school library programs. It emphasizes the importance of linking library services to district priorities to secure funding, increase collaboration, and demonstrate the library’s impact on student outcomes. An eight-step process is detailed, including defining objectives, identifying target audiences, collecting and visualizing data, and publishing dashboards using accessible tools like Google Workspace. By crafting coherent, audience-specific narratives, librarians can highlight how their programs support educational goals, improve resource utilization, and foster collaboration. The article concludes that data dashboards provide a sustainable and compelling …

Characteristics Of World Class School Librarians, David V. Loertscher, Michelle Young, Charlene Peterson

Learning Hub

Over 30 school librarians across the U.S. and Canada and who had been nominated by their peers for their excellence were interviewed as a part of the AliveLibrary Project at San Jose State University. The major question was “What are the major characteristics of world class school librarians.” Each was read and rated by three researchers, and in several rounds resulted in eight major characteristics that seem to undergird high impact on teaching and learning across a wide spectrum of locations, affluence, diversity, and communities.

Bibliographic Instruction And The Need For “Librarian-First” Oer Repositories, Michael Kirby

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

The Politics, Policy, And International Relations Section Companion Document To The Framework: Process And Outcomes, Mary K. Oberlies, Brett Cloyd, Erin Ackerman, Stephanie Crowe, Christopher Lemery, Kimberly Macvaugh, Chelsea Nesvig, Winn W. Wasson

Librarian Publications

The Politics, Policy, and International Relations (PPIRS) section of ACRL is a forum for librarians to exchange information and ideas relevant to disciplines such as political science, law, international relations, security studies, public policy, and related fields. From 2018-2021, an ad hoc committee of section members worked to develop an addition to the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education focused on the Framework’s applications to PPIRS disciplines, now known as the Companion Document to the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education: Politics, Policy, and International Relations (the PPIRS Companion Document).1 In this chapter, we provide an …

Reflections On Crafting A Framework Companion Document For And By Science And Technology Librarians, Dawn Cannon-Rech, Allison B. Brungard, Rachel Hamelers, Rebecca Kuglitsch, Rebecca Renirie

University Libraries: Faculty Publications

Abstract unavailable.

Best Practices Checklist For One-Shot Library Instruction Session, William H. Hannon Library Reference & Instruction Department

Librarian Publications & Presentations

The Best Practices Checklist for One-Shot Library Instruction is a practical tool designed to help librarians implement inclusive, accessible teaching practices within the constraints of one-shot instruction sessions. Developed by the Reference & Instruction Department at the William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University, this checklist uses a two-tier structure: Essential Practices (must-do items for every session) and Enhanced Practices (recommended when time and context allow). The checklist is organized chronologically across five key areas that mirror the natural preparation and delivery flow: Pre-Session Information Gathering, Materials & Access, Content & Search Instruction, Teaching Strategies, and Classroom Environment. Grounded in …

Implementing Information Literacy Practices In Curriculum, Ongelle Schroeder

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This literature review explores the value of integrating information literacy instruction into existing curricula, with a focus on collaboration between faculty and librarians. As students face an overwhelming volume of information, equipping them with the skills to navigate, evaluate, and use sources effectively is increasingly essential—especially in course that require source-based writing, research, and critical analysis. The review highlights key approaches and resources to support educators in embedding information literacy into instruction. While this literature review was written for the contexts of ENG 101 and COMM 100/102, its themes are applicable to a wide range of teaching contexts.

Information Literacy & Library Research Skills: What Faculty Think Fy Students Know - A Pilot Study, Julia Warga

2025 Faculty Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Hearing From Working Nurses: Incorporating Real-World Knowledge Practices Into The Framework To Better Instruct Tomorrow’S Healthcare Professionals, Anne R. Diekema, Elizabeth (Betsy) S. Hopkins, Britt Fagerheim, Brandon Patterson, Nena Schvaneveldt

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

There is a certain duality to the role of librarians in higher education as the job requires preparing students for their current academic work, such as doing research for writing papers, while at the same time preparing students for their future professional information work.¹ Librarians seeking guidance on teaching information literacy more comprehensively are left to study the professional standards of the targeted professional group,² and find or carry out research on these practitioners.³ Synthesizing and translating these findings into instructional approaches while staying true to existing information literacy standards, however, can be challenging.⁴ In this …

School Library Professionals’ Perceptions Of Students’ Digital Information Literacy, Margaret Kristin Merga, Saiyidi Mat Roni

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Young people need strong digital information literacy (DIL) skills to effectively source, interpret and evaluate the credibility of online information. As DIL educators and advocates within contemporary schools, school library professionals can provide cross-contextual insights into their students’ DIL knowledge, skills and learning opportunities. Data from the 2024 International School Library Workforce Survey suggest that developing DIL may not be a typical priority in all schools and countries. Students’ DIL was felt to be low. School library professionals may be underutilized for supporting DIL learning in 35% of contexts, highlighting the need for greater understanding of this professional role.

Chaos Creator: Misinformation Inoculation In Information Literacy Instruction, Mandi Goodsett

Michael Schwartz Library Publications

Combating the spread of misinformation is a struggle that has inspired considerable research in the fields of psychology, education, political science, and information science, among others. Such research has found that “prebunking” or “inoculation” techniques—strategies that reduce the acceptance of misinformation before one has encountered it—have had marked success. However, there is little evidence that librarians are deliberately employing inoculation techniques in their information literacy (IL) instruction. Via a quasi-experimental study, this research explores the effect of prebunking techniques in an IL instruction session on undergraduate students’ ability to recognise misinformation. The prebunking techniques are delivered through a competitive game …

Understanding Ai Literacy: Implications For Practice, Sara Westall, Janet Anderson, Devon Olson

Librarian Publications

A presentation developed for the fall 2024 University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences Medical Curriculum Advance, exploring the connections between information literacy, artificial intelligence literacy, and algorithmic literacy and their relevance to health education from the perspective of research and instruction librarians.

The Inclusion Of Metacognition In Source Evaluation Instruction, Anthony Tardiff

Communications in Information Literacy

Though the ACRL Framework holds metacognition as crucial to exercising information literacy, its emphasis was reduced from prominence in early drafts to a single mention in the final document. At the same time, few of the frequently-taught sets of source evaluation criteria include a step for self-awareness. This raises the question: do librarians explicitly teach metacognitive concepts when they teach source evaluation? Online library guides about source evaluation from various colleges and universities in Washington state were analyzed, and librarians who taught source evaluation were surveyed to determine whether and to what extent metacognitive concepts were included as part of …

Mapping Out Information Literacy: A Textbook Review, Alyssa Russo

Communications in Information Literacy

This narrative review examines the thematic content and evolution of information literacy textbooks published between 2005 and 2022. Analyzing sixteen textbooks, it explores two themes: the research process and conceptual foundations of information literacy. The research process theme highlights the procedural aspects of conducting library research, delineating the steps from topic selection to presentation. The conceptual foundations of IL theme reveals a discrepancy in how textbooks address the broader conceptual underpinnings of information literacy, particularly the context of a rapidly changing information society. This review highlights the focus on practical skills and the relative lack of discussions on broader contexts …

Cognitive Apprenticeship Strategies For The Media Literacy Classroom, Nate Floyd, Jaclyn Spraetz

Communications in Information Literacy

Inspired by the apprenticeship model of teaching and learning, two instructors report on their efforts to place current events at the center of a semester-long media and information literacy course. They discuss strategies to harness curiosity about contemporary topics (e.g., misinformation, climate change, algorithms, right-to-repair, blockchain, artificial intelligence, etc.), and create engagement-driven course content. The paper provides concrete examples of activities and assignments used to situate learning in real-world contexts and build students' confidence in navigating information independently. This case study offers insights for other educators seeking to apply cognitive apprenticeship principles to media and information literacy instruction.