Information Literacy at the Cabrillo College Library

" Information literacy is currently understood as embracing the ability to define a problem, find information to solve the problem, evaluate the information, and use it effectively."
Ward, Dane. "The future of information literacy." College & Research Libraries news 62.9 (2001) : 922

Cabrillo College Library supports a variety of activities related to Information Literacy. This important library program is supported by all library instructors. Librarians partner with faculty to include information literacy activities across the curriculum. In support of the overall goals of Instruction at Cabrillo, the following activities are in place.

Library 10

• Information Research, a one unit course offered as a co-requisite with English 1A (the transfer level English course). Most sections of Library 10 are self-paced, workbook-based courses designed to teach and strengthen the information literacy skills of college students. The Information Research workbook focuses on finding information, collecting data about resources, and the subsequent creation of MLA citations for a works cited list. Students turn in the workbook twice for grading and take a final exam which requires them to demonstrate their comfort with and abilities in the online environment. When English 1A is offered as an online course, the co-requisite Library 10 course is also offered as an online section.

Course related instruction sessions

• Librarians partner with faculty to introduce the use of subject-specific online information resources to students. These sessions and worksheets serve to familiarize students with the concepts and tools necessary to explore information resources which are relevant to the course being taken. These introductions are usually one session in the library's electronic classroom and usually require students to fill out a worksheet which demonstrates that they have achieved an ability to navigate these resources. Librarians create worksheets and Web sites which are tailored to individual courses and programs. These worksheets are published on the Web Resources by Subject Web page at the library homepage. The Internet Links Web page provides students with a guide to Web resources and course related worksheets for areas of study at Cabrillo College.

Information Literacy is a dynamic field of current exploration and ongoing development. Examine these links to materials prepared by Topsy Smalley, Instruction Librarian at Cabrillo College:

Information Competency: (Background Information, Programs in California, and Guidelines for Information Competency Issues)

Information Literacy in the Information Age:Topsy Smalley's Sabbatical Project Report