Information Literacy Plan for American University

The American University Library Instruction Team is implementing a plan that takes a comprehensive approach to developing the information literacy skills of students over the course of their college careers. Features of the program are:

• The Information Literacy Tutorial. The tutorial provides a basic level of instruction to incoming students, including:
  • Information about the ALADIN catalog and databases, basic searching concepts, using AU and other library collections, and academic integrity.
  • An initial assessment of students' information literacy skills.
    
    
• A second tier of advanced research and information literacy instruction. This initiative is under expansion, and it is being introduced in courses required for majors in each school or college.
  • Information covered includes discipline-specific introductions to subject databases, evaluation of Web or other sources, primary sources, non-print media, or similar topics.
  • Sessions are presented by library faculty members or by teaching faculty members using stand-alone modules prepared by the Instruction Team.
  • Assessment can be built into an accompanying assignment, a research paper, or even into a midterm or final exam.
    
    
• Assessment. A method of assessing the information literacy skills of graduating students is under consideration in order to gauge the overall outcomes of the program for the university.

We are interested in comments and faculty partners. Contact , or the .