Type of Presentation
Individual paper/presentation (20 minute presentation)
Target Audience
Higher Education
Location
Room 212
Proposal
In response to fresh mandates for proof of our library’s impact on student success, we are reformulating the instruction program at the Clemson University Libraries. Rather than racing forward with shots in the dark, we conscientiously chose to set aside time for research and planning. This presentation reports on the process and results of this first stage. I will start by reporting findings and identifying trends from my interviews with instruction librarians at thirteen academic libraries—a mix of peer institutions from our regional consortium and “model” institutions whose achievements in information literacy education have been recognized by the ACRL. I will then discuss how contextualizing these practical trends through current theories of threshold concepts, transfer, and interdisciplinarity (drawn from both library science and writing studies research) allows us to extrapolate future directions in information literacy instruction. After all, why not build a program that anticipates the next set of best practices rather than simply “catching up” to national trends? Finally, I will share the concrete action items that we are implementing at Clemson in response to this research and offer suggestions for practical applications at other institutions. While primarily providing insight into the state of information literacy instruction and the process of change in one university library’s instruction program, this presentation will also briefly touch upon the overlapping missions of information literacy instruction and general education, as well as the place of pedagogical training within libraries.
Short Description
Trying to show your library’s pedagogical impact while also facing dwindling statistics? This was the challenge at the Clemson Libraries. Come hear about the trends identified in interviews with thirteen instruction librarians that helped us adapt. You’ll leave with insights about planning programmatic change and new directions in library instruction.
Keywords
LIBRARY INSTRUCTION, INTERVIEW DATA, PEDAGOGY, INFORMATION LITERACY, GENERAL EDUCATION
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Dean, Kirsten N., "Future Trends in Information Literacy Instruction: Lessons Learned from 13 Libraries" (2016). Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy. 56.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gaintlit/2016/2016/56
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Information Literacy Commons, Rhetoric and Composition Commons
Future Trends in Information Literacy Instruction: Lessons Learned from 13 Libraries
Room 212
In response to fresh mandates for proof of our library’s impact on student success, we are reformulating the instruction program at the Clemson University Libraries. Rather than racing forward with shots in the dark, we conscientiously chose to set aside time for research and planning. This presentation reports on the process and results of this first stage. I will start by reporting findings and identifying trends from my interviews with instruction librarians at thirteen academic libraries—a mix of peer institutions from our regional consortium and “model” institutions whose achievements in information literacy education have been recognized by the ACRL. I will then discuss how contextualizing these practical trends through current theories of threshold concepts, transfer, and interdisciplinarity (drawn from both library science and writing studies research) allows us to extrapolate future directions in information literacy instruction. After all, why not build a program that anticipates the next set of best practices rather than simply “catching up” to national trends? Finally, I will share the concrete action items that we are implementing at Clemson in response to this research and offer suggestions for practical applications at other institutions. While primarily providing insight into the state of information literacy instruction and the process of change in one university library’s instruction program, this presentation will also briefly touch upon the overlapping missions of information literacy instruction and general education, as well as the place of pedagogical training within libraries.
