Information Literacy Commons^™

Pausing At The Threshold, Patrick K. Morgan

Faculty Publications

Threshold concepts are increasingly inescapable at library conferences and in general information literacy discourse, and this visibility will likely only increase as they figure so prominently in the Association of College and Research Libraries inchoate Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Nevertheless, very little has been done to critically consider the wider intellectual ramifications of certain assumptions fundamental to their manifestation in library/information literacy instruction. This paper is an initial attempt to promote such discussions.

Occam’S Reader: The First Library-Developed Ebook Interlibrary Loan System, Ryan Litsey Litsey, Kenny Ketner Ketner

Collaborative Librarianship

An ebook interlibrary loan system called “Occam’s Reader” was developed through collaboration among libraries of the Greater Western Library Alliance. The first of its kind, Occam’s Reader has proved to be a great success due in no small measure to thorough planning, testing, implementation and development through 2012 to 2104. A new version of the system, Occam’s Reader 2.0 is planned for later in 2015. As libraries band together to accomplish a collaborative goal, there really is nothing that can hold them back

Promoting Innovation: The Wils Model, Andrea Coffin, Stefanie Morrill

Collaborative Librarianship

WiLS, a membership organization of over 600 libraries of all types in Wisconsin and beyond, has developed a model to help its member libraries turn their good ideas into innovative services and projects. This paper details what it means to innovate in the current library climate and describes the model, its critical facets, how it promotes innovation, how WiLS has implemented it internally, and ways WiLS has worked to broaden the impact of the model.

Scholarship As A Conversation: A Metaphor For Librarian-Esl Instructor Collaboration, Karen Bordonaro

Collaborative Librarianship

Invoking the metaphor of scholarship as a conversation offers academic librarians an excellent way to connect information literacy to university ESL (English as a second language) classes. This article describes how this particular metaphor has appeared in the literature of librarianship, and it suggests that this metaphor offers a deeper way to understand and promote information literacy to ESL students. It connects this deeper understanding of information literacy to ESL writing and speaking instructional approaches. These approaches include understanding scholarship as both a formal written end product and as a writing process in the creation, production and dissemination of knowledge. …

Who’S Out There? The Power Of Spatial Data, Lori Bowen Ayre

Collaborative Librarianship

No abstract provided.

Liberated From The Circulation Desk – Now What?, Lori Bowen Ayre

Collaborative Librarianship

No abstract provided.

Building A Scholarly Network In Learning Communities At The University Of Nebraska–Lincoln, Charlene Maxey-Harris, Lorna M. Dawes

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

In 2011 the Chancellor at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) charged each department and academic unit within the university to create programs and strategies to increase student enrollment within the next six years. The UNL Libraries embraced this goal by becoming more involved in the first-year experience programs and the first-year learning communities. This chapter will outline how the UNL Libraries gained library administration support to hire a Learning Communities/First-Year Experience Librarian and describe how they applied the theory of threshold concepts to develop a series of workshops and e-booklets to teach information literacy skills to students affiliated …

Library Instruction And Themed Composition Courses: An Investigation Of Factors That Impact Student Learning, Erin E. Rinto, Elisa I. Cogbill-Seiders

Library Faculty Research

Many academic libraries partner with English composition in order to teach first year students skills related to academic research and writing. Due to the partnership between information literacy and first-year writing programs, it is important to evaluate how these programs can best support one another. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of two factors on student information literacy skill development: library instruction and section theme—defined here as class sections of the English 102 (ENG 102) program developed around a central topic selected by the instructor. A random sample of annotated bibliographies from 95 sections of ENG …

Acrl Instruction Section Website: Primo Bonus Site Of The Month, Kimberly Willson-St. Clair, Claudia Irla, Amanda Clossen

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

Interview by Amanda Clossen about the site, Analyze Your Research Strategy Tutorial

Project description: Part of a suite of five tutorials developed to provide online research support for freshman just learning academic research skills, as well as sophomore and junior transfer students who might need remedial instruction about the research process and academic library services. This 25-minute tutorial helps students identify a paper topic that is not too narrow or too broad, select evidence that will answer their research question, and brainstorm keywords to find pertinent resources.

Cohort-Based Technology Training: A Collaboration With Faculty Grounded In Diffusion Of Innovation And Faculty Learning Community Theories, Gretel Stock-Kupperman

Collaborative Librarianship

Librarians excel at teaching patrons how to use resources for their research and learning needs. Librarians can introduce these skills into faculty technology training since faculty research needs often intersect with their technology interest, be it mobile devices, technology-enhanced teaching strategies, or tools that support their research. The purpose of this paper is to explore a framework for collaboration in technology training through the lens of a “faculty learning community” and a “diffusion of innovation theory.” This will be examined through a case study of the author’s library, where a multi-year intentional and systematic collaboration with instructional design and Information …

Tutors: Personal Qualities Of Tutors, Jill Castek, Gloria Jacobs, Kimberly D. Pendell, Drew Pizzolato, Stephen Reder, Elizabeth Withers

Research Briefs and Case Studies

The Personal Qualities of Tutors Brief highlights findings that detail the key qualities of effective tutors. These findings indicate that that patience is more important than technology knowledge in a digital literacy acquisition program The Research Briefs series highlight key findings about how underserved adults acquire digital literacy skills, and include quotes from participants and practitioners. The Briefs are designed to be accessible by practitioners, program administrators, and policy makers to inform and enhance digital literacy programs.

Tutors: The Tutor-Learner Relationship, Jill Castek, Gloria Jacobs, Kimberly D. Pendell, Drew Pizzolato, Stephen Reder, Elizabeth Withers

Research Briefs and Case Studies

The Tutor/Learner Relationship Brief emphasizes the impact that a positive relationship with tutors can have on learners’ engagement and progress in a digital literacy acquisition program. The Research Briefs series highlight key findings about how underserved adults acquire digital literacy skills, and include quotes from participants and practitioners. The Briefs are designed to be accessible by practitioners, program administrators, and policy makers to inform and enhance digital literacy programs.

Learners: Development Of Self-Confidence, Jill Castek, Gloria Jacobs, Kimberly D. Pendell, Drew Pizzolato, Stephen Reder, Elizabeth Withers

Research Briefs and Case Studies

The Development of Self Confidence Brief highlights the ways that participation in a digital literacy acquisition program improved learners’ self-confidence and attitudes towards technology. The Research Briefs series highlight key findings about how underserved adults acquire digital literacy skills, and include quotes from participants and practitioners. The Briefs are designed to be accessible by practitioners, program administrators, and policy makers to inform and enhance digital literacy programs.

Community Connections: Digital Literacy Acquisition Policy Brief, Gloria Jacobs, Jill Castek, Drew Pizzolato, Kimberly D. Pendell, Elizabeth Withers, Stephen Reder

Research Briefs and Case Studies

This case study describes how the digital literacy acquisition program in a rural community was sustained through formal and informal connections across a variety of organizations and community institutions. The case study describes the setting, the details of how tutor facilitated, self paced learning was organized, and the various ways connections were made across organizations. Five types of connections are identified: formal top-level partnerships, local connections, library/workforce partnership, school/workforce connections, informal community connections, and lab coordinator/tutor/learner connections. Implications for these findings include how policy makers and other key stakeholders may benefit from recognizing and building on the ways people in …

Corrections And Reentry: Digital Literacy Acquisition Case Study, Elizabeth Withers, Gloria Jacobs, Jill Castek, Drew Pizzolato, Kimberly D. Pendell, Stephen Reder

Research Briefs and Case Studies

This case study investigates the digital literacy acquisition process for learners within a corrections setting. The digital literacy program was part of the reentry program available to some individuals approaching their release date. The case study describes the lab within a prison, and details of how mentor-facilitated, self-paced learning was organized. Examination of the learner path in a corrections setting highlights how learners perceived the relevance of digital literacy in their lives; how they overcame their fears of computers or technology and their self-confidence grew; and potential changes in their self-identity, which often led to imagining new and different possible …

Program Design: The Learner Path, Jill Castek, Gloria Jacobs, Kimberly D. Pendell, Drew Pizzolato, Stephen Reder, Elizabeth Withers

Research Briefs and Case Studies

The Learner Path Brief describes the steps learners took as they acquired digital literacy, including key moments of transition. Tutors supported learners on the road to becoming independent, confident technology users. The Research Briefs series highlight key findings about how underserved adults acquire digital literacy skills, and include quotes from participants and practitioners. The Briefs are designed to be accessible by practitioners, program administrators, and policy makers to inform and enhance digital literacy programs.

Job Seeking Learners: Digital Literacy Acquisition Case Study, Elizabeth Withers, Gloria Jacobs, Drew Pizzolato, Jill Castek, Kimberly D. Pendell, Stephen Reder

Research Briefs and Case Studies

This case study investigates the experience of digital literacy acquisition among adult job seekers, offering an overview of the various lab settings accessed by job-seeking learners, as well as the different ways that tutor-facilitated, self-paced learning was organized. Examination of the learner path as experienced by job seekers reveals the challenge for learners of seeing the relevance of digital literacy acquisition when faced with the urgent need of having to find employment. Also discussed in the case study are the significant impact of the relationships that developed between learners and tutors, the role that tutors play in building relevance for …

What You Need To Know About The New Acrl Framework For Information Literacy For Higher Education: A Summary, Tami Echavarria Robinson

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Integrating Information Literacy, The Pogil Method, And Ipads Into A Foundational Studies Program, Carrie Moore, Jennifer Black, Barbara C. Glackin, Margie Ruppel, Elaine Watson

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

This article provides an overview of the design, implementation, revision and informal assessment of an information literacy curriculum embedded in a new University Foundations (UF) program at a mid‐sized public university. The library information literacy sessions incorporated teambased learning and Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) elements using iPads. Each session provided students an opportunity to develop and apply information literacy skills, and included critical thinking questions which led students to think about underlying concepts. A focus group with the librarians assessed the UF library curriculum, its impact on student engagement, and the training activities for librarian teaching preparation.

Himmelfarb Library Liaison Letter - January 2015, George Washington University, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library

Himmelfarb Library Liaison Letters

No abstract provided.