Library: Information Literacy Program Assessment: Home

SC4 Library Information Literacy Program

"Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning." Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education 2015, American Library Association, Association of College & Research Libraries

In 2015, ACRL adopted the Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education focusing on six threshold concepts to serve as "passageways or portals to enlarged understanding or ways of thinking and practicing within that discipline."

The reference librarians at SC4 have incorporated the Framework into the Information Literacy program with the following student learning outcome:

Students will be able to critically and effectively evaluate sources for relevance and usefulness and use them ethically.

Value of Information Literacy Programs

Documented Library Contributions to Student Learning and Success.
Academic Library Impact: Improving Practice and Essential Areas to Research, Association of College & Research Libraries,
more...less...
Academic Library Impact builds on ACRL’s 2010 Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report and the results of the subsequent Assessment in Action program. It demonstrates how libraries are now measuring library contributions to student learning and success, and recommends where more research is needed in areas critical to the higher education sector such as accreditation, student retention, and academic achievement.

“Academic Library Impact captures the incredible strides made by the profession in assessing and demonstrating the contributions of academic libraries to the academy, and creates a path for moving us into the future via new research avenues,” says ACRL Executive Director Mary Ellen K. Davis.
The (Lasting?) Value of Libraries
Inside Higher Education summary of Documented Library Contributions to Student Learning and Success.

Summary of Documented Library Contributions to Student Learning and Success:

Libraries play an important role in helping students survive their first year at college. Students who received some kind of instruction from librarians in their first year do better in their courses than those who don’t.
Students who use libraries tend to stay in college and get better grades than those who don’t.
Students benefited when libraries partnered with other offices that support students such as writing centers and academic enrichment programs.
Library information literacy programs can positively affect the goals of general education learning outcomes such as critical thinking, problem solving and civic engagement.
Libraries were able to demonstrate a connection between library instruction and retention, engagement, and overall academic experience.

Before the Framework

Before the Framework, from 2000 to 2015, the College adhered to the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education as written by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL):

“Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.” Association of College & Research Libraries, American Library Association

An information literate individual is able to:

Determine the extent of the information needed. (ACRL Standard One)
Access the needed information effectively and efficiently. (ACRL Standard Two)
Evaluate information and its sources critically. (ACRL Standard Three)
Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base. (ACRL Standard Three)
Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose. (ACRL Standard Four)
Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and access and use information ethically and legally. (ACRL Standard Five)