Comments on: Baby steps in promoting information literacy

By: Krista Jorgensen

Krista Jorgensen — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:21:38 +0000

Thank you Meredith for this post. I work in a public library and have seen many patrons over the years come in to the library looking for articles that they should be able to find using university databases, however, I often find they don’t even know about the online resources offered by the university libraries. I help to show them how to navigate the university site and then suggest that they try taking the university library tutorials. I wish that all universities would offer a required first year course on information literacy – or at least a couple of lectures that are taught by persons who know the online library resources available.

By: John Jackson

John Jackson — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 03:53:45 +0000

Meredith, thanks for the insight into your day-to-day. I think your idea of creating a inter-departmental committee is a great idea. I don’t know many professors or administrators who would disagree that info lit is important but too often responsibility gets thrown around and falls in the lap of libraries (who thankfully are eager to take it up!). Perhaps this could move some of the responsibility toward their side of the equation, or in the least, help keep info lit in a constant state of awareness.

By: stevenb

stevenb — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 01:45:08 +0000

Your idea to involve your colleagues from across the institution is a good one. Responsibility for helping students build research skills shouldn’t be the sole responsibility of librarians – and in those institutions where that is the perception – faculty typically see themselves as having no role (“using the library – that’s the job of the librarians”). Does your institution have a curriculum committee? I’d be surprised if it didn’t since the curriculum committee decides on revisions to existing programs and has oversight for new ones. The curriculum committee can be an excellent governance group for integrating information literacy across the curriculum – and promoting librarian-faculty cooperation to achieve it. At my prior institution we started our IL initiative with a sub-committee of the curriculum committee – chaired by a faculty member. It was a successful way to launch or initiative. With the support of the full curriculum committee, faculty were positive about being involved. But it does take time even with the right start. My own estimate is about 10 years for campus-wide integration to occur.

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Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:17:36 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mark Moran, Robin Ashford, Bobbi Newman, infopeep, Andy Burkhardt and others. Andy Burkhardt said: RT @librarianmer: New post: Baby steps in promoting information literacy http://bit.ly/9WoTcb [...]

By: Andy Burkhardt

Andy Burkhardt — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 23:36:54 +0000

Meredith, this idea of information literacy not being only the library’s job, but as the job of everyone is a good one. It got me thinking a bit differently about info lit sessions.

Instead of it being librarians teaching information literacy to students in one session, it’s actually librarians opening up a conversation. They’re doing some teaching (of both students and professors), but they’re also creating opportunities for professors to build on their sessions. “Remember when the librarian came in and we discussed ______.” Librarians are important in this process but it doesn’t simply end when an information literacy session is over. The conversation can continue in other classes and when students come to the reference desk.

By: Rachael

Rachael — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 23:03:32 +0000

Thanks for posting this. My latest beef is how even the subtle attitude of the faculty member has such a huge role in the engagement (or lack thereof) of the students in the one-shot sessions we do get. That, and how oblivious so many faculty are about their impact. I understand they have many of their own concerns and stresses, but still it disheartens me sometimes, that this disconnect about the role of IL is there.

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 22:30:43 +0000

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