tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit/50 2012-08-02T21:48:09Z Blog for the University Library's Information Literacy Services and Instruction programs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Shares information about the breadth and depth of teaching and learning, orientation, and outreach activities across the University Library and highlights innovative, inspiring, and interesting approaches and ideas. Goal is that the information literacy community of practice will grow stronger and larger through learning about the range of programs offered and the unique programs not widely known. Primary audience is librarians, staff, and graduate assistants in the University Library but everyone who has an interest in information literacy is welcome. Movable Type 3.35 tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit//50.2167 2012-08-02T21:15:27Z 2012-08-02T21:48:09Z

Project Information Literacy isn't a new thing to UIUC. We participated in some talks back in 2008, and some folks may be keeping up with the project itself. For those who aren't, however, the project is beginning a new study...

Sarah Project Information Literacy isn't a new thing to UIUC. We participated in some talks back in 2008, and some folks may be keeping up with the project itself. For those who aren't, however, the project is beginning a new study this month, examining the information literacy skills of young adults once they graduate. What happens to them once they leave the databases of their alma mater and have to utilize the reference material available to them in their first professional job? After conducting phone interviews with recent graduates and focus group interviews, PIL writes that it hopes to post the results of their study on the site in October. The study is different in that it reaches across the nation to get data from graduates of public and private colleges, along with community and state colleges. The study focuses on these three questions: "1. How do early adults (in their own words) put their information literacy competencies into practice in learning environments in a digital age, regardless of how they may measure up to standards for being information literate? 2. With the proliferation of online resources and new technologies, how do early adults recognize the information needs they may have and in turn, how do they locate, evaluate, select and use the information that is needed? 3. How can teaching the critical and information literacy skills that are needed to enable lifelong learning be more effectively transferred to college students?" UIUC is participating in the study. Keep an eye out - the results of this one should be pretty interesting! ]]> tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit//50.2166 2012-08-02T21:02:48Z 2012-08-02T21:08:15Z

Within the study of information literacy, it’s hard to avoid the circumstances under which students learn most effectively. While most of the studies focus on how students learn – globally, visually, structurally, etc. – the environmental factors in which they...

Sarah an article on quiet zones in libraries, and how researchers in the University of Washington’s Project Information Literacy examined students’ study preferences. They found that many students seek out the quiet of the library to focus on their research and work. While there’s a focus on libraries that can provide group study areas where students can work together and chat, there’s a push back from students to keep their quiet areas quiet. The Undergraduate Library here on campus has a noise-friendly floor (to a point), and a quiet floor. Speaking from the experience of working there, I am continually amazed at the number of students who arrive on a regular basis for the sole purpose of quiet study. More than that, I'm amazed that the students are the ones who patrol and enforce it, reporting most disruptions to the nearest librarian or student assistant. ]]> tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit//50.2162 2012-07-31T21:32:16Z 2012-07-31T21:43:44Z

The latest issue of Reference Services Review has come out, and there are a few new papers that shed some new light on aspects of information literacy and library instruction. “A LibGuides presence in a Blackboard environment” by Aaron Bowen...

Sarah latest issue of Reference Services Review has come out, and there are a few new papers that shed some new light on aspects of information literacy and library instruction. “A LibGuides presence in a Blackboard environment” by Aaron Bowen This article describes current practices for applying and assessing research guides in Blackboard online learning systems. Bowen found that students valued access to library resources from a convenient link, and were more inclined to use it before other information sources. Bowen concluded that the study supported placing library research guides in a permanently visible area in Blackboard. “Post-graduate health promotion students assess their information literacy” by Catherine Hodgens, Marguerite Sendall, and Lynn Evans This paper examines post-graduate health promotion students’ assessment of their own information literacy skills before and after completing an online tutorial. The researchers found that there were perceived improvements in information literacy skills, but that some students still had trouble locating authoritative and necessary information and in plagiarism. “Relationship Building with Students and Instructors of ESL: Bridging the Gap for Library Instruction and Services” by Julia Martin, Kathleen Reaume, Elaine Reeves, and Ryan Wright This paper examines how academic librarians are reaching out to an underserved group at many institutions – ESL students. The researchers found that building relationships between librarian teachers and ESL instructors helped the students feel more comfortable in seeking out the assistance of their institution’s librarians. ]]> tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit//50.2161 2012-07-30T14:29:13Z 2012-07-30T14:40:24Z

They aren’t written by Janet Evanovich or Hilary Mantel, but these books (available in our library system or through I-Share) could potentially give you a new idea or two before the fall semester begins. E-Reference Context and Discoverability in Libraries:...

Sarah these perspectives and practice tips. Information Literacy Beyond Library 2.0 Edited by Peter Godwin and Jo Parker Call number: Currently in Library Processing You’ve been integrating social media into your teaching, helping students to use these interactive features to increase their information literacy. But what effect is it having on the students? What’s happening internationally? What new ideas are out there, and how can librarians pick up new skills? Information Literacy as a Student Learning Outcome: the Perspective of Institutional Accreditation By Laura Saunders Call number: Surprise! It’s an e-book! Information literacy outcomes aren’t just essential for students – they’re crucial for the institutions that those students attend. This book takes a look at the six different accreditation areas in the United States and profiles institutions working to meet the student learning outcomes for information literacy in those areas. ]]> tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit//50.2160 2012-07-27T17:11:27Z 2012-07-27T17:12:44Z

Will you be missing out on the IFLA Conference this August? Console yourself with a visit to Purdue University on Aug. 13, when Dr. Christine S. Bruce, of the famed “Seven Faces of Information Literacy” paper. Bruce will be the...

Sarah register by Aug. 3! Move quickly, because the symposium is limited to 75 participants. In the meantime, however, read up on Bruce’s Six Frames model in “Informed Learning,” available in the Main Stacks, with call number 370.15 B83i. If it’s checked out, then read one of her latest papers: Bruce, C., Hughes, H., & Somerville, M. M. (2012). Supporting Informed Learners in the Twenty-first Century. Library Trends, 60(3), 522-545. ]]> tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit//50.2156 2012-07-24T19:38:19Z 2012-07-24T19:53:19Z

The ACRL's Summer Immersion program is well underway in Burlington, Vermont. Though the deadline for entry is long past (as is the one for the immersion program set for November - that's how popular this program is!), it's worth remembering...

Sarah Summer Immersion program is well underway in Burlington, Vermont. Though the deadline for entry is long past (as is the one for the immersion program set for November - that's how popular this program is!), it's worth remembering what these immersion programs are about, and the ways that we're able to follow the one currently going on. The ACRL Immersion programs allow instruction librarians to eat, sleep, and breathe information literacy for a few days. Until July 27, the librarians in Vermont will be working with new tools and techniques to develop and update the information literacy programs in their institutions. The ACRL offers a "Teacher" and "Program" track in the summer (right now), and an "Assessment" and "Intentional Teaching" track in the late fall. Click here for a list of faculty teaching these immersion programs (including our own Lisa Hinchliffe and Beth Woodard!) To keep up with the program as it progresses, search for #imm12 on Twitter. ]]> tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit//50.2155 2012-07-23T17:48:34Z 2012-07-23T17:51:13Z

Our own Paula Kaufman, Dean of Libraries, has been listed as ACRL's Member of the Week this week! Read the interview here, and write a note of support! Kaufman is also the winner of this year's ACRL Academic/Research Librarian of...

Sarah here, and write a note of support! Kaufman is also the winner of this year's ACRL Academic/Research Librarian of the Year.]]> tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit//50.2154 2012-07-23T17:39:01Z 2012-07-23T17:48:11Z

It’s likely that most people reading this in the Chambana area won’t have attended the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals’ “Information Literacy Executive Briefing 2012” earlier this month. That doesn’t mean that we can’t benefit from it. CILIP’s...

Sarah presentations are now online, available for your perusal. All of these presentations are great to look over, but of particular interest is the “Information Literacy: the cure for health information obesity,” “Digital Literacies,” and the “Sir LearnALot and Lollipop” presentations. The health information presentation makes an interesting distinction between health literacy and health information literacy, with a good plan of action for implementation. The Digital Literacy presentation also makes a good distinction between the concepts students and librarians associate with digital learning, and how to engage students with their literacy development. The Sir LearnALot presentation is just plain fun, and features a beautiful concept map for information literacy. No dates have been released for the 2013 conference, but keep an eye on the CILIP page! ]]> tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit//50.2153 2012-07-19T17:45:54Z 2012-07-19T17:49:07Z

Haven’t heard about the microlecture? The term is becoming quite popular among educators, especially those in large lecture classes. Essentially, what it boils down to is a video clip, about a minute or two in length, in which the instructor...

Sarah different disciplines. Think you can use a microlecture for information literacy? Take a workshop sponsored by CITES Academic Technology Services in making screencast microlectures on July 25, from 1-3 p.m. at 23 Illini Hall. This class will help teachers in making screencasts for face-to-face, blended, or online classes. Best practices and tools will be covered, and teachers will have produced a small microlecture by the end of class. Teachers are welcome to bring a laptop or thumb drive with their own lecture content. Register here, and learn more about the microlecture format here. ]]> tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit//50.2152 2012-07-16T19:09:54Z 2012-07-16T19:11:45Z

It’s daunting enough to be in front of a classroom on some days, and even worse to be in one where you aren’t sure your voice will carry to the back row. The CITES Academic Technology Services and the Center...

Sarah here. ]]> tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit//50.2151 2012-07-13T20:56:59Z 2012-07-13T20:58:51Z

It’s safe to say that libraries are in a time of extreme change – rapidly changing technology, demographics, and new practices to become literate in. Today’s average patron is far different from the one that walked in the library doors...

Sarah here for more information. ]]> tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit//50.2150 2012-07-12T20:48:55Z 2012-07-12T20:53:18Z

The Special Library Association will be holding its annual conference in Chicago, beginning this weekend and stretching into next week, much of it dealing with corporate librarianship. This may sound a little off-topic, since the general aim of this blog...

Sarah annual conference in Chicago, beginning this weekend and stretching into next week, much of it dealing with corporate librarianship. This may sound a little off-topic, since the general aim of this blog is for academic librarians. The two aren’t so dissimilar, however – what kind of information literacy will students need once they graduate and enter the workplace? What if they don’t have corporate librarians? It’s a question that more than a few people have worked to answer. The topic came up at the recent CILIP meet, in which Mark Hepworth of Loughborough University came up with a very worthwhile presentation. This April, in the Journal of Business and Finance Librarianship (full citation below), James Sokoloff compared ACRL standards to the experiences of employers and their new staff. He found that most employers had problems realizing that information literacy is a skill, that most employees have to use only the information they are given (and are discouraged from seeking out others, especially with a subscription attached), and concluded that there were a few disconnects between the ACRL competencies and what is actually expected of the graduated student in the workplace. He recommends a “better balance between core information literacy standards and direct preparation for the experience of information usage in the workplace.” What do you think? Sokoloff, Jason. "Information Literacy in the Workplace: Employer Expectations." Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship 17.1 (2012):1. ]]> tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit//50.2149 2012-07-11T18:22:36Z 2012-07-13T21:06:31Z

The American Library Association is looking for its 2013 class of Emerging Leaders. Seventy-seven librarians were chosen last year, and now the ALA needs a new group for the seventh year of its leadership development program. Participants in this program...

Sarah here for more information. ]]> tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit//50.2148 2012-07-09T15:10:06Z 2012-07-09T15:11:36Z

Just a quick update - today's User Education Meeting has been canceled. The next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 13....

Sarah Just a quick update - today's User Education Meeting has been canceled. The next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 13. tag:www.library.uiuc.edu,2012:/blog/infolit//50.2147 2012-07-09T14:56:10Z 2012-07-09T14:57:36Z

Between the talks at the ALA Conference and the eTextbook Unconference in Champaign, e-books are coming into their own, both in terms of popularity and in workability. But which e-reader should you use for them? Further to that, how will...

Sarah talks at the ALA Conference and the eTextbook Unconference in Champaign, e-books are coming into their own, both in terms of popularity and in workability. But which e-reader should you use for them? Further to that, how will you select an e-reader that is most compatible with your library’s collection – and how will you explain to owners of new e-readers how to work their new gadgets? If you’d like some help navigating the world of e-readers, try the E-Reader Extravaganza, set for tomorrow in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, in room 131. This workshop will allow librarians to get a sense of what e-readers are out there, and to try to work them on their own. This event is free, and set from 1-2 p.m. For more information, click here. ]]>