It Takes a Village: Role of Librarians in the First Year Experience (FYE) Jeanine Scaramozzino Research Librarian for Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics University of California Irvine

General FYE Goals Assist students’ transition to college life Engage students with diverse abilities, backgrounds, interests, and experiences Promote development of student success skills Establish processes for faculty involvement Promote increased competence in critical thinking, ethical development, and lifelong pursuit of knowledge

Information Literacy Defined State a research question, problem, or issue Determine the nature and extent of information needed Access information through both print and electronic data systems Analyze and evaluate the credibility and completeness of information sources Select, integrate, and synthesize information retrieved to accomplish a purpose Acknowledge copyrighted material and intellectual property Organize information and communicate the product effectively to others

Information Literacy in the 21 st Century The ease of finding information on the web has complicated the task of teaching students to find and evaluate sources Formerly well-defined channels of access to information are now found online, along with many distractions With so much knowledge available, how do students learn how to find and evaluate sources “IL educator” is a critical role for faculty and librarians

We’ve gone from this:

To this:

If students are expected to learn a great deal on their own, utilizing new technologies, librarians will be the major players in guiding students to needed resources, not as an auxiliary to faculty teaching but as a primary source of student learning. Alan Guskin, President Emeritus, Antioch University

Role of Librarians in the FYE Boff & Johnson (2002) Ref. Serv. Rev. 30(4): Does the FYE course have a library component? Is the library component required? Yes No n = 368n = 315

Role of Librarians in the FYE LibrarianInstructorPeer FacilitatorOther Percentage of FYE Programs Developing Teaching Boff & Johnson (2002)

Library topics covered in FYE programs: –Article databases82% –Library catalog81% –Web searching78% –Library tour78% –Research assignment66% –Web evaluation36% –Scavenger hunt27% –Other21% Role of Librarians in the FYE Boff & Johnson (2002)

Types of formal library instruction provided to first-year students –One-class course-related library instruction session84 % –One-class non-course-related library instruction session 36 % –Guided tour56 % –Web-based virtual library tour19 % –Audio library tour 2 % –Multiple session course-related instruction 35 % (not a separate credit course) –Required credit course taught by a librarian 4 % –Elective credit course taught by a librarian 7 % Role of Librarians in the FYE Malone & Videon (2003) First Year Student Library Instruction Programs.

Role of Librarians in the FYE Boff & Johnson (2002)

First Year Information Literacy Goals Use library catalog to find materials Define research questions Create search strategies Choose and use proper database Understand different formats and source types Evaluate web pages Understand and avoid plagiarism Cite sources properly

University of California Irvine Public research university Over 25,000 students (20,800 undergraduates) 2000 faculty, 8900 staff, and 50 + librarians Culturally diverse campus community One third of undergraduates major in science, computer science, or engineering

Current UCI Library Outreach Summer programs for incoming freshmen and transfer students Anteater Orientation for Freshmen Introductory writing courses –Instruction and library tasks Subject-specific introductory courses –Instruction and library tasks General information literacy web tutorials

Coordinated IL Instruction Program Information literacy is often taught ad hoc Introductory science classes may include an intro to science databases, reference styles, etc. Content and quality of IL instruction varies with the particular class, instructor or section Instead, librarians can provide all students with a comprehensive introduction to IL which faculty can then reinforce throughout the curriculum

Information Literacy Needs Differ by Discipline FYE and other information literacy programs usually focus on humanities and social sciences Science information literacy is seldom addressed before students reach introductory or intermediate level science courses –Delays development of information literacy skills in science majors –May leave non-science majors unfamiliar with scientific information and communication

Science Information Literacy Tutorial Collaboratively develop web-based tutorials on core information literacy skills –Starting research –Locating resources (books, articles, grey literature) –Evaluating resources –Citing resources Start with general introduction for all science majors Tailor particular sections or versions of the tutorial to specific majors Include modules targeted to different levels of student

UCI Science Information Literacy Tutorial

Three modules: –Creating, Sharing and Finding Science Information (scientific method, scholarly communication, etc.) –Science and Engineering Sources and Resources (information needs, format types, information sources, subject resources, etc.) –Reading, Evaluating and Citing Information (choosing between sources, identifying bias, plagiarism, etc.) Links to other library tutorials and resources (i.e. library catalog, subject guides, databases, Ask a Librarian) Self-assessment tools including pre-tests, interactive exercises, and a self-review with opportunities for review and practice

Subject Specific Modules Science and Mathematics Databases Mathematics/Statistics Life Science Physical Science arXiv.org

Basic Science Information Literacy Science IL should be an educational goal for all students, not just science majors Science information affects many aspects of life: –Personal health, medicine, environment, politics… All students need basic information literacy skills, general research skills and the ability to evaluate diverse sources of information for life-long learning Likewise, science majors need a general sense of searching for information in law, politics, economics, etc. and establishing whether information can be trusted These are among the broad skills that higher education should impart

Web-based Information Literacy Tutorial Reinforcement & application to different databases and sources to produce various documents in classes Advanced Assignments & Projects Continued Use Throughout Personal and Professional Life

Basis for Collaboration Across Campus Based on shared goals, vision, trust and respect Faculty and student support specialists contribute understanding of –Student strengths, weaknesses, attitudes and interests –Course content Librarian contributes understanding of –Methods to integrate and teach information skills –Student frustration with the research process Requires flexibility, communication and student-centered approach Collaboration is educational for all parties

What Can You Do on Your Campus? Learn from successes and challenges of others Build on existing programs of information literacy instruction Improve collaboration with librarians Recognize the importance of information literacy as a central aspect of education and student success

Thank you for attending! Questions?