Information Literacy

Our mission is to promote the exploration of knowledge and to graduate information-literate students who are equipped for lifelong learning in the 21st Century.

Information Literacy @ UWF

Information literacy is an important component of UWF’s Strategic Direction 1: Learner Centered and Focused, and Strategic Direction 3: Academic Programming, Scholarship, and Research. Resources for incorporating and assessing information literacy in each of the academic domains can be found in the CUTLA Confluence page. Information literacy is taught by librarians and faculty throughout the university, helping students develop core skills and gain in-depth knowledge of resources in their disciplines.

What is Information Literacy?

In the Association of College and Research Libraries' Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, an information-literate individual is defined as someone who is able to:

have a greater role and responsibility in creating new knowledge, in understanding the contours and the changing dynamics of the world of information, and in using information, data, and scholarship ethically;
use research tools and indicators of authority to determine the credibility of sources, and understand the elements that might temper this credibility;
understand the increasingly social nature of the information ecosystem where authorities actively connect with one another and sources develop over time;
articulate the capabilities and constraints of information developed through various creation processes; assess the fit between an information product’s creation process and a particular information need;
articulate the traditional and emerging processes of information creation and dissemination in a particular discipline;
give credit to the original ideas of others through proper attribution and citation;
formulate questions for research based on information gaps or on reexamination of existing, possibly conflicting, information;
determine an appropriate scope of investigation;
use various research methods, based on need, circumstance, and type of inquiry;
monitor gathered information and assess for gaps or weaknesses;
organize information in meaningful ways;
determine the initial scope of the task required to meet their information needs;
match information needs and search strategies to appropriate search tools.

For further information on our Library Instruction & Information Literacy Program and to view assessment results, visit our program guide.

Goals of the Program

Effectively teach library and information literacy skills to students and assess student learning.
Collaborate with faculty and departments to integrate information literacy objectives into their courses and assignments.
Increase awareness of information literacy at the University through outreach.
Develop and enhance resources that support and teach information literacy skills, including online tutorials and guides.

What We Do & How We Do It

Subject specialist librarians work closely with faculty, students, and the UWF Community to teach information literacy skills. We support information literacy in a variety of ways, including:

Providing library and information literacy instruction sessions to classes and other groups;
Collaborating with faculty and departments to integrate information literacy objectives into their courses and assignments;
Providing one-on-one instruction to students and faculty via reference desk interactions, research consultations, and virtual means.
Creating materials that support information literacy, such as online, self-paced tutorials; online research guides; and printed research aids.
Assessing student learning outcomes for information literacy skills and engaging in a cycle of continuous improvement.

How Can Faculty Support Information Literacy?

Schedule a library instruction session when students are at the point-of-need, e.g. after receiving a research assignment.
Work with a subject specialist librarian to tailor the session to the needs of the class.
Collaborate with a subject specialist librarian to incorporate information literacy elements into assignments and activities.
Encourage students to request additional assistance at the Reference Desk, via online chat or email, or by making an appointment with a subject specialist librarian.
Assign one of the library's online tutorials for a class or direct/link students to the research guide in your discipline.