Traditional library research instruction, in the form of library tours, hands-on learning sessions in the Kreitzberg Library’s Electronic Classroom, and resource lists for your students are all still available. However, changes in the New England Association of Schools and Colleges’ accreditation mean that library instruction and the curriculum need to be integrated into a larger plan for "Information Literacy."

"Information Literacy" NEASC Standards and Student Learning Outcomes

"Information Literacy" is the ability to recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information (see ACRL, Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, 2000 and ACRL Information Literacy Objectives). The New England Association of Schools and Colleges' (NEASC) Standards for Accreditation have recently been revised to add information literacy as an expected outcome of undergraduate education, and to emphasize the expectation for student use of library resources.  NEASC Academic Program Standard 4.6

  • Ensures students use information resources as integral part of education
  • Provides training for use of these resources
  • Provides instruction and support in information literacy appropriate to the degree level and field of study

According to the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Information Competency Standards for Higher Education, "Information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning… It enables learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more self-directed, and assume greater control over their own learning. An information literate individual is able to:

  • Determine the extent of information needed
  • Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
  • Evaluate information and its sources critically
  • Incorporate selected information into one's knowledge base
  • Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
  • Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally."

Students learn these competencies in courses that require active research and problem solving. Information literacy-based student learning outcomes can include, among others, developing an effective research question, identifying appropriate information sources, constructing search strategies, evaluating and selecting search results for quality and appropriateness, incorporating the new information into the assignment, and documenting the sources of information appropriately.

Faculty/Librarian Collaboration on Information Literacy

Information literacy instruction is most effective when it is fully integrated into the goals of a class.

  • Librarians can help design effective research assignments that introduce students to the most useful information resources.
  • Librarians can help determine the most appropriate type of library instruction: class session, part of a class session, handout, tutorial, etc.
  • Librarians can assess students’ ability to locate and apply information
  • Librarians can assist faculty in integrating a set of Information Literacy skills into an academic major
  • Faculty can schedule library instruction when students are working on their research assignments and are most motivated to learn.
  • Faculty presence and involvement in the planning and teaching of a library session ensures that students will be actively engaged.
  • Librarians are available for follow-up assistance after the library session through e-mail and individual reference consultations.
  • All library instruction sessions will teach information seeking as a critical thinking skill, and will emphasize evaluating sources for relevance, reliability and objectivity.

Subject Liaison Contacts

For further information and discussion, or to schedule a session for your class, please contact: