This online resource is designed to raise awareness about information literacy at Concordia while providing useful ideas to successfully integrate information research within your courses and assignments. This is a new and growing resource. If you have comments or suggestions, please contact the Libraries.

What is information literacy?

Information literacy is the set of learning and critical thinking skills necessary to access, evaluate and use information effectively. It means knowing when a book may be more helpful than a computer, it means asking questions, it means understanding that information is different than knowledge. Read more...

Consult the Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about information literacy and to get answers to such questions as:

• Why is information literacy important for me and my students?
• Why should I spare class time for information literacy?
• How do we compare to other universities in terms of information literacy?

Position statement

In January 2005, the Libraries adopted a Position Statement on Information Literacy that outlines our commitment to improving students' skills and knowledge as it relates to information research.

In addition, the Position Statement also lists Information Literacy Competencies that students should develop throughout their studies.

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Starting points for addressing information literacy

LIBRARY INSTRUCTION

Library instruction is one of many methods that can be used as a starting point for addressing information literacy. It can take many forms:

• In-class instruction
  Your subject librarian will welcome any opportunity to meet with your students to introduce them to basic and/or advanced strategies tailored to address assignment-specific outcomes and needs.
  NEW - To get an idea of what your subject librarian can cover, consult a list of common library workshop topics.



• General library workshops
  At the beginning of the fall and winter terms, hands-on library workshops on searching CLUES, databases, the Internet and other resources are offered. If you are not planning a session for your class, encourage students to take advantage of our workshops. However, these workshops cannot address course-specific questions that students may have.



• info research 101 - online tutorial
  info research 101 is an award-winning interactive tutorial that focuses on the different stages of the research process. Link to this tutorial from your course Web site or syllabus.

DESIGNING ASSIGNMENTS

Learn how to design or redesign an information research assignment in order to encourage students to actively seek and retrieve information, to assess this information critically and apply it in thought-provoking and challenging ways.

Designing meaningful library assignments is a helpful guide that discusses:

• Assumptions about student research
• Characteristics of good design
• The importance of providing guidance
• Assignment examples
• And more...

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For more information

The following are selected resources that provide further information for faculty members:

• Information Literacy (UNESCO)
• Information Literacy for Faculty and Administrators (Association of College & Research Libraries)
• Canadian Research Libraries Information Literacy Portal (Canadian Association of Research Libraries)
• Jenson, J.D. (2004). It's the information age, so where's the information? College Teaching, 52(3), 107-112.

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Contact us

For more information, please contact the Libraries.

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