Information Literacy Commons^™

Information Outlook, January/February 2015, Special Libraries Association

Information Outlook, 2016

Volume 20, Issue 1

Spectators Or Patriots? Citizens In The Information Age, Amrita Dhawan

Publications and Research

In theory, a strong democracy rests on robust citizen participation. The practice in most democracies is quite different. This gap presents a challenge, which can be narrowed by augmenting civic education to bring it up to date with the current information environment and thus give citizens the opportunity to participate. Robert Dahl’s work on democracy provides a model that looks at this problem structurally. He writes about the ideals and the actual institutions necessary for a democracy and if we situate his model in the modern information environment we get a better idea of how to improve civic education. Successful …

Himmelfarb Library Liaison Letter - February 2016, George Washington University, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library

Himmelfarb Library Liaison Letters

No abstract provided.

Popular Sources, Advertising, And Information Literacy: What Librarians Need To Know, Rachel King

Brooklyn Library Faculty Publications

Sponsored content, also known as “native advertising,” is a relatively new form of advertising in which corporate sponsors fund articles in periodicals and often exert significant control over the editorial process. This model is a dramatic reversal from past practice; throughout the 20th century, allowing advertisers and sales departments to dictate editorial content was considered unethical by most observers both inside and outside of journalism. Because the information literate student is one who can navigate both library databases and the open web, this article urges academic reference and instruction librarians to gain a deeper understanding of how advertising impacts the …

Student See Versus Student Do: A Comparative Study Of Two Online Tutorials, Ilana Stonebraker, M Brooke Robertshaw, Jennifer D. Moss

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

This study examines the impact on student performance after interactive and non-interactive tutorials using a 2 × 2 treatment-control design. In an undergraduate management course, a control group watched a video tutorial while the treatment group received the same content using a dynamic tutorial. Both groups received the same quiz questions. Using effect size to determine magnitude of change, it was found that those in the treatment condition performed better than those in the control condition. Students were able to take the quiz up to two times. When examining for change in performance from attempt one to attempt two, the …

Research Trends & Emerging Technologies For Genealogists, Catherine Lucy

School of Information Student Research Journal

This study examines current research methods utilized by genealogists, and seeks to discover the impact of emerging tools and technologies on their information seeking needs and behaviors. When it became clear that there is a shortage of scholarly studies identifying the use of newer technologies (i.e. blogs, social media, and apps), an original survey for genealogists was created. Over four hundred genealogists were surveyed regarding their use of both traditional research methods (methods that have existed for many decades) and Internet/electronic resources, in order to demonstrate which new trends are emerging. The data from the survey might lessen the gap …

Rethinking Assessment: Information Literacy Instruction And The Acrl Framework, Melissa J. Anderson

School of Information Student Research Journal

Most information literacy instruction (ILI) done in academic libraries today is based on the ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, but with the replacement of these standards by the new Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, there is a need to re-evaluate current teaching strategies and instructional techniques so that they can better serve the Framework’s goals. This paper explores current trends in ILI instruction and in the area of assessment in particular, since ILI assessment provides an opportunity not only to evaluate teaching effectiveness but also to reinforce the learning goals of the new Framework …

Information Behavior In The Mobile Environment: An Overview, Ziming Liu

School of Information Student Research Journal

As smartphones become ubiquitous, they increasingly influence the way in which students seek and use information. It is important to understand emerging information behavior as a result of wide spread use of smartphones. This paper provides an overview of information behavior in the mobile environment. Gender differences in mobile information seeking are discussed. People interact with mobile information in varied and unpredictable locations or while in transit. The mobility of information engagement is an important issue that human information theory should embrace.

Information Literacy In The Digital Age, Adrienne Mathewson

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Leave Your “Expert” Hat At The Door: Embracing Critical Pedagogy To Create A Community Of Librarian Learners, Marisol Ramos, Jennifer Snow, Sharon Giovenale, Kathleen Labadorf, Dawn Cadogan

Published Works

The purpose of these activities is to bring together an open-minded community of learners that will foster a critical pedagogy environment among librarians in their workplace. In this way, librarians can reflect on their instruction and develop new skills and insights that will benefit both themselves and their students.

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival, Karen Rowell, The University Of Southern Mississippi, The University Of Southern Mississippi's School Of Library And Information Science

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival Programs

The program for the forty-ninth annual Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival held on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 2016.

Got A Minute? Instruction Tune-Up For Time Pressed Librarians, Alison Hicks, Cyndi Landis, Saleh Aljalahmah, Brittiny Tirapelle, Meghan Damour, Chelsea Heinbach, Joanna Stankiewicz, Renate Robey, Meghan Ecklund, Andrea Copland, Michael Bovee, Paul Worrell, Kate Wimer, Cortnye Rusch, Joe Richard, Kerena Burns, Rachel Reddick, Tiegan Ziegler, Rebekah Thurston, Kathryn Bodnar

Library and Information Science: Student Scholarship

This book contains 19 essays that have been written by current LIS Students who were enrolled in the LIS4330: Library Instruction class at the University of Denver, 2016. Designed to provide a short and pithy overview of a topic that is related to instruction, education, or information literacy, each essays aims to be accessible and approachable for time-pressed librarians who may not have time to catch up.

Authority And Source Evaluation In The Critical Library Classroom, Eamon Tewell, Katelyn Angell

Brooklyn Library Faculty Publications

These lesson plans began with a desire to explore notions of authority in the library classroom at our mid-sized urban university, including how authority is used by teachers to the benefit or detriment of learners and how learners can begin to reclaim their own authority. In creating these lesson plans, we sought to begin with students’ experiences, promote their sense of personal empowerment, and encourage them to consider the complexities of source evaluation.

Fire In The Library: Transitioning Students To Research In A First-Year Experience Program, Kathrine C. Aydelott

University Library Scholarship

No abstract provided.

On Playing With Fire: A Choose-Your-Own Adventure Conference Presentation, Kathrine C. Aydelott, Kellian Adams

University Library Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Framing Digital Literacy: The Acrl Framework, Bethany Anne Wilkes

Research Collection Library

The Association of College and Research Library’s (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education is a key document for developing and guiding information literacy programmes. In this opinion piece the author posits that the Framework is inclusive of themes and elements that support digital literacy as well, whether it is viewed as a unique literacy or as part of the broader literacy of information literacy. The paper explores the background of the Framework, definitions of digital literacy, and the ways in which the Framework connects to digital literacy. The author argues that the Framework is a relevant guide for …

Building Community: Synergy And Empowerment Through Staff Development And Marketing In A Small Rural Academic Library, Bethany Anne Wilkes

Research Collection Library

This paper presents two collaborative programs at a small academic library that leverage the insights, engagement, and interests of our most important asset: our staff. Two new library committees, the Staff Training Advisory Group and the Marketing Team, extended planning, accountability, and partnerships to paraprofessional staff members. The onset and associated activities of these two committees yielded not only direct results in terms of staff training programs and marketing initiatives, but also resulted in creating a more collaborative culture and shared purpose in our library. This paper examines how the overlap of these two committees created a convergence that fostered …

Two Parts Reflection, One Part Selfie: A Visual Alternative To The Minute Paper, Kellie Meehlhause

Library Publications

For almost 40 years, the Minute Paper has been a quick and easy means of learning assessment, both in the college classroom and in library instruction. More recently, the use of social media, particularly selfies, has gained popularity by connecting with students through the technology with which they are most familiar. This article makes the case for combining the Minute Paper and selfies in order to gain an insight into students’ skill development and retention after a library session. Adaptable to a variety of classes and learning outcomes, the activity enables students to actively use the skills they have learned, …

Rethinking The Concept Of “Information Literacy”: A German Perspective, Rares G. Piloiu

Library Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The purpose of this article is to draw attention to the original and diverse approaches to the concept of information literacy in the German academic world. Unlike the American notion of information literacy, whose pedagogy, methodology and conceptualization follow guidelines set forth by powerful professional organisations such as ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) and ALA (American Library Association), the German notion of information literacy is still negotiated on an interdisciplinary market of ideas ranging from communication science to didactics and from cultural anthropology to epistemology. An awareness of this international perspective on information literacy is timely, given the …

Unh School Of Law Ip Library: 20th Anniversary Reflection On The Only Academic Ip Library In The United States, Jon R. Cavicchi

Law Faculty Scholarship

[Excerpt] The UNH School of Law Intellectual Property Library celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year. It is a fortuitous time for this look back and for strategic considerations for the future. This anniversary comes at a time in the history of legal education when conditions over the past few years have intensified the analysis of mission and resources for law school libraries. This article is a retrospective review of the history and dynamics surrounding the founding and first twenty years of growth. It is also an analysis of the future growth and mission of the IP Library during times that …

Digital Literacy: Why It Matters, Allison Kavanagh, K.C. O'Rourke

Journal Articles

In the past two decades the internet, email, apps, mobile devices and all associated hardware and software have become firmly embedded in everyday life, to the extent that it often feels that we have had no control over this phenomenon. What are the implications for education?

Primary and secondary students today have grown up with the always-connected life which the internet has enabled. However, the credence given to the idea that this makes them fully comfortable and aware as "digital natives" is misguided. The social implications of the internet society – surveillance and the decline of privacy, cyberbullying and so …

A Pragmatic And Flexible Approach To Information Literacy: Findings From A Three-Year Study Of Faculty-Librarian Collaboration, Barbara Junisbai, M. Sara Lowe, Natalie Tagge

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

While faculty often express dismay at their students’ ability to locate and evaluate secondary sources, they may also be ambivalent about how to (and who should) teach the skills required to carry out quality undergraduate research. This project sought to assess the impact of programmatic changes and librarian course integration on students’ information literacy (IL) skills. Using an IL rubric to score student papers (n=337) over three consecutive first-year student cohorts, our study shows that when faculty collaborate with librarians to foster IL competencies, the result is a statistically significant improvement in students’ demonstrated research skills. Our study also reveals …

Idea Model From Theory To Practice: Integrating Information Literacy In Academic Courses, Kim Mullins

Post Library Faculty Publications

The IDEA model is a step-by-step curriculum design process for integrating information literacy in academic courses. The model supports the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) proposed 2015 Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education through the collaborative efforts between librarians and teaching faculty in order to “create a new cohesive curriculum for information literacy”. The author created the model after a review of the literature indicated no existing systematic approach to working collaboratively with faculty to integrate information literacy in academic courses. It became evident that a library-specific instructional design model would be more efficient in streamlining the …

Reinvigorating A Library Workshop Series: Moving Workshops Into The Online Environment, Mandi Goodsett

Michael Schwartz Library Publications

More than ever, college students engaging with their institutions’ libraries are distance students who may never physically set foot in the library building. Even on-campus students have hectic schedules which often prevent them from taking advantage of library assistance and instruction. For these and other reasons, librarians at Cleveland State University decided to reinvigorate their in-person information literacy workshops by supplementing them with an asynchronous online plagiarism workshop. In the process, the coordinating instruction librarian solicited help in designing the online workshop content from a number of stakeholders on campus, including other subject specialist librarians, a representative from the Office …

Why The Acrl Framework For Information Literacy For Higher Education Enhances Information Literacy Instruction, Kathy F. Kempa

Selected Faculty Publications

This article attempts to clarify what the ACRL Framework is designed to do for teaching librarians. The article looks briefly at the need for change from the Competency Standards based on librarian concerns about their own teaching effectiveness. The short description of two of the foundational books, on which the Framework was based, are introduced so that instruction librarians can do their own research into the Framework foundational concepts for a deeper understanding of the value of this new approach to library teaching. Links to teaching resources are included.

Instruction @ The Uri Libraries - January 2016, Mary C. Macdonald, Amanda Izenstark

Instruction @ the URI Libraries

No abstract provided.

Librarians In The Midst: Improving Student Research Through Collaborative Instruction, Mandy Shannon, Vaughn Shannon

University Libraries' Staff Publications

We test whether and how well the presence of an embedded librarian improves the quality of student research. Students in introductory-level courses tend to have very low levels of research skills and experience. Though faculty are frustrated by this lack of skills, both students and faculty tend to have only a peripheral knowledge of the role librarians can play in helping develop their research skills. Studies suggest that embedding librarians into course instruction is the preferred method for improving students’ research skills, yet the political science teaching and learning literature rarely addresses this issue, or focus on single class experiences, …

Preservation Perspectives: Family Photographs, Part I-Identification, Bill Stolz

University Libraries' Staff Publications

The author opines on identification of photographs. Topics discussed include identifying the type of photographs through the online chart by The Northeast Document Conservation Center, scanning and email the image to family members, and noticing clothing, hats, and hair, and checking the background and objects in the photograph.

Improving Primo Usability And Teachability With Help From The Users, Barbara Valentine, Beth West

Faculty & Staff Publications

In the aftermath of a consortium migration to a shared cloud-based resource management and discovery system, a small college library implemented a web usability test to uncover the kinds of difficulties students had with the new interface. Lessons learned from this study led to targeted changes, which simplified aspects of searching, but also enhanced the librarians’ ability to teach more effectively. The authors discuss the testing methods, results, and teaching opportunities, both realized and potential, which arose from implementing changes.

Informed Learning, Information Literacy, And Scholarly Communication: Library Pedagogy As A Bridge To The Disciplines, Kim L. Ranger

Presentations

The focus of this presentation is to report findings from growing partnerships between faculty whose primary focus is classroom teaching and faculty librarians, revealing connections between our disciplines and co-designing curricula that recognize the commonalities in pedagogy, theories, and professional practice. Information literacy and scholarly communication are combined in teaching and learning lessons, materials, and shared terminology. The presenter will encourage participants to reflect on why and how librarians invite students into the disciplines and to investigate ways of assessing student learning.