Last updated: 5/26/2006
Instruction Services Plan for Information Literacy at the University of Rhode Island

Information literacy at the University of Rhode Island

Preface
In the Information Age it is a necessity for all URI students, staff, and faculty to be accomplished information users. Recognizing this, the University Libraries’ reference librarians have designed and offer an incremental long range plan that provides library instruction based on the Association of College & Research Libraries’ Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education which was approved in 2000. The plan is available for viewing at  http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/informationliteracycompetency.htm.

The ACRL competencies support and address the needs of individuals to become life-long learners. “Information literacy is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. It enables learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more self-directed and assume greater control over their own learning.”

What is Information Literacy?

Information literacy enables individuals to, “recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.”

American Library Association.  Presidential Committee on Information Literacy:  Final Report.  (Chicago: American Library Association, 1989)

Why Information Literacy?

“Have you ever heard of Data Smog?  A term coined by author David Shenk, it refers to the idea that too much information can create a barrier in our lives. This data smog is produced by the amount of information, the speed at which it comes to us from all directions, the need to make fast decisions, and the feeling of anxiety that we are making decisions without having ALL the information that is available or that we need.

Information literacy is the solution to Data Smog. It allows us to cope by giving us the skills to know when we need information and where to locate it effectively and efficiently. It includes the technological skills needed to use the modern library as a gateway to information. It enables us to analyze and evaluate the information we find, thus giving us confidence in using that information to make a decision or create a product.”

— “Introduction  to Information Literacy,” Association of College & Research Libraries.  http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/acrlinfolitoverview/introtoinfolit/introtoinfolit.htm

Relationship of Information Literacy to Higher Education

External Standards

New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) STANDARDS

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges’ (NEASC) revised standards specify that graduates of New England higher education institutions should demonstrate information literacy competency, including the the capability for life-long learning (see standards 4.6, 4.18, 7.4, and 7.8).

Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education

University of Rhode Island — Supporting Statements

University of Rhode Island Mission Statement:

“The University of Rhode Island is the State’s public learner-centered research university. We are a community joined in a common quest for knowledge. The University is committed to enriching the lives of its students through its land, sea, and urban grant traditions. URI is the only public institution in Rhode Island offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students the distinctive educational opportunities of a major research university. Our undergraduate, graduate, and professional education, and outreach serve Rhode Island and beyond. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni are united in one common purpose: to learn and lead together. Embracing Rhode Island’s heritage of independent thought, we value:

• Creativity and Scholarship
• Diversity, Fairness, and Respect
• Engaged Learning and Civic Involvement
• Intellectual and Ethical Leadership

Endorsed by the URI Faculty Senate October 20, 2005; approved by the President November 1, 2005; Approved by the Board of Governors for Higher Education January 23, 2006.

University of Rhode Island Libraries Vision and Mission Statements

Vision Statement

“In the twenty-first century, the University of Rhode Island Libraries, utilizing the newest technologies, will insure optimum access to, and delivery of, information for the University and State of Rhode Island. As partners in the teaching, research, and service missions of the University, the libraries will continue to acquire, organize, and preserve materials in all formats and provide instruction in their use.”

Mission Statement

“The library is an academic division within the University which has a mandate to serve the knowledge and information needs of the University Community and the general public. The library is the principal campus resource for human creativity and memory in traditional and electronic formats providing a truly global information environment.

The library is responsive to students and their instructional needs, to faculty and their teaching and research needs, and to administrators and their information needs. Librarians are committed to safeguarding intellectual freedom, to preserving and organizing the institution's records, to providing sophisticated reference services, and to engaging in bibliographic exchange on both regional and national scales.

The library provides an environment conducive to scholarly research and study. It is a vital and interdisciplinary resource whose support by the University exemplifies its commitment to educational excellence.”

A Teaching Library

In the past decade the URI University Libraries have gone through enormous changes including a shift in the style of reference work that is done by librarians. Before the arrival of publicly accessible online databases and catalogs, there were clear lines regarding “doing reference” and teaching how to use the library. Librarians worked on reference questions that involved using several sources in order to find the answer or solution to a patron’s request, checked ready reference sources for the simple reference question, and taught classes on how to use the library and its resources. During the 1990s libraries were dramatically changed by the development of the Internet and more specifically, the World Wide Web. The ability for libraries to offer patrons Web-based databases and multiple online catalogs gave patrons unprecedented access to resources. Previously, librarians conducted computer database searches for patrons. Today, patrons initiate their own research using the databases and catalogs of libraries across Rhode Island and indeed the world. Our efforts are more directed toward teaching the URI community how to approach the wide array of resources available to them; teaching both information concepts and use of specific resources.

The University Libraries are teaching libraries. We actively promote our services as the bridge of information empowerment between our patrons and their research needs. The goal of the Information Literacy Plan is to build on our library instruction and orientation foundations by adding critical thinking and information concepts to our program. We strive to offer the URI community opportunities to become effective, efficient information consumers for the 21^st century.

The Information Literacy Program

The Information Literacy Program focuses on undergraduate and graduate students as well as the teaching and research needs of the campus faculty.

GOALS:

I. To develop independent critical thinkers

II. To relieve “information anxiety” or the perplexing sense of confusion that many students feel when faced with university-level research

III. To support the goals and objectives of the University’s General Education program:

·         the ability to think critically in order to solve problems and question the nature and sources of authority

·         the ability to use the methods and materials characteristic of each knowledge area with an understanding of the interrelationship among and the interconnectedness of the core areas

·         a commitment to intellectual curiosity and life-long learning

·         an openness to new ideas with the social skills necessary for both teamwork and leadership

·         the ability to think independently and be self-directed; to make informed choices and take initiative

                                                                University of Rhode Island Catalog, 2004 -2005, p. 34

OBJECTIVES:

I. To offer programmatic, incremental, planned information literacy instruction

a. Deliver information literacy concepts and skills programmatically through URI 101, the College Writing Program (WRT) and the Talent Development pre-matriculation program.

b. Deliver course-related information literacy instruction in conjunction with credit courses in other programs and disciplines.

c. Deliver credit-bearing information literacy courses.

II. Develop an undergraduate curriculum mapping project with three stages:

a. Work to identify all courses that traditionally receive information literacy instruction from librarians. Further, to identify which information literacy standards are delivered in each of those courses.

b. Identify General Education courses that have identified themselves as incorporating the “Use of information technology” skill and that are using Web-based research as their skill.

c. Identify capstone courses in each college or program and act in a library liaison role to    develop advanced information literacy opportunities for students involved in their capstone projects.

Addressing the Needs of Students
To address the information literacy needs of our students we have implemented an incremental program teaching information literacy competencies. The program addresses the competencies as determined by library faculty in consultation with the Association of College & Research Libraries information literacy competency standards [http://www.ala.org/acrl/ilcomstan.html].

The program is available to all URI students by:

• Providing opportunities for all students to achieve the competencies outlined by the program.
• Developing measurable outcomes and a means for student accountability.
• Coordinating with faculty of other departments or colleges to identify the information literacy needs of each discipline.
• Integrating the concept of information literacy into the curriculum wherever possible.
• Offering students a variety of ways to achieve the competencies in information literacy.

Addressing the Needs of Faculty
The information literacy plan involves faculty in two ways. Faculty play an essential role in collaborating with librarians to deliver information literacy competencies to students. Through this collaboration, librarians will better be able to integrate information literacy into the curriculum in a programmatic way. As well, awareness of information literacy concepts and skills are important to faculty in their own research and teaching. To address the information literacy needs and awareness of URI faculty we offer the following:

• New faculty orientation to introduce the library’s information literacy program.
• Workshops for all faculty to introduce new library materials and services.
• Consultations with other teaching faculty to develop models of collaborative instruction where information literacy skills can be built into the curriculum.
• Promote currently existing library services and expertise to facilitate the research process.

Incremental Implementation of Information Literacy at the University Libraries.  [See chart at end of report.]

Freshman/Sophomore Years
By the end of their freshman/sophomore years, all students will have ideally been introduced to ACRL information literacy  standards 1-4 through enrollment in URI 101 and one of the following: WRT 104, 105 or 106.

URI 101 and College Writing Program modules will introduce students to the library building and to information seeking skills as the first step to information literacy.

In URI 101, students will:

• Become familiar with Library building locations and service points
• Use the HELIN library catalog to locate books and journals
• Understand the concept of subject headings
• Understand Library of Congress call number sequence
• Understand the difference between a catalog and an index or database

The URI 101 module will consist of in-library instruction, an in-class assignment that is corrected by a librarian, a brief tour of the library building, and an optional follow-up assignment facilitated by the course instructor.

The Library also offers an online version of the URI 101 library session, the Library Skills Tutorial and self-grading quiz which can be delivered via WebCT.

In WRT 104, 105 and 106, sessions students will:

• Understand what a periodical is and learn the difference between a newspaper, a popular magazine, a trade publication, and a scholarly journal
• Understand what a periodical database is
• Understand key-word searching
• Understand subject descriptors and other access points.
• Use the Library’s core, interdisciplinary periodical database to find journal articles

The WRT modules consist of in-library instruction, an in-class assignment, and a follow-up assignment facilitated by the course instructor.

LIB 120: Introduction to Information Literacy
Students have the option of taking LIB 120: Introduction to Information Literacy (3 credits) which is a University College General Education option under the English Communication area. A number of sections of LIB 120 can be integrated with freshman "learning communities." In addition, the College of Continuing Education recommends LIB 120 for all Bachelor of General Studies students.

Course-Related Instruction Services
At the request of faculty teaching courses in a wide range of disciplines, reference librarians also design and teach library instruction sessions tailored to fit the specific research and curricular needs of students in particular courses. Librarians teach methods of research, sources of information, and evaluation of information.

Examples of what course-related instruction sessions may include are:

• Electronic database demonstrations with time for hands-on practice
• How to choose and use electronic and print periodical indexes
• Instruction in general and subject-specific reference materials
• How to use the HELIN library catalog
• Internet search strategy and evaluation

Junior Year
In their junior year, students’ course work becomes more subject-specific as most of the courses they take are in their major area of study. By the end of their junior year, students will have strengthened their mastery of information literacy concepts and skills.

Information literacy in the junior year will be delivered primarily through the use of course-related library instruction sessions. Library faculty collaborate with faculty members teaching courses in the students’ major areas of study to design assignments, exercises, and instruction that emphasize subject-specific concepts and resources.

Senior Year
By the time students have completed their senior year of study they will have been exposed to and practiced all information literacy concepts and skills.

Capstone Projects
Departments and programs on campus will be encouraged to integrate information literacy competencies into student capstone projects. Librarians will provide assistance in the form of guidelines and assessment tools.

Graduate Students
Some graduate students arrive directly from their undergraduate studies; others are just returning after a period of time. All graduate students are beginning a new level of research that is far more sophisticated than they have previously experienced.

To prepare these students librarians provide:

• Library orientation facilitated by subject-specialist liaisons
• Seminars in subject specific research processes

BIO 508/LIB508 Seminar in Biological Literature
The literature of the life sciences will be covered based on the needs of the class. Primary research journals, databases, search strategies, Web sites in the life sciences, citation indexes and more will be covered. This course is offered in the spring and is open to graduate students and upper level undergraduates with permission of the instructor. 1 credit.

Support Services for All Students

Consultation/Collaboration with Faculty

Library faculty can provide instruction assistance to subject faculty in information research skills. Together faculty can design exercises and assignments to assist students in completing in-class information research exercises and research-based assignments.

Course-Related Instruction Services

At the request of University faculty, reference librarians can provide library instruction sessions tailored to fit the specific research and curricular needs of students in particular courses. Library instruction sessions provide opportunities for students to learn and practice appropriate search strategies, sources of information, and methods of evaluating information.

LIB140: Special Topics in Information Literacy – one credit.
This one credit hour course can be developed to deliver incremental subject specific information literacy concepts and skills for any subject content course.

Individualized Research Consultations
One-on-one research consultations are available by appointment with one of the Library's Subject Selector/Specialists.

Coordination of Information Literacy Efforts

Opportunities for Students in the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies

The University Libraries Public Services Department provides GSLIS students with opportunities to experience/train/develop as information literacy librarians through the following programs:

Reference Student Assistants work with the library faculty at the reference desk and provide introductory information literacy instruction to URI 101 and WRT 104 students.

Talent Development Professional Field Experience (PFE): Each summer one GSLIS student has the opportunity to learn, manage and deliver the one-week Talent Development information literacy program.

The Information Literacy Plan is a living document that will be reviewed on a regular basis.

2000, rev. 2005

Approved by the Public Services Department Faculty November 2005

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