Fiona Salisbury

Online and face‐to‐face: evaluating methods for teaching information literacy skills to undergraduate arts students

This paper reports on an evaluation project conducted at the University of Melbourne during 2002. The objective of the project was to evaluate selected information literacy programs that were provided to students in the Arts Faculty. The three programs that were evaluated used different modes of delivery. The paper discusses the rationale of the project, the methodology and the results of the evaluation.

Are They Ready?: Exploring Student Information Literacy Skills in the Transition from Secondary to Tertiary Education

How information literate are the Google generation, and what information literacy skills do they bring to university? For university libraries, understanding student prior knowledge provides a foundation on which to introduce appropriate learning activities during the first year. In 2009, in response to a new pedagogical model in health sciences, La Trobe University Library measured and analysed the entry-level information literacy skills of first year health science students. The data was gathered during the first week of semester and 1,029 responses were collected. This paper examines the results of the survey and its implications for programs that broaden and build on students’ existing knowledge base.

Information literacy milestones: building upon the prior knowledge of first-year students.

This article reports on a study we conducted with first-year students in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne in 2003. Building upon our 2002 research (Library Review, 2003, vol 52, n°5 pp209–217), we investigated the prior library instruction, information preferences and skills of students enrolled in first-year subjects in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne. Our article reflects on how this investigation has broadened our understanding of the information literacy (IL) knowledge and prior experience of entry-level students at university. It considers the implications that the results of our study have for ‘teaching librarians’ and attempts to answer questions about how we can better assist students to build upon what they already know.

Mapping the journey: Developing an information literacy strategy as part of curriculum reform

This article will outline the development of an Information Literacy Strategy in 2009 as part of an overall program of curriculum review and renewal at La Trobe University, Australia. Current information literacy programs at La Trobe University Library employ a diverse range of approaches and delivery methods. However, they are limited in scope and scale while they are optional additions to the curriculum. Through participation in a university-wide process of curriculum review and renewal, the library has developed a systemic, coherent and sustainable approach to the design of undergraduate information literacy programs. The resulting strategy employs a combination of online and individual instruction and support embedded into the curricula structure and reflected in assessment tasks. It provides a model of research skills education that gives all La Trobe University students the opportunity to develop foundation information literacy in first year and to graduate with the necessary information literacy skills for study, work and lifelong learning.

Information literacy co-ordination: two dynamic approaches

The libraries of the University of Melbourne and Queensland University of Technology have two different approaches to co-ordinating information literacy. During 1999, each library reviewed various aspects of their coordination processes, the result of which was the implementation of innovative approaches to managing their education and training programs. Although the libraries service the needs of parent universities with distinct educational agendas, they share a common focus concerning Information Literacy objectives and issues. Each library has an extensive teaching and learning tradition and demonstrates a strong commitment to student learning outcomes. Furthermore, as multi-campus institutions, the development, co-ordination and management of their education and training programs presents similar opportunities and challenges. However, each library has adopted distinctly different operational models. This paper presents an overview of the co-ordination models adopted by each library and analyses their individual rationales, within the context of their organisations, for applying these models. It summarises the redevelopment and implementation processes undertaken, including operational initiatives, managerial strategies, staffing and resourcing issues and evaluation and feedback methodologies, and analyses the success or otherwise of each model. It provides a critique of both approaches in terms of achievements, challenges and issues born as a result of each process. It also seeks to identify future trends and improvements to be undertaken in subsequent reviews.

Information Literacy at University: A Toolkit for Readiness and Measuring Impact

La Trobe University Library has embarked on an institution-wide project with the objective of enabling students to engage with scholarly and credible information from the first year. This initiative by the library is in response to La Trobe curriculum reform. In particular, it aligns information literacy with the inquiry/research graduate capability at an institutional level. Outcomes of the project have resulted in a new La Trobe model for embedding information literacy, a toolkit, and significant changes in practice in areas of the curriculum where inquiry/research is mapped. As a result academic staff have noted improved student performance and academic research readiness.

Measuring the academic library: Translating today’s inputs and outputs into future impact and value

Purpose The paper provides an Australian perspective of impact and value by examining how the broader international and national perspectives play out in practice in the Australian context and where adaption for local requirements is necessary. Design/methodology/approach This paper will explore the assessment of impact and value in academic libraries and the tools available to translate today’s inputs into future impact and value. It will focus on a range of methods and procedures, including international and national standards, frameworks and benchmarks. Findings La Trobe University library is presented as a case study to examine the challenges of leveraging tools to assess impact and communicate the value of the library across the university community. Originality/value Assessing the impact and demonstrating the value of the academic library in a digital environment is a constant challenge. While usage and service data are plentiful, traditional metrics no longer sufficiently demonstrate the academic l...