Information Literacyat Midway College

Faculty Workshop

Information Literacy Defined:

• having the ability to recognize when information is needed and to be able to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information

- American Library Association. Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. Final Report.(Chicago: American Library Association, 1989.)

Information Literacy Competencies and Outcomes

1. Define a topic or information need and develop a search strategy.

State a question, problem, or issue Identify terms and keywords relating to the

information need Identify sources that might exist to answer the

question Understand Boolean operators Understand use of subject headings

Information Literacy Competencies and Outcomes

2. Access the needed information Use library’s online catalog (Voyager) to find a

book or print resource Use electronic databases (such as EBSCOhost

or FirstSearch) to access full-text journal article or abstract

Effectively use Internet resources Use print resources, including reference

materials Utilize Interlibrary Loan and catalogs of other

institutions to locate resources not held locally

Information Literacy Competencies and Outcomes

3. Evaluate the information found

Check resource for reliability, authoritativeness, timeliness

Determine if information gathered answers the question or addresses the issue

Information Literacy Competencies and Outcomes

4. Use and synthesize the information

Use information gathered for argument

Document sources using proper citations

Information Literacy Competencies and Outcomes

Subject specific outcomes:• “Understand use of subject headings”

could be:• “Understand use of PsychInfo Thesaurus” for

Psychology• “Understand use of CINAHL subject headings”

for Nursing

Information Literacy Competencies and Outcomes

Subject-specific outcomes:• “Use electronic databases (such as

EBSCOhost or FirstSearch) to access full-text journal article or abstract” could be:

• “use NoveList to find a book review” for Teacher Education

• “use CINAHL to find an article in a nursing journal” for Nursing

Information Literacy Incorporating Competencies and

Outcomes into class activities Library Instruction and the “Teachable

Moment” Assignments: Not just research papers!

Information Literacy Books

Library Catalog (Voyager) WorldCat NetLibrary

Information Literacy Articles

EBSCOhost FirstSearch KYVL

Information Literacy Web Resources

Library Links Subject pages

Information Literacy

The End