Information literacy practice in academic libraries the higher education landscape

2010 ◽  
pp. 35-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annemaree Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Literacy Practice

scholarly journals Deconstructing information literacy discourse: Peeling back the layers in higher education

2020 ◽  
pp. 096100062096602
Author(s):  
Alison Hicks ◽  
Annemaree Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Language Models ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Literacy Practice ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Behaviour Modification ◽  
Knowledge And Skills

The discourses of information literacy practice create epistemological assumptions about how the practice should happen, who should be responsible and under what conditions instruction should be given. This paper employs a discourse analysis method (Potter, 2008) to identify discourses of information literacy and the learner from within higher education focused professional texts. Texts analysed include 4 recent English-language models of information literacy and 16 textbooks. Analysis suggests that within higher education, information literacy is shaped by 2 conflicting narratives. The outward facing narrative positions information literacy as an empowering practice that equips learners with the knowledge and skills that they need within complex and fast-paced information environments. The inward facing narrative positions learners as incompetent or as lacking the ability to operate within higher education. This deficit perception consequently threatens the sustainability of information literacy practice by reframing empowerment as a process of top-down behaviour modification. This paper represents the first in a research programme that interrogates the epistemological premises and discourses of information literacy within higher education.

A survey of information literacy credit courses in US academic libraries

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 564-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine Cohen ◽  
Liz Holdsworth ◽  
John M. Prechtel ◽  
Jill Newby ◽  
Yvonne Mery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Doctoral Degrees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Carnegie Classification ◽  
Credit Hours ◽  
For Profit

Purpose There is a lack of data about information literacy (IL) credit courses in US academic libraries. This paper aims to provide a detailed snapshot of IL credit courses, including percentages of libraries that offer credit courses, the number of credits offered, the audience and how public institutions differ from private nonprofits and for-profits. Design/methodology/approach The authors surveyed a stratified random sample of libraries at higher education institutions across all categories from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Qualtrics software was used to create and distribute the email survey. The response rate was 39 per cent (n = 691). Findings In all, 19 per cent of the institutions in the survey have IL credit courses taught by librarians. Large institutions, public institutions and those granting doctoral degrees are the most likely to offer IL credit courses. The majority of these courses are undergraduate electives of 1-2 credit hours offered under the library aegis, although a significant minority are required, worth 3-4 credit hours, and taught within another academic department or campus-wide program. Originality/value The findings update previous surveys and provide a more granular picture of the characteristics of librarian-taught credit-bearing courses, the types of academic institutions that offer them and compensation teaching librarians receive. This survey is the first study of credit-bearing IL instruction to include for-profit colleges and universities.

scholarly journals The Role of Academic Libraries in Mentored Undergraduate Research: A Model of Engagement in the Academic Community

2009 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Stamatoplos
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Literacy Programs ◽  
Library Service ◽  
Do So

Mentored undergraduate research is an emergent pedagogy in higher education. It differs fundamentally from course-related student research and is largely independent of the curriculum. Academic libraries should engage formally with the undergraduate research community. To do so, librarians will need to think and work beyond traditional models of library service, most notably in information literacy programs. The intent of this article is to raise awareness about opportunities for library involvement with undergraduate researchers and programs. Lessons from one university, including a formal partnership between a library and an undergraduate research center, suggest some general strategies that academic libraries might explore.

Survey of information literacy instructional practices in academic libraries

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 964-971 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noa Aharony ◽  
Heidi Julien ◽  
Noa Nadel-Kritz
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
United States ◽  
Instructional Practices ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Shared Responsibility ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Multiple Challenges

This paper reports a study of information literacy instructional practices in Israeli academic libraries, conducted to understand the methods and approaches used by academic librarians in their instructional work, and to explore whether their practices have been influenced by the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. The study used an online survey to gather data, an instrument based on one used successfully in similar surveys in Canada and the United States. The survey was completed by Israeli academic librarians with instructional responsibilities. Findings show that respondents believe that information literacy instruction is a shared responsibility, and that one-on-one instruction is the most-used approach. Results reveal multiple challenges faced by respondents, as well as opportunities for improvement in their instruction.

Refining information literacy practice:: Examining the foundations of information literacy theory

IFLA Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-132
Author(s):  
Michael Flierl ◽  
Clarence Maybee
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Active Engagement ◽  
Literacy Practice ◽  
Academic Librarian ◽  
Literacy Theory ◽  
Do So

There are many ways for an academic librarian to contribute to the teaching and learning mission of an institution ranging from direct instruction to assignment design. Given this plethora of information literacy educational practices, what should academic librarians and educators focus time, labor, and resources on, and why should they do so? With an eye towards improving information literacy educational practice and addressing these fundamental questions, we examine the foundational philosophical commitments of two information literacy theories, Critical Information Literacy and Informed Learning. We find that these information literacy theories may be biased towards a 20th-century European worldview. This finding supports the idea that “good” IL educational practice in higher education requires active engagement with information literacy theory to justify what one does as an educator and to demonstrate why information literacy can be integral to learning in higher education.

scholarly journals Just Curious: How Can Academic Libraries Incite Curiosity to Promote Science Literacy?

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Siu Hong Yu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Scientific Inquiry ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Science Literacy ◽  
Pedagogical Strategies ◽  
New Knowledge ◽  
Recent Graduates ◽  
Information Professionals

Based on a Bright Young Minds webinar given on February 7, 2017, this paper shows the importance of nurturing curiosity in students as an integral part of information literacy (IL) and science literacy. There are obvious parallels between "Research as Inquiry," as described in the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (2016) and scientific inquiry. In both cases, curiosity is the fuel that drives information gathering and the pursuit of new knowledge. This paper discusses three pedagogical strategies to help information literacy librarians incite curiosity in students and promote scientific literacy. Bright Young Minds is a webinar series hosted by the Ontario Library Association’s Education Institute. It provides a platform for MLIS students and recent graduates to share their research and to foster connections between academic schools and information professionals. The webinar and this subsequent article grew out of an MLIS project exploring the concept of curiosity and its application in promoting scientific literacy in academic libraries. I draw on my dual experiences as both a Chemistry graduate student and participant in IL sessions, and as a recent MLIS graduate and IL instructor. Basé sur le webinaire « Bright Young Minds » offert le 7 février 2017, cet article montre l’importance de favoriser la curiosité auprès des étudiants comme élément essentiel de la formation documentaire et de l’enseignement des sciences. Il existe des parallèles évidents entre la notion de « recherche comme enquête », telle que décrite dans le « Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (2016), » et la recherche scientifique. Dans les deux cas, la curiosité mène la recherche documentaire et la poursuite de nouvelles connaissances. Cet article présente trois stratégies pédagogiques pour aider les bibliothécaires de formation documentaire à inciter la curiosité auprès des étudiants ainsi que promouvoir la recherche scientifique. « Bright Young Minds » est une série de webinaires offert par l’Education Institue de la Ontario Library Association. Elle offre une occasion aux étudiants en science de l’information et aux nouveaux diplômés de partager leur recherche ainsi que de tisser des liens entre les écoles de bibliothéconomie et les professionnels de l’information. Le webinaire et cet article subséquent émergent d’un projet d’école explorant le concept de la curiosité et de son utilisation dans le contexte de la promotion de la recherche scientifique au sein des bibliothèques universitaires. Mes propos sont basés sur mes expériences en tant qu’étudiant diplômé en chimie et participant à des sessions de formation documentaire et en tant que récent diplômé en sciences de l’information et formateur en recherche documentaire.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Evidence-Based Practice and the ACRL Information Literacy Standards: Implications for Information Literacy Practice

2014 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy E. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Policy ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Evidence Based Practice ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Literacy Practice ◽  
Research Libraries ◽  
Literacy Standards

Evidence-based practice (EBP), like information literacy, is concerned with an individual’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes relating to using information. EBP is now a professional competency in fields as diverse as social work, nursing and allied health fields, and public policy. A comparison of the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education with the commonly accepted EBP model shows congruence, but the two models diverge in their use of authority of the producer as a marker of information quality and in their relative emphasis on formulation of the research question and application of information.

scholarly journals An Analysis of Online Syllabi for Credit-bearing Library Skills Courses

2006 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 525-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul L. Hrycaj
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Research Libraries ◽  
Current State ◽  
Assessment Techniques ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Library Skills

In an effort to develop some sense of the current state of credit-bearing library skills courses at academic libraries, an analysis was conducted of 100 online syllabi for introductory library skills courses at various colleges and universities. These online syllabi were analyzed for subject content and assessment techniques/teaching methods. The “Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education,” created by the Association of College and Research Libraries, were utilized as a framework for categorizing and placing into context the subject content of the syllabi analyzed.

scholarly journals The Warp and Weft of Information Literacy: Changing Contexts, Enduring Challenges

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Fister
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
Information Literacy Instruction ◽  
Local Practices ◽  
Look Back

In this personal exploration of information literacy instruction at one institution, I look back at three decades of my involvement with pedagogy and how our local practices have reflected national conversations about the field. Anxiety about the identity and purpose of academic libraries in higher education has shaped the ways we have conceptualized and argued for the value of IL, yet in spite of spirited efforts to reformulate our purpose, many of the challenges we face have consistently resisted solutions.

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