Information Literacy Commons^™

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Centering Relevance In Information Literacy Teaching And Learning, Anne Jumonville Graf

Communications in Information Literacy

The process of determining whether a source of information is relevant is multidimensional, dynamic, and subjective. This essay puts information science scholarship on relevance, including the process and nature of making relevance judgments, in conversation with models of teaching and learning information literacy. Teaching librarians are encouraged to recognize students’ relevance judgments as sites of reflection and instruction. This essay suggests a variety of ways librarians might do this, from re-thinking source evaluation methods to emphasizing the opportunities available at the source selection stage. The process of determining relevance is a practical site of reflective possibility and deserves greater attention …

Evaluation Of Undergraduate Research Topic Skill Development, Vanessa Arce, Katelyn Angell

Publications and Research

Inspired by the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy frame Research as Inquiry, Lehman College Library conducted an assessment to measure its undergraduate students’ ability to formulate research questions that are appropriately scaled, encourage critical inquiry, and can be supported by available information resources. Using a sample of first-year students enrolled in an English composition class, the assessment revealed that students performed best at locating information resources and struggled most with scaling down a topic. Lessons learned from this study can be extrapolated to outside institutions to improve information literacy learning outcomes.

Midwest Entrepreneurship Case Competition (Mecc) Case Prompt - Anonymized, Zoeanna A. Mayhook, Liz Grauel, Annette H. Bochenek, Ilana Stonebraker, Terence O'Neill

Libraries Faculty and Staff Supplemental Materials

This case is an anonymized version of a prompt used in the 2024 Midwest Entrepreneurship Case Competition (MECC), a undergraduate regional event organized in collaboration with multiple Midwest libraries. The prompt challenges students to conduct market validation research using SimplyAnalytics and perform keyword research and analysis.

Three Years Of Misinformation: A Case Study Of Information Literacy Methods, Elizabeth Zak

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Misinformation is an ever-evolving digital issue. As the internet evolves, so too does misinformation and the ways in which it is propagated. Information literacy methods, such as the CRAAP test, the RADAR framework and the SIFT method, can help information users discern between real and fake information, and prevent the spread of misinformation. Unfortunately, the speed with which misinformation evolves often makes information literacy methods obsolete when they are designed and implemented. Furthermore, when people trust misinformation, they struggle with identifying correct information. Visual misinformation presents another concern: people trust what they see, and new misinformative developments such as deepfakes …

How Multilingual Writers Talk About, Write About, And Engage With Sources In First-Year Composition, Mary Ann Zehr

English Theses & Dissertations

This study makes a contribution to the rhetoric and composition field by documenting the research and writing processes of a diverse group of 15 multilingual writers in first-year composition (FYC) at a small private southeastern university. I collected and analyzed data from three assignments: 1) a video think-aloud capturing participants’ first online search for sources, 2) a two-page reflection on the use of sources in the first full draft of students’ research paper, and 3) their first full draft of the research paper. The study is the first to systematically examine how multilingual writers in FYC at a U.S. university …

Selected U.S. Government Statistical Agencies And Their Data, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Provides introductory and detailed overview of U.S. Government agencies statistics. Includes examples of how an individual U.S. law authorizes government agencies to compile statistics for particular congressional committees and the general public. Statistics cover topics such as demography, defense, foreign assistance, economic growth, criminal justice, energy, Social Security, and Medicare.

Deconstructing Ai Literacy For Librarians, Samantha Seah

Research Collection Library

In this presentation, Samantha shares ways we can think about AI literacy - how it is similar and dissimilar from traditional information literacy, what we need to know about the mechanics of AI tools, and how SMU Libraries support the different users within the university in navigating the issues around artificial intelligence.

The Wicked Problem Of Climate Change And The Challenge Of Engagement: Exploring Educational Approaches And Possibilities For Information Literacy, Andrea Baer

Libraries Scholarship

Climate change is a prime example of a “wicked problem”: it is characterized by complexity and unboundedness and has no complete or simple solutions, though communities can develop constructive interventions that address particular aspects of the problem (for example, in cities increasing green spaces that have a cooling effect). Because the problem of climate change is so expansive and the answers to it remain limited in scope and impact, engaging with the topic inevitably evokes difficult emotions like uncertainty, overwhelm, despair, and grief. So it is understandable that a common response to the realities of climate change has been denial …

Choose Your Own Research Adventure: An Asynchronous Tutorial To Address “Research As Inquiry”, Stacy Brinkman, Samantha Hilton

Communications in Information Literacy

The Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education posits that the practice of asking questions in order to deepen inquiry and understanding is a key element of information literacy. While the “Research as Inquiry” frame is teachable in library instruction, it can be difficult to scale. Popular instructional design software tends to present information in linear formats that can limit how students understand the iterative nature of research. This article presents an attempt at an asynchronous tutorial that overcomes this limitation of medium and that presents “Research as Inquiry” through an iterative and question-based online game. We discuss the development, …

The Power Of Solidarity: The Effects Of Professor–Librarian Collaboration On Students’ Self-Awareness Of Skill Acquisition, Christina Taylor Gibson, Elizabeth Massey

Communications in Information Literacy

The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy

revolutionized information literacy instruction. It asks librarians to instill in students the higher-level skills to navigate the information landscape. Literature establishes the value of shared faculty ownership of information literacy threshold concepts, but it also documents the potential pitfalls of faculty involvement (Franklin, 2013; Julien & Given, 2002; Lechtenberg & Donovan, 2022; Perez-Stable et al., 2020). This article explores one successful partnership, concluding that instructor—librarian collaboration forged around shared histories and structured by codeveloped objectives positively influences students’ receptivity to information literacy concepts. As demonstrated by surveys of those enrolled in the course, students’ …

Exploring Professional Identities In Libraries: The Impact Of Credit-Bearing Courses Beyond Student Learning, Jane Hammons, Daniel S. Dotson, Hanna Primeau, Diana Ramey

Communications in Information Literacy

In this essay, we argue in support of library-led information literacy (IL) credit courses, emphasizing the impact that developing, teaching, and managing these courses can have on the professional identity of library faculty and staff. Existing research has indicated that librarians who teach credit courses may more strongly identify as teachers than those who teach only course-integrated sessions. We expand on this research by sharing the perspective of four individuals who are involved in the design, instruction, and coordination of credit-bearing IL courses, including two faculty librarians and two staff members. By providing these differing voices, we give a unique …

Review Of Information Literacy Through Theory, Vivian F. Bynoe

Communications in Information Literacy

Review of Hicks, A., Lloyd, A., & Pilerot, O. (Eds.). (2023). Information literacy through theory. Facet Publishing.

Writing Instructors’ Intentional Integration Of The Information Literacy Framework, Catherine F. Riehle, Erica Defrain, Deborah Minter, Janel Simons

Communications in Information Literacy

This article presents an exploratory study that examines how 11 first-year writing instructors’ conceptualizations of information literacy evolved over the course of their participation in an inquiry group co-developed and co-facilitated by the Libraries’ teaching faculty and the Director of Composition & Rhetoric at a public university in the United States. The authors developed a coding schema to identify the presence of information literacy-related themes and practices in pre- and post-program course syllabi and in reflective pieces submitted by instructors. The findings revealed that instructors’ use and applications of the ACRL Framework increased after the program, showing greater personal engagement …

Incorporating Ai Tools To Enhance Information Literacy And Critical Thinking In First Year Medical Students, James Martin Ii, Mercedes Byrd

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

This study aims to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention incorporating medical databases, search engines, and generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools on the critical thinking skills and confidence of first-year medical students at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine (SOM). Approximately 125 students participating in a three-week pre-matriculation program will be subjects of the study. The intervention will consist of a curriculum focused on developing research questions, using search tools and GAI, evaluating sources, and writing a research paper. Pre- and post-tests, including a CARS assessment and a perceived knowledge and abilities questionnaire, will be administered to measure changes in …

Information Literacy Instruction Services At Rural Community Colleges, Fall 2019 Through Ay 2021/22, Heather Posey Vandyne

Library Faculty Publications

This exploratory study examines the instructional practices of two-year institutions located in rural areas during the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and the two academic years that follow. Since the virus commonly known as COVID-19 first made its way to the United States in March 2020, three classes of community college students have had an introduction to higher education unlike any other in living memory. The mixed method approach consists of a survey aimed towards rural college librarians and subsequent in-depth interviews. This study identifies attempts to retain connections with faculty and students, as well as adjustments in …

Librarians As Faculty Developers: Shaping Disciplinary Classroom Experiences Through Information Literacy, Rachel Fundator, Michael Flierl, Clarence Maybee, Catherine Frasier Riehle, Maribeth Slebodnik, Amity Saha

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Involvement in faculty development is a promising approach to realizing academic libraries’ goals for information literacy. This study examines an inter-institutional program where librarians partnered with classroom instructors to create projects where students learned to use information in disciplinary ways. Using thematic analysis to examine participant materials, the findings suggest that the informed learning design model underpinning the program supported the creation of information-rich projects and fostered a sense of empowerment in librarians serving as faculty developers. Librarians can advance their role as educators by partnering with classroom instructors and presenting information literacy as a way to foster disciplinary learning.

That’S Using Your Brain!: Mind-Mapping And Ai Tools For Information Management And Information Literacy Instruction, Ruth L. Baker

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

TheBrain.com is a dynamic, mind-mapping tool you can use to manage your files, links to web sites, and other content–any kind of information you need to collect and manage. You can use your ‘digital brain’ to gather and visualize information from various sources and formats (i.e. create ‘thoughts’). The advantage is you can organize your files and information according to how you think about them, without the limitations of a typical folder-and-file organization system.

Your digital brain is an invaluable tool for collecting and managing information but it also can be used as a tool in the higher education classroom. …

The Generative Power Of Teamwork: Using Collaboration To Support Genai Literacy, Annelise Sklar, Amanda Roth, Natalie Tagge

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

The potential impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) on the academic community raises numerous questions and answers, many of which have yet to be discovered. As a new and innovative technology, GenAI poses questions about functionality, training data integrity, ethics, intellectual property, and research functionality capabilities. With so many questions and little specific GenAI expertise, librarians at UC San Diego saw an opportunity to bring together experts in various disciplines to address the literacy needs of a campus community and fill the gaps where the campus had no official policy or guidance.

In this poster presentation, you will learn how …

Chatgpt And Friends: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, Lara Little

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

ChatGPT and similar large language models have taken the world by storm. Many librarians and teachers are trying to get up to speed on these new technologies and understand how they will affect information literacy, the classroom, and more. This presentation will give a not-too-technical overview of how these technologies work, what they can be used for, ethical issues of hallucinations, copyright, and potential student plagiarism, and considerations for libraries and librarians to take into account as students and teachers embrace (or avoid!) this form of artificial intelligence. Attendees will come away with a better understanding of what ChatGPT and …

The Dragon In The Room: The Perils And Possibilities Of Ai-Generated, Openly-Licensable Rpg Program Content, Nathaniel Lee Bareford

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Role playing games (RPGs) like Dungeons and Dragons are becoming increasingly popular and more in-demand by patrons of both academic and public libraries. Research has demonstrated that role playing games are valuable tools for reinforcing discipline-specific knowledge, developing career-ready soft skills, and cultivating information literacy practices. However, librarians are taxed for time and the investment required to produce practically usable, openly licensed RPG content is substantial. Additional access barriers such as material costs and licensing restrictions often prevent librarians from being able to sustain roleplaying game programming. If AI can produce usable, open RPG resources based firmly on open licenses …