Information Literacy Instruction for Upper-Year Undergraduate Students: A Stratified Course-Integrated Approach

Undergraduate students face many potential barriers to learning about the process of conducting research. Information literacy instruction provided through faculty-librarian collaboration in an effort to expand the abilities of the “novice researcher” can ease the experience of undergraduate students. In addition, information literacy instruction may invoke increased student participation in the scholarly discourse of their chosen discipline. The implementation of a stratified course-integrated approach may be particularly valuable to upper-level undergraduates in preparation for completing a thesis or other culminating project in their final year of study. This claim is examined within the context of an instruction session observed as a component of a third-year undergraduate Materials Science and Engineering course

Reinventing the Reference Librarian: Information Literacy as a change agent

With information literacy as their ticket, academic librarians have an opportunity to re-enter the teaching and learning arena in a new guise and carve out a challenging, unique role in the world of academia - that is, to reinvent themselves in a new image. As the emphasis shifts from discipline-rich teaching to one of process-oriented learning which emphasises the development of generic skills, academic librarians must accept and seize a more proactive teaching and learning role, and shoulder greater responsibility for pedagogical leadership in higher education. The change in their role will affect all those in the tertiary community as surely as it will affect the profession of librarianship itself. As librarians strive to re-engage as educators with educators, the traditional beliefs, understandings, expectations and practices of all involved will be challenged. It is now critical to re-examine the issues which arise as a result of such a transformation, and the strategies which must be considered in order to overcome some of the more entrenched complexities of the task ahead. This paper investigates, in greater detail, those processes, structures and procedures within library organisations and academic institutions which hinder, facilitate or create opportunities for the librarians who teach information literacy in higher education

Copyright Literacy in the UK: a survey of librarians and other cultural heritage sector professionals

Based on a survey of UK library and information professionals and those who work in the cultural heritage sector, carried out in December 2014, this research sought to examine the levels of copyright „literacy?. The survey aimed to obtain responses from all sectors, however most responses were received from academic libraries. The research examined their knowledge of national and international copyright issues as well as copyright policies at an institutional level. The survey also explored the need for copyright education for new and existing professionals and suggested topics for inclusion in training activities. The findings suggest that levels of knowledge amongst UK professionals are higher than those in other countries who participated in the first phase of the project. UK institutions are also more likely to have a copyright policy and an individual with responsibility for copyright. The results should be of interest to library managers, library educators and those with responsibility for staff training

Why Your Academic Library Needs a Popular Reading Collection Now More Than Ever

Do popular reading materials belong in college and university libraries? Although some librarians think not, others believe there are compelling reasons for including them. The trend towards user-focused libraries, the importance of attracting patrons to libraries in the age of the Internet, and, most importantly, the need to promote literacy at a time when it has reached its lowest levels are all reasons why academic librarians are reconsidering their ideas about popular reading materials. Librarians who decide to implement a leisure reading collection should consider a number of key issues

Information Literacy Instruction in an English Capstone Course: A Study of Student Confidence, Perception, and Practice

An English professor and an instruction librarian at the University of New Hampshire at Manchester felt that the college\u27s new English Capstone course for majors provided a unique opportunity to assess the information literacy skill levels of graduating English majors. They therefore engaged in a three-year study to evaluate the IL competency of these students, to gauge their perceptions of library instruction provided during the Capstone course and throughout their academic careers, and to determine students\u27 confidence and self-efficacy with respect to these skills. The researchers sought to determine the ways in which the IL program for English majors effectively met established IL goals and to identify areas for improvement

Information Literacy in the Digital Age: Myths and Principles of Digital Literacy

Librarians have traditionally served as the champions of information literacy, adopting it as a core principle of the profession and creating a movement that tries to facilitate fair, equal access to knowledge and its creation. There are plenty of publications on this topic, but as the Information Age has become the Digital Age, there also needs to be a discussion of how information literacy is evolving. More specifically, librarians are now finding themselves shouldering the responsibilities of digital literacy alongside traditional approaches to information literacy, especially considering how more and more information needs can only be met via digital resources. This paper serves to add to this discussion by examining the different elements of the two literacies, the myths that surround them, and provide some basic principles of information literacy learning and instruction in the digital age

An investigation into the attitudes of academic librarians towards Internet plagiarism of HE students

This paper investigates the attitudes of academic librarians towards Internet plagiarism by higher education students in the United Kingdom (UK), examining how they define Internet plagiarism, their perceived role in combating this phenomenon, and the skills and techniques they have or will adopt to achieve this. A Delphi study was undertaken using a sample of 10 respondents. The responses demonstrated that plagiarism is a multifaceted term and not easily definable, however respondents were unanimous in their opinion that the Internet has made it easier to plagiarise. The potential for active collaboration between librarians and academics to jointly address Internet plagiarism was seen as vital by all respondents, although opinion was divided on the role of librarians and academics. A blended approach is recommended, which involves policing and prevention; in addition to ensuring that students are achieving information literacy well before they reach the gates of the University

Is there an information literacy skills gap to be bridged? An examination of faculty perceptions and activities relating to information literacy in the United States and England.

Surveys of faculty were conducted at two higher education institutions in England and the United States to ascertain their perceptions of information literacy. Faculty were also asked about the extent to which they incorporated information literacy skills into their courses. Similarities were found across the two institutions both in the importance that faculty attached to information skills and what they actually did to incorporate the skills within curricula. The results reflect an information literacy skills gap between what faculty (and librarians) want for their students and the practical reality. Librarians and faculty should work collaboratively together to bridge this gap