Information Literacy Commons^™

“‘What Is One Takeaway You've Gotten From This Learning Experience?’ Analyzing Student Reflections On Introductory Information Literacy Instruction”, Amanda Nichols Hess, Emily Ruth Benoit, Rebecca M. Krystyniak, Stephanie Williams

Communications in Information Literacy

Reflection is a useful pedagogical tool for both learners in instructional settings and educators seeking to offer meaningful experiences; in this article, a group of academic librarians use the former to engage with the latter. We analyzed more than 830 first-year students’ responses to a reflection question posed at the conclusion of library instruction over the course of the 2023–2024 academic year with a specific eye to the concepts that were and were not resonant, as well as whether there were common areas of confusion. We used a grounded theory approach to make sense of the data and allow ideas …

Information Literacy In The Artificial Intelligence Era: A Proposed Framework, Radwan Ali, Matthew L. Wilson

Communications in Information Literacy

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems and applications have become ubiquitous across daily life. While AI offers numerous positive opportunities, it also presents numerous challenges. Information literacy (IL) advocates are concerned about the risks that accompany AI systems. Given the universal reach of AI with its potential pitfalls and perils, researchers and practitioners from various fields and disciplines should inform the dialogue on AI’s development and application. A critical aspect of this dialogue comes in the form of information literacy. Our paper aims to answer the question “How can information literacy guide users in navigating and shaping artificial intelligence technologies?” by establishing …

Little Did I Know, Christopher V. Hollister

Communications in Information Literacy

Christopher Hollister, co-founder and co-editor-in-chief, reflects on his time with CIL in this farewell editorial.

Critically Evaluating Artificial Intelligence Output: Adapting Source Evaluation For Ai, Samantha Duncan, Allison Faix

Library Faculty Presentations

Generative artificial intelligence poses a new challenge to the teaching of source evaluation. This presentation looks at these challenges and examines why the evaluation heuristics and methods that librarians commonly use to teach source evaluation may not be up to the challenge of evaluating artificial intelligence output. This study looked at LibGuides from a random selection of ARL libraries to examine how (and if) libraries are recommending that students evaluate the output of the generative artificial intelligence tools they are using. This presentation offers suggestions for teaching source evaluation for artificial intelligence tools.

Engaging With Ai In A Technical Writing Course: A Collaboration Between A Writing Instructor And A Librarian, Isabel Baca, Joy Urbina

HIIT 2025

After describing our collaboration (a Technical Writing Instructor and a Librarian) on teaching students how to use artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen their writing, we will engage attendees by having them reflect and practice with AI. For our workshop presentation, attendees will:

• Learn how a librarian and a writing instructor collaborated to teach students to use AI effectively and ethically in their writing.
• Reflect on how they can incorporate AI in their classroom or workplace.
• Learn how a librarian can help them incorporate AI into their courses.
• Practice using AI and developing their prompt engineering skills.

Our workshop presentation will …

Perilaku Pencarian Informasi Kesehatan Tentang Stunting Di Kalangan Masyarakat Pedesaan Tradisional, Euis Sri Nurhayati, Lisy Tantowi, Raisa Hashina Rosalini, Hairun Nisa

Jurnal Ilmu Informasi, Perpustakaan, dan Kearsipan

Stunting remains a significant public health issue in Indonesia, particularly in traditional rural communities such as those in Village X, Leuwi Damar Subdistrict, Lebak Regency, Banten, which are widely recognized as the Outer Baduy community. This study aims to analyze information-seeking behavior related to health information on stunting by examining information needs, preferred sources, barriers encountered, and the socio-cultural context influencing such behavior. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured interviews involving 15 mothers with children under five as the primary participants. Data were analyzed thematically based on Wilson’s (1999) information-seeking behavior model and …

A Different Perspective: Maslow's Hierarchy & Information Literacy, Amy Odwarka, Brian Keith

All Faculty Scholarship

This poster offers an innovative conceptual framework for intellectual freedom and explores information literacy as a developmental journey for learners, aligning it with stages of student experience and growing ability 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 and instructional librarians can tailor information literacy supports based on the progression of student needs at various stages of information literacy development, some of which are foundational to success in library instruction settings. …

Postmortem: Understanding The Life And Death Of A Multi-Year Writing Program In An Academic Library, Catherine Bowers

The Southeastern Librarian

A shared interest in a month-long novel writing event inspired two reference and instruction librarians to develop a serialized program built around writing and research. Through leveraging resources and partnerships, the librarians planned to foster creativity and confidence in research writing skills within an ethos of community. This project relied on multiple forms of outreach and assessment with an intention that would be meaningful and valuable to the students. The goal from the beginning was to develop an event that incorporated the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education, fit the library’s mission, …

Genai Literacy Framework For Library Instruction, Adwoa Boateng, Jennifer Freer, Greyson Pasiak, Erich Short, Ryan Tolnay, Rit Libraries

Presentations and other scholarship

A generative artificial intelligence (genai) framework for library instruction. This short framework is designed to incorporate into existing library instruction across many subject areas. The basic elements of the framework are: know & understand genai, use & evaluate genai, and library research & discovery with genai.

Teaching Information Literacy In The Emerging And Dynamic Fields Of Preparedness And Security, Abigail Adams

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Emergency preparedness and security are comparatively new academic fields, but they have grown tremendously in the last ten years.1 Colleges and universities all over the United States and Canada are adding and expanding programs dedicated to various facets of these subjects. While the specific subtopics and focal areas can vary by program, they all explore threat assessment, risk management, and disaster mitigation in some capacity. Emergency preparedness or emergency management programs prepare students to pursue careers dealing with crisis mitigation and response, whether that crisis is a result of natural disaster, climate change, war, civil unrest, infrastructure failure, economic instability, …

Information Literacy Within And Beyond The Academy: Connecting The Framework To Social Work’S Accreditation Standards And Professional Code Of Ethics, Stephen Maher, Yali Feng, Olivia Given Castello, Carin Graves, Sarah C. Johnson

Staff Scholarship

In 2018, the Education and Behavioral Sciences Section (EBSS) Social Work Committee (the committee) began drafting its companion document to the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. It responded to the ACRL Information Literacy Frameworks and Standards Committee’s charge to utilize the Framework in context with the education standards, goals, and competencies within their respective disciplines by highlighting synergies between the Framework and the accreditation standards associated with social work schools and programs in the United States. The committee would also choose to connect the Framework to social work’s professional Code of Ethics in an attempt to …

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

Faculty and Staff 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.

Incorporating Generative Ai Into Research Consultations: Opportunities, Challenges, And Best Practices, Aleshia A. Huber

Library Scholarship

With the rapid rise of generative AI tools, academic librarians have new opportunities to enhance research consultations and support student learning. This poster shares strategies for incorporating freely available AI tools into one-on-one and small group consultations, emphasizing their use in brainstorming, refining research questions, and improving search strategies. It also addresses how to guide students in evaluating AI-generated content critically and ethically. Based on the experiences of an academic engineering librarian, this poster presents practical examples, highlights successes and limitations, and offers best practices for librarians looking to thoughtfully integrate no-cost AI tools into their own practice.

Contributions Of California Teacher Librarians To Student Achievement, Keith Curry Lance, Caitlin Gerrity

Learning Hub

This article assesses the contributions of California Teacher Librarians (TLs) to student achievement, specifically in the area of English Language Arts and Literacy. This comparison-of-means analysis employed two major datasets: the California Department of Education (CDE) school library evaluation survey and California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) data, both for the 2022-23 school year. This study found that students who met or exceeded ELA standards were more likely to be in schools with: a full-time, certified TL rather than a part-time TL or no TL; a TL–full- or part-time–rather than no TL; a TL staffing a single library …

Leveraging Reddit In Academia, Katherine A. Laflamme

Librarian Publications

This study investigates how integrating Reddit into academic environments can enhance authentic learning experiences and strengthen information literacy skills. As a crowdsourced platform with diverse communities, Reddit provides access to a wide range of perspectives, hard-to-reach populations, and both qualitative and quantitative insights. While Reddit holds potential as a research tool, this article focuses on its application in supporting information literacy and authentic learning assignments. It examines the benefits and challenges of using Reddit in academic settings, highlighting practical applications such as project-based learning (PBL) and renewable assignments that cultivate critical thinking and collaborative learning. By incorporating Reddit into the …

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

Michael Schwartz Library Publications

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. …

"Some Level Of Skill For Life": Secondary Teacher Librarians Supporting Student Information Literacy Skill Transfer Beyond Secondary School, Kasey L. Garrison, Kay Oddone

Communications in Information Literacy

Students entering higher education are expected to transfer information literacy skills and knowledge developed through their primary schooling and sharpened in their secondary years. However, the constant evolution of the information landscape means the mastery of these skills presents challenges for students to develop and teachers to teach. Through interviews, this phenomenological study examines the perspectives and practices of 19 Australian secondary teacher librarians supporting student information literacy skill transfer in school and life contexts and considers important changes in the teaching of these skills. Findings suggest time and content overload are preventing integration across subjects and limiting students’ ability …

What Language Are We Speaking?: Marketing Information Literacy On University Library Websites, Aleksandar Golijanin

Communications in Information Literacy

This study investigates how Canadian university libraries communicate information literacy (IL) to non-library faculty members on faculty-facing web pages. A content analysis was conducted of websites from institutions affiliated with the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (n = 25) to identify trends in the terminology used to describe IL. The findings reveal that the term "information literacy" appears with varying frequency across website headings, subheadings and body text, while terms like “research skills” and “critical information use” may appear in its stead. University libraries may intentionally be employing these terms to enhance faculty engagement in response to the existing …

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.

Generative Ai For College Students: A Collaboratively Developed Online Microcourse On Genai In The College Classroom, Amber Willenborg, Tessa Withorn

Communications in Information Literacy

Academic libraries have taken a variety of approaches to addressing the opportunities and challenges of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education. For universities that have no standard policy around GenAI, instructors are left with little guidance on how to teach students about GenAI in the classroom and may have varying levels of comfort with GenAI and its applications. To address the need for more instruction around GenAI, a team of librarians and university writing center and digital media suite staff took an innovative approach to teaching AI literacy by creating a six-lesson microcourse in their learning management system all …

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. …

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.

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 …

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 …