In 39 chapters, authors from a variety of diverse institutions highlight the day-to-day work of running and coordinating information literacy programs and the soft skills necessary for success in the coordinator role. They discuss the institutional context into which their work fits, their collaborators, students, marketing, and assessment, as well as the many varied duties they balance. Chapters examine the delicate balancing act of labor distribution, minimal or absent positional authority coupled with making decisions and assignments, generating buy-in for programmatic goals and approaches.

It’s not hyperbole to conclude that in today’s world, information literacy is essential for survival and success; and also that, if left unchecked, the social consequences of widespread misinformation and information illiteracy will only continue to grow more dire. Thus its study must be at the core of every education. But while many books have been written on information literacy, this text is the first to examine information literacy from a cross-national, cross-cultural, and cross-institutional perspective. From this book, readers will learn about information literacy in a wide variety of contexts, including academic and school libraries, public libraries, special libraries, and archives, through research and literature that has previously been siloed in specialized publications; come to understand why information literacy is not just an issue of information and technology, but also a broader community and societal issue; get an historical overview of advertising, propaganda, disinformation, misinformation, and illiteracy; gain knowledge of both applied strategies for working with individuals and for addressing the issues in community contexts; find methods for combating urgent societal ills caused and exacerbated by misinformation; and get tools and techniques for advocacy, activism, and self-reflection throughout one’s career.

The book raises a broad scope of themes including the intellectual, psychological, cultural, definitional and structural issues that academic instruction librarians face in higher education environments. The chapters in this book represent the voices of eight instruction librarians, including two Immersion faculty members. Other perspectives come from a library dean, a library school faculty member, a library coordinator of school library media certification programs, and a director emerita from a School of Education.

Information Literacy Programs in the Digital Age is a showcase of 24 unique online information literacy projects from community colleges, research universities and liberal arts colleges. Readers will find a wide array of program types, subject bases and institutional drivers in this rich compendium. Chapter authors discuss the development of online information literacy courses and tutorials, along with best practices for embedding information literacy instruction into discipline courses and programs.

Leading Dynamic Information Literacy Programs delves into the library instruction coordinator’s work. Each chapter is written by practicing coordinators, who share their experiences leading information literacy programs that are nimble, responsive, and supportive of student learning. The volume discusses the work of instruction coordinators within five thematic areas: Claiming our Space: Library Instruction in the Landscape of Higher Education; Moving and Growing Together; Curriculum Development; Meaningful Assessment; and Leading Change. Readers will gain insight from their colleagues’ advice for situating information literacy within the higher education institution, developing meaningful curricula, and using assessment in productive ways. Many of the stories represent a departure from traditional models of library instruction. In addition, this book is sure to spark inspiration for innovative approaches to program leadership and development, including strategies for growing communities of practice. From leadership skills and techniques, methods for cultivating shared values, pedagogical approaches, team building, assessment strategies – and everything in between – the aspiring or practicing instruction coordinator has much to gain from reading this work.

Explore the vital links between technology and lifelong learning! Get the real-life perspective of professionals at the intersection of old ways and new technology in this book written by and for librarians. Information Literacy Programs: Successes and Challenges provides you with the different viewpoints of librarians who have taken varying paths in their information literacy programs. You’ll learn about the roles of Web-based collaboration, teamwork with academic and administrative colleagues, evidence-based librarianship, and active learning strategies in library instruction programs. Information Literacy Programs can help you refresh your own teaching while opening your eyes to the many possible approaches to information literacy. Helpful features you’ll find in Information Literacy Programs include: tips on connecting with technology-savvy “Generation Y” principles for multi-campus collaboration guidelines for setting up a successful retreat for teaching librarians information about the benefits of interdisciplinary partnerships comprehensive bibliographies methods for assessing your current information literacy programs discussion of immersion programs for professional development

This work is a collection of previously unpublished papers in which contributing authors describe and recommend best practices for creating, developing and teaching credit-bearing information literacy (IL) courses at the college and university level. Contributors include academic librarians from universities, four-year colleges and community colleges to demonstrate successful IL course endeavors at their respective institutions. It includes several case studies of both classroom and online IL courses; some are elective and some required, some are discipline-specific and others are integrated into academic programs or departments. Contributors discuss useful and effective methods for developing, teaching, assessing and marketing courses. Also included are chapters on theoretical approaches to credit bearing IL courses and their history in higher education. Organized around three themes, create, develop and teach, this book provides practitioners and administrators with a start-to-finish guide to best practices for credit-bearing IL courses.