This document discusses trends in academic librarianship and information literacy initiatives at Western universities. It outlines how librarians are reexamining their roles and instruction practices to better support changing student research habits. The document focuses on an information literacy initiative at the University of Pittsburgh that uses the ACRL standards and embedded librarians to promote information literacy across various courses and programs. It provides examples of assessment tools, online guides, and collaboration strategies used by the university library to integrate information literacy instruction.

1. Western Trends in
Academic Librarianship:
Instruction
Robin Kear, MLIS
Eurasian University, Kazakhstan
April 2012

2. Change
 Reexamining our role in
our university and how
to best interact with
faculty and students
 They are changing their
research habits and the
way that they produce
scholarship

3. Our Reasons for Information
Literacy Initiative
 Assessment requirements at
the University of Pittsburgh
 Middle States Commission
on Higher Education
 ARL’s call to transform
research, teaching and
learning
ULS Long Range Goal

4. Information Literacy Initiative
Demystifies library
Empowers students
Generates PR/Good will
Supports mission of the library
Promotes Information Literacy
Set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize
when information is needed and have the ability
to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed
information.“
ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education
http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency

5. ACRL Standards
Created in 2000 and modified by the American
College & Research Libraries division of the
American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/standards/standards.pdf

6. Standards Toolkit
The Standards Toolkit is a set • Standard One: Know
of tools, web pages and other • Standard Two: Access
resources that will help you • Standard Three: Evaluate
to use the Information
• Standard Four: Use
Literacy Competency
• Standard Five: Ethical/Legal
Standards for Higher
Education.
http://www.ala.org/acrl/issues/infolit/standards/standardstoolkit

7. Role of ULS In
Information Literacy Assessment
 Online information literacy
test
 45 questions dealing with a
range of information seeking
skills
 Benchmark freshman IL
skills
 Assess senior class skills

8. The Goal: Better IL Integration at
the Course/Program Level
Embed into the research
process of the course or
program
Collaborate with the
instructor(s) or program
director(s)
Always tie instruction to the
assignment

9. Various, Simultaneous
IL Components
 One-shot classes as library/searching orientations
 One-on-one instruction
 Embedded librarians
 Classroom integrated tools
 Integrated discipline/IL goals and rubrics
 Curriculum mapping

10. Embedded Librarian
Integral part of the
whole
Part of the online
classroom
environment

11. ENGLIT 0500: Intro to Critical Reading
 Collaboration with a Pitt English Professor
 Tiered assignment
 I teach just before the annotated bibliography
is due
 Part of their CourseWeb
 Review annotated bibliographies

12. Levels for Courseware Tools
Macro Level Library Courseware
Involvement, entails working with the developers
and programmers of courseware to integrating into
the software a generic, global library presence.
Micro Level Library Courseware
Involvement, involves individual librarians teaming
up with faculty as consultants to participate in
developing a customized library instruction and
resource component for the courseware enhanced
courses.

13. Ideas for Courseware
 Create downloadable items that can be
imported into online courses
 Remind faculty of virtual reference desks and
library web presence
 Offer to create and embed discipline specific
IL rubrics
 “Librarian Role”

14. Techniques for Effective Library
Instruction
 Follow the Instruction Cycle
 Creation of instructional outlines (lesson plans)
 Use Learning Objectives tied to Information Literacy
 Active learning exercises related to objectives
 Use of tutorials and screencasts
 LibGuides (or research guides)
 Evaluation and Assessment

15. • Online guides to using the library’s resources that can be
designed around a subject or for specific classes and
assignments.
• Can be built around the course syllabus or an assignment
to connect students with the specific library resources
they will need to be successful.
• Faculty can link to the guide or embed it into their
CourseWeb class.
• http://pitt.libguides.com

16. Rubrics
The ULS has created several rubrics that can be used by
faculty and librarians to incorporate appropriate structure
and assessment to the development of their instructional
sessions.
These rubrics are based on the ACRL Standards and the
eight skill sets identified by the SAILS (Standardized
Assessment of Information Literacy Skills) test currently in
use. There are four levels for all of the ULS rubrics. These
include: novice, developing, proficient and accomplished.

17. Accomplish
Novice Developing Proficient
ed
Shows an
increased
Understands
understandin
Unable to nature &
g of Able to adapt
narrow scope of
information search
topic; Unsure assignment;
needed process to
Develop of Determines
for topic; topic;
Research how to find general
Refines Knows what
Strategy information keywords
keywords keywords
needed in relation to
and and phrases
for topic
develops to employ
assignment to begin
synonyms
searching
for search
terms

18. What is a Curriculum Map?
Grid for subject specific information
literacy instruction
Scope and Sequence of skills
Customizable to needs of a particular
department or major

19. Engineering Library: Judy Brink

20. Keeping Up with Technology
 Keep up with technology developments
and tools
 Learn various (standard) technology
applications
 Develop understanding of pedagogical use
 Implement in appropriate instructional
settings
 Assess if the technological tool
accomplishes desired outcomes

21. Integrating Information Literacy…
Can be done in the faculty
classroom, online, or through
the library classroom.
It is imperative to collaborate
with faculty, whether you will
be embedding, be there in
person, or through the web.

22. The Reality
The research process is more difficult with
information abundance:
•Technology issues now complicate
research concepts further
•Too many information choices, not enough
orientation

23. Goal: Better Research Assignments
 Process over Product
 Tiered Paper Approach
 Suggest Alternatives to the 5-7 Pages
 Annotated bibliography
 Literature review
 Bibliographic essay
 Evaluate and edit a Wikipedia entry
 Grant or research proposal

24. Goal: Tiered Research Assignments
Thesis/topic meeting
Research log/journal
Preliminary bibliography
Outline/Introduction
Mid-point check
Drafts
Final Paper

25. Goal: Embed Smaller Research
Components
 Explain Citations
 Explain Source Types
 Suggest Disciplinary Sources
 Explain Terminology (primary vs. secondary)
 Explain Information Cycle

26. Things students need…
 Collaboration between faculty and librarians
 Collaboration between academic departments and
libraries
 Connection between research-paper process and
everyday life research
 Context:
background, vocabulary, expectation, gathering
resources
 Librarian as informational coach
 Frequent explanations of research (IL) concepts
across courses and years from faculty and librarians

27. The Result: Ubiquity
 Research is not disconnected from
the classroom
 Research is not an outside skill
 Research skills are necessary for all
their work

28. LibGuide Companions
 Information Literacy
Fundamentals
 http://pitt.libguides.com/infolit
 Information Literacy Tools
 http://pitt.libguides.com/infolittools

29. Robin Kear
Reference/Instruction Librarian
University of Pittsburgh
G22 Hillman Library
3960 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
+1-412-648-7728
rlk25@pitt.edu
http://www.linkedin.com/in/robinkear
Twitter: @rkear
Meebo Chat: rkear
Skype: robin.kear
http://pitt.libguides.com/profile.php?uid=18189