Information Literacy Commons^™

Information Literacy In A Post-Truth Era, Catherine Baird, Jonathan Howell

University Libraries Scholarship and Creative Works

The founders of American democracy believed it could not survive without an “informed citizenry”. What does an informed citizenry look like in today’s world? And what role do we have as educators and students to support it?

First, we look at the significant challenges to institutional and media legitimacy that emerged in the second half of the 20th century, which rightfully called attention to the ways longstanding Western knowledge practices excluded marginalized communities and silenced important histories. We ask about the status of norms and mores in the aftermath of this challenge, in an era often called “post-truth.”

Second, we …

Research Mentor Program At Unh Manchester: Peer Learning Partnerships, Carolyn White Gamtso, Annie Donahue, Kimberly Donovan

Faculty Publications

At the University of New Hampshire at Manchester (UNH Manchester), the librarians, the Center for Academic Enrichment (CAE) professional staff, and the First-Year Writing Program faculty established a rich collaboration for supporting undergraduate students throughout the research process. This effort was realized by adapting a highly effective peer-tutoring program, integrating basic information literacy instruction skills into the tutor training curriculum, and incorporating the peer tutors within library instruction classes and activities. This chapter focuses on the current iteration of the Research Mentor Program, describes recent changes to the mentors’ information literacy training, and examines valuable lessons learned throughout the program’s …

Equity, Diversity, And Inclusion Climate Assessment Activities: Development And Strategic Use In Diversity Action Plans, Dr. Kristen M. Radsliff Rebmann, Parinaz Zartoshty, Kim Green, Erin Kelly-Weber, Dr. Vidalino Raatior, Lori Vonderach

School of Information Student Research Journal

This project report describes climate assessment activities in support of the development of a college-level diversity, equity, and inclusion (EDI) action plan. Elements of the climate assessment activities are described along with their purpose and rationale for inclusion. Recommendations are made for libraries to design and deploy their own EDI assessment activities with the goal of developing robust action plans supportive of inclusive excellence.

Critical Information Literacy And Collections: Developing Praxis For Public Libraries, Lesley Garrett

Liberal Arts Capstones

Public libraries play an active role in building equitable, democratic communities by promoting critical information literacy, most notably in their collections development. Critical Information Literacy builds on the standard information literacy definitions by adding an analysis of political, economic, social and corporate systems that “have power and influence over information production, dissemination, access, and consumption" (Gregory and Higgins, 2013). This project includes a zine created to introduce an adaptation of Paulo Freire's banking concept of education for libraries, as well as note the continued work needed to develop a praxis for critical public librarianship.

The Dh Toolkit: A Collaborative, Open, And Extensible Experiment In Pedagogy., R.C. Miessler, Kevin Moore

All Musselman Library Staff Works

In the summer of 2020, librarians and undergraduates at Gettysburg College collaborated virtually to develop the DH Toolkit, a collection of digital learning objects for Digital Humanities tools and concepts. This lightning talk will discuss the collaborative framework for creating the toolkit and its future in DH pedagogy at Gettysburg.

Libraries At The Centre Of Community Transformation: A Bibliometric Study (2009-2019) Of The Influence Of Libraries On Segments Of Human Communities In Nigeria, Tochukwu Victor Nwankwo, Adizetu A. Ali Dr, Boniface U. Asadu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Purpose – The objective of the research was to undertake a bibliometric study (2009-2019) on the influence of libraries on segments of human communities in Nigeria. The specific objectives are to determine the bibliometric newspapers, databases, and institutional repository components of the Nigerian Academic, Social, Economic, Judicial, Political, Health, Cultural, and Religious Communities.

Design/methodology/approach – The method adopted was the descriptive survey research design; specifically the online content analysis technique was co-opted. The study covered all the publications published for or about Library Transformation in Nigeria by both Nigerians and foreigners (2009-2019); that are domiciled in Nigerian Online Newspapers, Online …

'Shut Up And Take The Mellon Money!': Adapting A Library-Led Digital Humanities Program To Accommodate Grant Funding., R.C. Miessler, Kevin Moore

All Musselman Library Staff Works

This presentation discusses how the team of librarians who facilitate Musselman Library's Digital Scholarship Summer Fellowship program have negotiated the shift from local to grant funding, focusing on how we have organized our team and adapted program outcomes, assessment, and reporting to fit the requirements of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Presidential Leadership Grant. We review some unexpected challenges when working with grant funding and how we have successfully worked within the parameters of the grant to fit our needs locally.

Library Application Of Deep Web And Dark Web Technologies, Mollie L. Coffey

School of Information Student Research Journal

The Deep Web and Dark Web are legitimate tools for use in the field of information science, adding to the discussion of patron privacy. The American Library Association policies on privacy and confidentiality combined with the advancement of internet technology necessitate that library professionals become fluent in Dark Web usability in libraries.

Electronic Library Collections And Users With Visual Impairments: Challenges, Developments, And The State Of Collections Policies In Academic And Public Libraries, Anthony M. Digiovanni

School of Information Student Research Journal

Academic and public library collections are developed based on the needs of the communities that surround them. Technology has increased the way users access information, and the way libraries offer information to their users. However, the accessibility of electronic resources for users with print disabilities remains an issue that has yet to have an equitable remedy. This paper identifies the challenges of visually impaired users, the developments in law, the current state of accessibility in academic and public library collections policies, and the current formats and products that are leading the way.

Programming As Pedagogy In The Academic Library, Kathleen Kasten-Mutkus

Library Faculty Publications

This paper considers library programming as a means of extending and enhancing the academic library’s pedagogical mission and role in student success. Scholarly programming in the form of faculty speakers, film screenings, or other kinds of research-based events creates opportunities for students to join an academic community and to practice critical thinking skills learned in class. These presentations inscribe the library within the students’ journey from student to scholar, highlighting its importance as a nexus for scholarly exchange. At the same time, this programming strengthens the library’s mission by encouraging engagement with the campus, interdisciplinary research, and efforts to support …

Make Your Escape: Experiences With Gamified Library Programming, Tim Miller, Kimberly Stelter, Garrett Purchio, Brianne N. Hagen

Cal Poly Humboldt Library

To increase student engagement, the Humboldt State University Library ventured into the realm of gamified programming, exploring several strategies with the goal of trans- forming library outreach and instruction. Our efforts range from simple outreach to highly structured information literacy instruction and workshops that use gamification to encourage students to engage with knowledge practices and dispositions outlined in the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Using gamified activities in library instruction led us to create lesson plans that are purely game-based, including escape room drop-in sessions where students race against the clock to solve a series of puzzles …

From Insight To Action With Appreciative Inquiry, Kristin Meyer

Books and Contributions to Books

Two people can view the same thing—the same data, issue, or set of circumstances—and discover different opportunities because of their unique perspectives. Sometimes when we engage in User Experience (UX) work, we uncover a problem or an unmet user need, and the way forward is unclear. At this point, it can be beneficial to pull together a group of people in your library who work in different departments and have various roles; the best ideas often emerge when we gather diverse viewpoints.

Simply talking about the issue is not usually effective, but numerous facilitation techniques can help lead groups from …

Anatomy Of An Exhibit: The Academic Library As Place Of Self-Instruction, Matthew Chase

San Marcos, Fall 2019

This exhibition project addresses the central question: How can we creatively transform academic library spaces to support and engage students in critical information literacy? The project used physical library space to install a series of exhibitions at the San Marcos Campus Library of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. Guided by the theoretical frameworks of Foucauldian perspective on knowledge and discourse, Falk and Dierking’s Contextual Model of Learning, and critical librarianship, the exhibit series engages students in a self-guided journey to discover and evaluate how knowledge is constructed, produced, and disseminated. Particular focus is directed to the Fall …

Srj: Leading The Genre-Defying Lis Profession, Greta Snyder

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Cloud Computing In Libraries, Ali Akbar Kutty

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

No abstract provided.

Making Local Knowledge Visible: An Ir In Kosovo, Michele Gibney

University Libraries Librarian and Staff Presentations

In 2017, a joint international effort commenced under the direction of the President of University for Business and Technology (UBT) in Kosovo with colleagues from Linnaeus University (Sweden) and University for the Pacific (USA) to define, create and populate a Knowledge Center for UBT which would include an institutional repository (IR). Enlivened by discussion and feedback from the intended recipients, the needs and goals of a UBT IR were identified. Of course, creating and populating an IR is a lengthy process with many potential problems and varied approaches. Discussion of best practices was undertaken early and currently, the UBT Knowledge …

Assessment Of Library Instruction At The University Of St. Augustine: A Mixed-Methods Analysis, Julie Evener

Education Collection

Evaluation of library instruction (LI) at the University of St. Augustine found that students did well on assignments tied to LI and were more likely to participate in LI when it was required. Incorporating data points into the library’s overall assessment and strategic plan allowed for ongoing assessment of LI.

Increasing Distance Instruction Through Electronic Newsletters, Lauren Dubell, Edward "Cotton" Coslett

Library Presentations, Posters, and Audiovisual Materials

This poster details the new outreach method we utilized to increase our bibliographic instruction sessions with the distributed Brandman campuses served by the Chapman Leatherby Libraries. The use of our new electronic newsletter increased the amount of bibliographic instruction sessions that we performed during the 2017-18 year.

The Four Factors Of Fair Use, Sarah P. Appedu

All Musselman Library Staff Works

This poster was created in a collaborative effort by Musselman Library’s Copyright Committee as part of a display for Fair Use Week 2019. The poster was intended to get viewers to think about the 4 factors of fair use in the context of fan fiction and was paired with an interactive quiz game applying the four factors to a series of court cases over creators' uses of copyrighted work.

To take our quiz and see if you can determine whether each case is or is not an example of fair use, visit our Fair Use Week 2019 interactive website.

Research And Write At The Library, Amy F. Fyn, Allison Faix, Scott Pleasant

Library Faculty Presentations

This is a poster presented at the Southeastern Writing Center Conference in February 2019. The poster describes an event, the "Research and Write" workshop, that is a collaboration between the writing center and the library at Coastal Carolina University.

Exploring Faculty Perceptions Of Student Information Literacy Learning: A Qualitative Study., Catherine Baird

University Libraries Scholarship and Creative Works

This study investigates faculty members in a university writing department and their perceptions of how students learn information literacy (IL) skills. Based on a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with faculty, the results fill a gap in the literature where only a few recent qualitative studies exist.

Referencing Audre Lorde, Shawn(Ta) Smith-Cruz

Publications and Research

This chapter is close a reading and textual analysis of canonical texts, speeches, and archived audio recordings of Audre Lorde. It embraces Lorde’s many identities, including her identity as a librarian who chose to depart from the library as a means of survival. The author urges reference librarians to study Lorde’s example and learn from Lorde’s choice to act in a space where silence can be transformed into language and action. Acknowledgment of the limitations and opportunities that Lorde teaches us in reference service and institutional structures, may allow for librarians to move toward a realm of justice.

A Blueprint On Self-Exploration To Justice: Introduction To “Referencing Audre Lorde” & “Lesbian Librarianship For All”, Shawn(Ta) Smith-Cruz

Publications and Research

My approach to social justice problematizes the profession by challenging the librarian to focus inwardly to a space concentrated with identity and self-exploration. To galvanize justice, the librarian may impose her or himself into the reference interaction as an element of praxis.

The Role Of Ict In Provision Of Library Services: A Panacea For Sustainable Development In Nigeria, Odunola Adefunke Adebayo Mrs, Yakub Olayinka Ahmed Mr, R. Toyin Adeniran Mrs

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper is an attempt to explore the crucial roles of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in management and provision of library services, and its implication to sustainable development in Nigeria. Despite the availability of wide opportunities offered by the advent of ICT, it has been observed that application of ICT to library services in Nigeria seems inadequate probably due to variety of challenges. With the methodology of simple literature review, the paper made effort to review related literature on ICT resources and ICT-based services in libraries, benefits of ICT and the role of library in sustainable development of Nigeria. …

Flipped Library Sessions: Customized Instruction That Prioritizes Applied Information Literacy Learning, Nicole R. Webber, Stephanie Wiegand

University Libraries Publications

Time constraints often restrict the instruction of unique research skills required by a given subject area. By collaborating with instructors, librarians can offer flexible and efficient content that improves student information literacy skills. Meet librarians who have implemented various flipped methods and tools for distinct instructor and course needs.

You Can Curriculum Map: Using Acrl’S Il Framework To Create Student Learning Outcomes And Start Assessment, Samantha D. Kennedy

Libraries Scholarship

This is a visual demonstration of their current curriculum mapping project. The step-by-step process will be outlined to show the different approaches to breaking down ACRL’s Information Literacy Framework to fit the curriculum of a campus. By categorizing classes into pre-disciplinary and major-based, needs emerge at distinct levels which helps make the building of the framework more manageable. These categorizations allow for better understanding and ownership across both core classes and within disciplines on a campus, giving the flexibility to meet the varying needs while reinforcing skills and concepts gained in other courses. This poster will also highlight how student …

Why Wikipedia Often Overlooks Stories Of Women In History, Lara Nicosia, Tamar Carroll

Articles

Wikipedia's reliance on a volunteer editing base has resulted in a gender bias both in the quantity and quality of content around women. With less than 20% of Wikipedia's editors identifying as women, only 30% of biographical entries have been written about women and entries on women tend to be shorter and more focused on relationships and family roles than entries on men. This article explores the causes of Wikipedia's gender bias and offers ways that both individuals and institutions can help improve Wikipedia's content around women.

Aligning Information Literacy Assessment With Metacognitive Strategies, Kirsten Hostetler, Tian Luo, Jill E. Stefaniak

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Despite the popularity of metacognitive research, and the inclusion of similar concepts in professional guidelines, librarians have not incorporated metacognitive tools into their assessment strategies. This systematic literature review found (1) metacognitive assessments can act as a learning aide in encouraging higher-order thinking; (2) metacognitive assessments can be effective measurements under proper conditions with experienced learners; and (3) librarians have limited options when selecting assessment tools even as the demand for demonstrating the library’s value to stakeholders is increasing. The paper concludes with gaps in the literature and areas for future directions.

Collaboration In The Midst Of Change: Growing Librarian-Archivist Partnerships For Engaging New Students And Faculty, Karen E. Viars, Amanda G. Pellerin

Collaborative Librarianship

Collaboration between librarians and archivists is a valuable way to share expertise and effort when instructing first-year English students on research skills they will need to succeed in college. It is also vital to orienting new faculty to library and archive resources for their scholarship and teaching, as well as encouraging students to value the library and archives resources and knowledge. The unique first-year English program at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) provides a constantly renewing pool of both new students and faculty members. This article identifies common themes in library and archive instruction and key elements of …

The Impact Of Information Literacy Instruction On Student Success: A Multi-Institutional Investigation And Analysis, Joni Blake, Melissa Bowles-Terry, N. Shirlene Pearson, Zoltan Szentkiralyi

Central University Libraries Research

The GWLA Student Learning Outcomes task force analyzed the data from over 42,000 first-time, first-year freshmen and over 1700 distinct courses from 12 research institutions to determine the impact(s) of information literacy instruction integrated into course curriculum on several student success measures.

Key findings include:

• Student retention rates are higher for those students whose courses include an information literacy instruction component.
• On average, First-Year GPA for students whose courses included information literacy instruction was higher than the GPA of students whose courses did not.
• Students exposed to library instruction interactions successfully completed 1.8 more credit hours per year than their …