Information
Literacy
by
Mary Beth Parkinson, AV Cataloger / Reference
The term ‘information literacy’ is being heard more
and more on college campuses these days. The exponential growth
of information in all its forms – print, electronic, and all
types of media – have made the mastery of information literacy
skills vital not only for one’s success in school, but for
success on the job, and in making many of the decisions in life
that increasingly require the careful evaluation and use of information.
The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) defines
information literacy as “a set of abilities requiring individuals
to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to
locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.”
The ACRL has developed competency standards relative to information
literacy which have been adopted by Middle States Commission on
Higher Education. These competency standards provide a framework
for instituting information literacy across the curriculum and require
collaboration between classroom faculty and librarians as well as
the support of administrators.
An ad hoc committee comprised of librarians met last spring to
develop a framework for an information literacy initiative and to
review our library instruction program including those elements
of an information literacy program already in place against the
competency standards established by the ACRL. The committee explored
several possible formats for an expanded information literacy program
and produced two documents which reflect this process. (An initial
foray into information literacy may involve the ENG 101 classes
and is more fully explored below). We already have some aspects
of an information literacy program in place such as course-related
library instruction, online research guides, information resources,
and tutorials. An expansion of these services might include workshops
tied to certificate incentives, a stand-alone course and/or expanded
integration of information literacy competencies into the overall
curriculum. Beyond an initiative focused on our students, we may,
in the future, also consider ways for enhancing our outreach to
the community in the area of information literacy.
This fall, it is anticipated that a college committee comprised
of librarians and teaching faculty will be formed with the goal
of collaborating on an information literacy program that is appropriate
for community college students and in line with the educational
mission the College has established for student learning. Together,
the librarians and faculty will work toward developing a comprehensive
and integrated information literacy program that ultimately reaches
across the curriculum, embracing all academic divisions.
Record Growth in Library Instruction Program
Our plan for an expanded and integrated information literacy program
is also becoming increasingly important because of the dramatic
jump in the number of library instruction sessions requested by
faculty. In fact, the academic year 2002-2003 was a banner year
for the Library in terms of the number of library instruction classes
taught by librarians. The Library broke all previous records with
a total of 219 classes taught, exceeding the previous year’s
146 classes, reflecting a 150% increase in the number of classes
taught. The largest increases in library instruction were evident
in the ENG 101 and ENG 102 classes, with ENG 101 sessions increasing
(from 13 to 31 classes) by 238%, and ENG 102 classes increasing
(from 39 to 71 classes) by 182%.
We are, therefore, particularly interested in collaborating initially
with our English faculty to teach information literacy skills to
ENG 101 classes. In starting with this group, we would be able to
reach a large number of students. We could then expand the information
literacy program to incorporate ENG 102 and eventually work with
other divisions to ensure that information literacy skills are taught
across all curricula.
