Workshop: Best Practices in Information Literacy in Undergraduate Education

For the past several years, seminar leaders Ariew and Frank, along with members of the ACRL's Institute for Information Literacy's Best Practices Project Team, have been working with colleagues in the field on criteria for developing, assessing, and improving information literacy programs in undergraduate education; and identifying categories and case studies of best practices in undergraduate information literacy programs.

This workshop, co-sponsored by ACRL and the TLT Group, will introduce a variety of related resources, present the findings of the Best Practices team, describe key elements of model programs, invite feedback and discussion, and engage participants in activities to help them reflect on their own teaching practices, as well as advance the work of their own Information Literacy Programs. The seminar has both synchronous and asynchronous components. 

Collaboration involving librarians, faculty, and others emerged as characteristic of many successful Information Literacy programs. Consequently, while some of the activities and resources developed for this workshop will be focused on the needs and capabilities of librarians, others will be directed at interdepartmental teams that also include faculty, technology professionals, administrators, professional development experts, and others.  

Participants will reflect, discuss, plan, and begin to apply what they've learned to their programs at their own institutions.  They will:

• identify the difference between Bibliographic Instruction and Information Literacy and be able to explain the difference to colleagues, faculty, etc.
• define the teaching library and contrast it with the traditional library.
• identify the challenges of teaching information literacy through one-shot library instruction sessions.
• pose solutions to some of the challenges related to teaching information literacy in library settings.
• define networking, cooperation, and collaboration as it pertains to information literacy/library instruction 
  
• discuss ways teaching librarians can move from cooperation to collaboration.
• understand the characteristics of IL programs that illustrate best practices and then to reflect on their own successes and where they may be able to start improving their programs.
• outline a plan of action to begin or improve an IL program at their own institutions. 

For more information literacy resources, visit ACRL's Information Literacy Web site.