At the Forefront of Information Literacy Reference Coordinator, Alexandra Rojas, Instructional Services Librarian, Charles Keyes Access Services Librarian, Christopher McHale - LaGaurdia Community College

Information Literacy Defined Library Faculty Perspective Association of Research and College Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education Five Standards 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

ACRL Standards Deconstructed Each standard has 3 – 7 performance indicators Each performance indicator has a list of 3 – 7 outcomes Huh?? LINK

Non-library Faculty Perspective Critical thinking Research skills Inquiry Research Methods

Student Perspective Not a set of skills Comes “naturally” Self-taught Outcomes based on whether information is found rather than process used Unable to identify individual skills necessary to develop competency

Dunning-Kruger Effect The incompetent do not recognize their lack of skills The incompetent: Are unlikely to seek training or assistance Can’t accurately evaluate expertise of others, e.g. librarians, instructors, authors etc. Are unable to assess & use information systems, services, etc. Are unable to recognize: Need for information Value of information services Relevant information Right answers

Dunning-Kruger Effect

Traditional role of library in Academia Invested in the organization and preservation of information resources: Limited use policies for materials Focus on faculty research Little connection to curriculum

Changing role of library in Academia Invested in the growth and development of students: Expanded access New media Resources tailored to curriculum User as curator Collaborative spaces Direct involvement in education

Library at LaGuardia: Bridging Gaps Between the “neat” world of indexed and organized (library based) information and “clean” linear, cyclical process of information seeking AND... The “untidy” real world of information outside the academy with its messy, discontinuous information contexts.

Traditional Research Services Reference desk assistance tailored to the individual student or faculty member Reference consultation Physical space and accessibility eSearch tools (article databases) and books Curriculum development Integrated information literacy assignments in course proposals Consultation with faculty about assignment development Suggestions for additional resources to support courses and programs. Collection development tailored to course offerings Involvement in professional development seminars for faculty

Exposure to IL Skills Through Instruction Mandatory library instruction for all English Composition I and Research Paper sections Consultation with faculty Assignment focused Instruction focused on research question development Where the “messy” meets the “structured” Deconstructs the information seeking/research process to highlight necessary skills development Critical thinking/inquiry Information literacy skills Credit courses Basic skills and search tool navigation (the “structured” world) Investigation of what information is, where it comes from and how it can and can’t be used (the “messy” world) Faculty professional development Introduce faculty to search tools and how they can be incorporated into student learning Building Information Literacy in the Disciplines (BILD)

First-Year Experience Most of us in higher education would agree that high on the list of essentials for collegiate success are the abilities to find, manipulate, and use information — not just information that can be easily downloaded from the Web, but information that meets standards of accuracy and academic rigor. BETSY BAREFOOT

LATE 1800'S PHOTO FROM A COLLECTION IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. AP PROVIDES ACCESS TO THIS PUBLICLY DISTRIBUTED HANDOUT PHOTO PROVIDED BY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS (Rudyard Kipling) As far back as the late 1800’s, bibliographic instruction was taught.

Historical Perspective The academy has known for over a century that first- year students face unique challenges. Boston College pioneered the first Freshman Orientation class in 1888 (Gardner, 1986). Reed College (Portland, OR) became the first institution to schedule an orientation course for credit when, in 1911, they offered a course separated into men-only and women-only sections that met 2 hours per week for the year (Gardner, 1986).

History professor John Gardner helped develop what eventually became known as the First-Year Experience, or FYE (Schroeder, 2003). Gardner is best known as the initiator (in 1982) of an international reform movement in higher education to call attention to and improve what he originally coined "The Freshman Year Experience" and then renamed “The First-Year Experience”.

The Chronology of FYE Initiatives at LaGuardia 1.First Year Experience’s programs have been running for years but not successful. 2.In Fall 2013, an ad hoc committee was formed to re-design the FYE. 3.Re-Inventing the First Year Experience at LaGuardia Summary Report: Findings & Recommendations of the Task Force on the First Year Experience was published in January 2013

The Chronology of FYE Initiatives at LaGuardia 4. Strengthening the FYE was included in the college’s FY Strategic Plan. 5. Four program-based FYS courses were created: 1.Business and Technology 2.Natural Science 3.Health Science 4.Liberal Arts 6. Center for Teaching and Learning offered a seminar for the campus New to College: Re-inventing the First Year Seminar

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