Information Literacy and Library Instruction

The Association of College and Research Libraries definition

"Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning."

The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education defines the following threshold concepts as key for becoming information literate. 

• Authority is Constructed and Contextual
• Information Creation as a Process
• Information has Value
• Research as Inquiry
• Scholarship as Conversation
• Searching as Strategic Exploration

Our library instruction pedagogy is based on these foundations. 

There are a number of ways we can work with you and your students.

• Class sessions that focus on research processes and issues, such as selecting a topic, evaluating resources, and locating information sources.
• Class sessions that focus on specific information needs, such as particular databases and content areas.
• Consultations with you to help craft or revise assignments that utilize the resources held by the Libraries. 
• Creating LibGuides to help locate resources in a variety of formats.

We want to find the best way that we can work with you, and your particular class, to help your students become information literate. In our desire to reach this goal, we remain open to other ideas.  We would be happy to meet with you in person or online to discuss options for your class.

The best time for a library instruction session is when you can realistically expect your students to begin work on their projects or papers.  This may be when they are identifying their topics, often a difficult challenge for them, or when they are beginning to locate useful sources.

Feel free to just email Tiffany Hebb (or any other librarian you want to work with), or fill out the form below, if you prefer. 

While we tend to talk about library instruction in terms of "class sessions," our best instruction often happens when working with individual students on their own research projects. In these sessions, we discuss their initial research question, talk about language, tools, and search strategies, and help them evaluate results. Please encourage your students to make an appointment with a librarian. 

Feel free to use or adapt the following text for your syllabus:

Through DePauw Libraries, you have access to a vast collection of books, journals, newspapers, music, films, primary sources, and library databases, plus the run of the "regular" internet. This means you may feel overwhelmed with the options, and feel stuck in getting started with your research. Librarians are here to help! You can schedule an appointment for a research consultation with a librarian here: https://libcal.depauw.edu/appointments. For FAQs and other ways to contact us, visit https://libanswers.depauw.edu/.