Information Literacy Influences Scholarship, Practices, and Leadership as Educators Violet Meadows COM/705 November 26, 2011 Dr. Teresa North

How Information Literacy Influences Scholarship, Practice, and Leadership as Educators? There are many ways to define information literacy. Information literacy affects some facets of scholarship practice, and leadership. “Information literacy has the ability to identify what information needed, understand how the information is organized, identify the source for information needed, located those sources, evaluate them critically, and share the information” (Turusheva, 2009, p. 126). At the University of Maryland there are Library-led Faculty Workshops that teach educators how to meet information literacy goals in their classroom (Miller, et al.). According to the article educators participation in the hands- on activities and discussions among their colleague, information about the university, information literacy standard, library resources and services, free Web tools, and the best way to implement how to design class assignments involving library research (Miller, et al.). To meet literacy goals for students, educators, and Librans collaboration is essential. The Association for College and Research Libraries (n. d.) emphasizes for the collaboration to be successful, there needs to be a partnership between the Liberians and the educators. To successful implement it on campus, information literacy depends on the collaboration between classroom educators, academic administrators, Librans, and other professionals (Miller, et. al). An educator has a vital role in providing information literacy whether in elementary, secondary, post-secondary, or graduate level. Educators share valuable information and data to the students allowing them to make informed decisions on information programs (Turusheva, 2009, p. 126). Information literacy programs succeed when they are no longer the sole responsibility of the library, but reaches across the boundaries of the collaboration between the Librarian-faculty. Information Literacy and Higher Education According to Turusheva, educator has mastered information literacy implementing a master’s plan to pass the information the students in forms of leadership, scholarship, and practice (2009). Badke describe an innovative pilot program involving Libran and educator’s partnering together to improve the student’s disciplines and specific information literacy skills. Such a partnership within the area of studies will help the students to understand the importance of information literacy in their field of stud (2009). Today there are enormous amount of information available to educators encouraging students to take advantage of information in the library as well as the Internet. Higher educational institutions and facilities are globally recognized by their academic excellence. The educators have the task to provide a path for the students as they work to achieve academic success local or globally. Research providing data showing students are becoming lazy; watching TV and using video tutorial instead of information found in text material (Turusheva, 2009, pp. 131 -132). The result from this research also revealed students preferred searching the Web for information, rather than going into the library (2009). A second reason student prefers the Web is because of convenience (Turusheva, 2009). The Student said they could save time and money by using the Web rather than driving miles to obtain the same information. Miller identified effective collaboration and partnership, as two important factor in information literacy programs. These programs were not developed solely by Librarians; but by the faculty and librarian partnering and working together to rid the problem. Grafasten (2002), also address the important needs for faculty-library collaboration. Grafasten’s outline information provided to the educator in the community as well as the educators and librarians, which complement the areas of expertise that teach information literacy programs. Why University Need Information Literacy Then More Than Ever? Researchers at the London College study the behavioral of young people; reporting and implementing information literacy at the post-secondary level was too late to be of value (Russell, 2009, p. 92). Noted also in the study; were a significant gap between high school students and college students in the area of information competencies Zabel (2004), reports in her findings two important points why students rely on Internet information. First the students use the Internet as their primary source of information for coursework and about 20% of college seniors never make judgment about the quality of information they obtained from the Internet or other sources. There are several reasons librarians should remain optimistic according to the study involving information literacy among younger college students at Oakland University. The study evaluate the student’s habits increases in the use of print resources as well as students reporting greater in facilities using the Internet after receiving instructions (2004). The current article at the University of Maryland College demonstrate how Librarians collaborate with faculty in library-led work-shop to increase awareness of information goals among distance educator and help faculty teach information literacy skills in the classroom. Various topics are addressed in these information literacy workshops to help the faculty understand general and specific subject standards, assignments. Design- led workshops help faculty improve the library research components of assignments, library resources and services-familiarizing faculty with databases, subject guides and tutorial that faculty can turn use in their online classes (Miller, et al).

Conclusion Changing the traditional model in colleges and universities is a difficult task, but some universities lead the way (Zabel, 2004). Some educators may resist these changes; however the best way for the educators to accept these changes is to engage in workshop that promote changes. The workshops teach the educator how to search effectively for information using the web, explaining the web’s limitation as a tool for academic. These workshops introduce alternative resources that are available to the educator.

References: Association of college and research library (n. d). Information Literacy for faculty and administration. Retrieved from: http://www.lita.org/ala/mgrps/div/arclissue/infolitfaculty/faculty/overview/ Badke, W. (2009). How we failed the next generation. Online 33 (4). 47 Grafstein A. (2002). A discipline-based approach to information literacy. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 28(4), 197–204. Miller, R., O’Donnell, E., Pomea, N., Rawson J., Shepheard, R., and Thomes C. (2010). Library Led-Faculty Workshop: Helping Distance Educators Meet Information Literacy goals in the Online Classroom. Journal of Library administration. Vol... 50 Issues 7/8. Pp 830-856 Russell, P. (2009). Why university need information literacy now more than ever? Felicter, 55 (3). 92. Zabel, D. (2004). Information Literacy. Journal of AcademicLibririanship, connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/…/brief-response-diane-zabel