25 West Rosedale Avenue
West Chester, PA 19383
Phone: 610-430-4400
Fax: 610-738-0554 refdesk@wcupa.edu
Information Literacy / Library Instruction
Information Literacy Standards and Other Resources
Definition of information literacy, West Chester University "Information literacy is the array of knowledge and skills necessary to identify the information needed for a task and then to locate, understand, evaluate, and use that information efficiently and effectively within appropriate ethical and legal limits."
(p. 76, Middle States Commission on Higher Education Periodic Review Report, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, June 2006, http://www.wcupa.edu/infoservices/OIR/Survey/PRR_Final_2006.pdf
WCU Sample Information Literacy Assessment Rubric (.doc)(.pdf)
Middle States Commission on Higher Education Information literacy skills (p. 42, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education, March 2009)
"Several skills, collectively referred to as ´information literacy,´ apply to all disciplines in an institution´s curricula. These skills relate to a student´s competency in acquiring and processing information in the search for understanding, whether that information is sought in or through the facilities of a library, through practica, as a result of field experiments, by communications with experts in professional communities, or by other means. Therefore, information literacy is an essential component of any educational program at the graduate or undergraduate levels.
These skills include the ability to:
• determine the nature and extent of needed information;
• access information effectively and efficiently;
• evaluate critically the sources and content of information;
• incorporate selected information in the learner´s knowledge base and
value system;
• use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose;
• understand the economic, legal and social issues surrounding the use of
information and information technology; and
• observe laws, regulations, and institutional policies related to the access
and use of information." Developing Research & Communication Skills: Guidelines for Information Literacy in the Curriculum (Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 2003)
Faculty Class Request for Library Instruction
Subject Coordinator Librarians offer discipline and topic-specific introductions to research strategies and resources to your classes. Although librarians provide instruction for many writing and speaking (WRT and SPK) courses, we encourage faculty from all disciplines to bring their classes for more specialized or advanced instruction in library resources and services.
Library instruction is usually provided in (but not limited to) the Library Classroom in Room 309. This room is equipped with 30 networked computers and a projector. Librarians can also work with you to create effective research assignments and up-to-date research guides and bibliographies. If you also plan "library days" with your class, we strongly recommend that you schedule the classroom in Room 309 for use with your students. We encourage you to ask a librarian to participate in "library day" sessions. To schedule a class, or, if you have questions about library instruction, please contact Rachel McMullin (rmcmullin@wcupa.edu) or your Subject Coordinator Librarian (see list below).
All students are welcome to schedule a one-on-one library orientation with the Information Literacy/Humanities Librarian, Rachel McMullin, or with a Subject Coordinator Librarian. Graduate and transfer students may find the individual assistance with library resources and services especially useful.
To schedule an individual orientation, please contact Rachel McMullin rmcmullin@wcupa.edu or a subject coordinator librarian (see list above).
