Mission of Information Literacy Program
The mission of the Leatherby Libraries Information Literacy Program is to provide the Chapman University community with lifelong information literacy skills. The program supports the University's mission "to provide personalized education of distinction that leads to inquiring, ethical, and productive lives as global citizens" and the Library's mission "to provide personalized services and relevant collections in support of the curricular, creative, and scholarly needs of the Chapman University community to ensure the development of the information-literate global citizen."
Information Literacy Program Learning Outcomes
The Program Learning Outcomes enable an information literate individual to:
- Determine the extent of information needed
- Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
- Evaluate information and its sources critically
- Incorporate selected information into one's knowledge base
- Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
- Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally1
Overview of the Information Literacy Program
The Library’s Information Literacy Program includes both general and subject-specific instruction at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Librarians at the Leatherby Libraries collaborate with faculty to design research sessions that increase student information literacy skills and research strategies to successfully complete projects, assignments, and papers. Information literacy instruction is designed using the Student Learning Outcomes outlined in the Curriculum Map. By using a scaffolding instructional methodology, as demonstrated by the curriculum map, students will receive information literacy instruction throughout their academic career at the University. The Information Literacy Program supports and contributes to Chapman University’s institutional learning outcomes of personalized education and student/faculty research through its course-based and individualized library research instruction. The Library’s Information Literacy Program Learning Outcomes are based on the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, approved by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).
Course-Based Information Literacy Instruction
Course-based information literacy sessions are available to Chapman faculty whose students would benefit from library instruction suited to their course requirements.
The online course-based library instruction session form must be completed before a session can be scheduled and it is located at http://www.chapman.edu/library/instruction/courseform.html. See also the Instruction Room Policy.
Faculty need only complete this online form and a librarian will contact you to schedule an instruction session within 2-3 working days. Please allow the librarian a minimum of 7-10 days advance notice when scheduling a course-based library instruction session.
The instruction session is usually held during a regularly scheduled class session and can be facilitated in the Leatherby Libraries' instruction room or in a "wired" classroom. There is a minimum time allotment of 40 minutes for a library instruction session. Faculty are strongly encouraged to be present during the instruction session to demonstrate to their students the importance of the library and its resources/services for research purposes.
Faculty may also contact their subject liaison librarian directly to schedule a session.
First-year Foundations Course Library sessions for all First-year Foundations Course sections are presented by librarians. The FFC Library Information Literacy Session introduces students to services and resources offered by Leatherby Libraries. After the library instruction session, students will be able to:
- Differentiate the characteristics of popular and scholarly (including peer-reviewed) periodicals.
- Construct basic search strategies using Discover!, a multidisciplinary database.
- Retrieve the full-text of journal articles at Leatherby Libraries in print and online formats.
- Evaluate information sources using criteria such as timeliness and authority.
- Recognize when information sources need to be cited to give credit and avoid plagiarism.
If you have any questions regarding information literacy instruction, please feel free to contact Kevin Ross, Associate Dean, at kross@chapman.edu or 714-532-7751.
NOTES
- Association of College and Research Libraries Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education
