Faculty Resources & Services (MPS)

Information Literacy is a critical learning outcome for higher education. The CIA Library is here to support Information Literacy in the curriculum and provide instructional services for classes and for students.

We design our library instruction program based on the ACRL (Association of College & Research Libraries) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.

Library staff are happy to meet with departments and individual faculty to discuss incorporating Library services into courses and programs.

 Featured services we provide:

• Creating Research Guides for specific subjects, departments & programs, and individual courses.
   
• Assignment consultation to help identify research methods & concepts and design student activities that present them. We can also review assignments to ensure that the library has the necessary resources and materials for students to find the information to accomplish tasks. We will purchase books and review database holdings as needed.
   
• Research support for students is available by appointment for groups or individuals; instructors can recommend or require that students meet with a Librarian. Meetings can take place in-person or online using Teams.
   
• Course-integrated Library Instruction is an effective way to impart Information Literacy concepts and techniques. Research methods skills are best acquired when presented in the context of an academic class; concepts are relayed and comprehended when linked to practical instruction on how to use resources to accomplish an authentic class assignment. The Library offers customized subject specific in-class instruction conducted by a librarian. Sessions can vary in length and can be held in one of the Library instruction spaces or in the classroom.

To schedule a Library Instruction session for your class or to discuss other services, please contact Sonia Lisboa-Ochoa, Reference Librarian.

More about the  ACRL (Association of College & Research Libraries) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.

Brief overview of the Frames:

• Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
  • Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required.
• Information Creation as a Process
  • Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences.
• Information Has Value
  • Information possesses several dimensions of value, including as a commodity, as a means of education, as a means to influence, and as a means of negotiating and understanding the world. Legal and socioeconomic interests influence information production and dissemination.
• Research as Inquiry
  • Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field.
• Scholarship as Conversation
  • Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and interpretations.
• Searching as Strategic Exploration
  • Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops.