In 2016, the University of Maryland Global Campus Library began a redesign of its core information literacy tutorial in response to substantive curricular changes, the technological obsolescence of an older tutorial, and an improving understanding of student needs based on an analysis of reference questions received. This article describes the…

The ACRL "Framework for Information Literacy" revolutionized information literacy instruction. It asks librarians to instill in students the higher-level skills to navigate the information landscape. Literature establishes the value of shared faculty ownership of information literacy threshold concepts, but it also documents the…

J. Linda Williams was coordinator of school library services for Anne Arundel County Public Schools prior to her retirement. She served as AASL President 2005-2006 and is also a past president of the Maryland Association of School Librarians. Looking back on her 2005-2006 term as AASL President, Williams writes that she feels that particular year…

A growing trend at universities is to use digital badges (micro-credentialing) for capturing the "soft skills" students gain outside of the classroom. Libraries can use this opportunity to become campus leaders in digital badges, using the system to not only promote their information literacy activities but to coordinate workshop…

Information literacy instruction presents a difficult balance between quantity and quality, particularly for large-scale general education courses. This paper discusses the overhaul of the freshman composition instruction program at the University of Maryland Libraries, focusing on the transition from survey assessments to a student-centered and…

This article is an exploration of ways in which LIS educators can consider culture, heritage, and identity as a framework for becoming participatory agents of their teaching practices in the LIS classroom. To support this framework, this discussion introduces the research methodology, practitioner inquiry, as a meaningful approach to studying…

While remaining cognizant of several aspects of current information literacy (IL) instruction methods, including threshold concepts, the author re-created experiences shared by students as she searched for, analyzed, and compiled resources pertaining to the Renaissance. Good IL instruction supports education of the whole person, develops new modes…

This paper discusses the use of laser pointers at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Library, University of Maryland, College Park, as a personal response system (PRS) tool to encourage student engagement in and interactivity with one-shot, lecture-based information literacy sessions. Unlike more sophisticated personal response systems like…

This report explains the key role that school librarians and libraries should play in state- and district-wide efforts to transition to digital learning, or the effective use of technology to improve teaching and learning. The report calls for district and school leaders, policymakers, and boards of education to support, encourage, and fund the…

Understanding how to better engage young students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is essential. The constraints of U.S. K-12 schools (e.g. insufficient institutional supports, lack of technology access, testing pressures, etc.) often make it difficult to create truly engaging STEM curricula with which students can deeply…

A discussion of a university library's use of Web conferencing (real-time synchronous instruction) which addresses the questions (1) Is Web conferencing a viable option for distance students in online only classrooms? (2) Do faculty and students benefit from this type of instruction? Four different scenarios are presented with assessment results…

"ARL" is the bimonthly report on research library issues and actions from ARL (Association of Research Libraries), CNI (Coalition of Networked Information), and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition). "ARL" reports on current issues of interest to academic and research library administrators, staff, and…

Contemporary undergraduates in the biological sciences have unprecedented access to scientific information. Although many of these students may be savvy technologists, studies from the field of library and information science consistently show that undergraduates often struggle to locate, evaluate, and use high-quality, reputable sources of…