The SPSCC Library is committed to providing robust, relevant information resources, instruction, and support for the college community. Additionally, we are happy to teach information literacy skills to classes and individuals upon request.
We take seriously our duty to pass on the information literacy skills necessary in the modern age.
Information literacy is at the heart of all we do. The Association of College & Research Libraries defines information literacy as a set of abilities that encompass “the 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.” We are eager to work with you to build information literacy into your course.
Students are more likely to learn information literacy concepts and skills in the context of a research assignment or some other type of information problem. For that reason, information literacy instruction is most effective when it is integrated into the course curriculum. Ideally, information literacy skills are sequenced and woven into the curriculum of an academic department, or a pathway.
Librarians can assist you in teaching information-literacy skills to your students. We will:
Collaborate with you to design research assignments;
Design and seamlessly grade information-literacy exercises, which you select and assign to your students;
Create a research guide (Libguide) for your class or assignment;
Schedule hands-on instruction sessions where we work directly with your students on concepts and skills;
Provide online tutorials in the context of your class or assignment;
Participate in your online course in a variety of ways, such as leading a Canvas discussion and/or grading an assessment.
Information-literacy classes can include an evaluation of student learning developed in consultation with you.
You can request library instruction sessions for your classes. Contact your librarian liaison to get started. Depending on the needs of the class, class time may be a few minutes for a very brief visit or the whole class hour for active learning. We will work with you to schedule the best time for the library instruction session and determine what information literacy skills students need to successfully complete their assignment and the appropriate amount of time for each instruction session. Library instruction topics may include:
Research Process:
Refining topics
Search Strategies:
Choosing keywords and search methods
Finding books using library catalog & eBook collections
Finding articles using online research databases
Evaluating Information:
What are scholarly (research-based) articles?
How to evaluate sources
Tour of library
Plagiarism
Other topics as requested
