Information Literacy

Information Literacy

The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education ( link: http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework) defines Information Literacy as “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.”

Librarians at the Schurz Library strive to instill the concepts of Information Literacy in our students. In every instruction session, meeting at the Reference desk, or research consultation with students, librarians are teachers - helping students to learn not just how to find information at any given moment - but how to see that information and the information-seeking process in a larger way.

Tagged Information Literacy

The IU South Bend General Education curriculum requires competency in Information Literacy.

Students can fulfill the Information Literacy requirement by taking one course tagged as an Information Literacy course OR by taking a stand-alone, credit bearing course, COAS-Q110 Introduction to Information Literacy (1cr.). Courses with the Information Literacy tag vary by major and are indicated as meeting this requirement in the Schedule of Classes. Student Learning Objectives for the Information Literacy tag are below.

By taking a General Education class tagged for Information Literacy, students will be able to:

  1. Search for research materials using appropriate search tools
  2. Search for research materials using effective search strategies
  3. Retrieve sources that are appropriate for the topic and for use in academic research
  4. Evaluate sources based on standard criteria and information need
  5. Use sources ethically by documenting correctly
  6. Reflect on the research process and selected sources