Information
Literacy
Information Literacy, as outlined by the California State University system, is the ability to state a research problem, then find, evaluate, organize, synthesize, and use information to solve the problem.
Sue Curzon, Dean, University Library Northridge, and Chair of the CSU Information
Literacy Committee, has stated, “Students need to be information savvy. A student with information
literacy skills can engage more in scholarly life by developing better research papers, finding information quickly, and critically evaluating the information that is found.” First begun in 1995, the CSU system-wide Information
Literacy Initiative has helped students master the skills needed to be information savvy in an expanding digital world.
With support from the Vice President’s Office, the Faculty Development Center, and the Pollak Library, the CSU Fullerton Information
Literacy Initiative continues to move ahead. In Spring 2002, ten more departments participated in a second year retreat. During a morning session, faculty members from Anthropology, Asian American Studies, Civil Engineering, Communications, Electrical Engineering, History, Mechanical Engineering, Music, Political Science, and Visual Arts worked with librarians on developing strategies for implementing information competence standards into department program curriculum.
Departments participating in the first year include: Accounting, Biology, Business Writing, Child & Adolescent Studies, Chemistry, Economics, Foreign Language, Geological Sciences, Gerontology, Human Services, Marketing, Math, Nursing, Psychology, Science Education, Sociology, and Women’s Studies.
More information on this initiative, including ACRL standards, CSUF resources, participating departments, web links, and a bibliography, is available on the
Information
Literacy Guide web page.
Faculty and administrators from CSU Fullerton made presentations on the campus-wide Information
Literacy Initiative at several conferences during Summer 2002. Ellen Junn, Patricia Szeszulski, and Suellen Cox presented on our experience with integrating information literacy into the curriculum at the 30th National LOEX Conference “Integrating Information Literacy into the College Experience.” Pat Szeszuski, Suellen Cox, and Elizabeth Housewright collaborated with faculty, librarians and administrators from nine other institutions in developing best practices, characteristics, models, and benchmarks at the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Best Practices in Information Literacy Invitational Conference in June.
Finally, Suellen Cox and Susan Tschabrun presented the “CSU Fullerton Information
Literacy Initiative” at the Faculty Day 2002 poster session “Showcasing CSUF Faculty Research and Creative Activity.”
Suellen
Cox
Head of the Instruction & Information Services Unit |
