Rebecca Kuglitsch

Teaching for Transfer: Reconciling the Framework with Disciplinary Information Literacy

This article explores the tension between information literacy as a generalizable skill and as a skill within the disciplines. The new ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education addresses many challenges facing the previous ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, but the tension between disciplinary expertise and generalizable skills remains. Viewing the documents through the lens of teaching for transfer—that is, instruction that enables students to utilize knowledge and skills gained in one context in other situations—offers a useful approach. Exploring the Framework from the point of view of teaching for transfer addresses both practical and theoretical challenges. This viewpoint respects both the generalizable nature of information literacy and the highly contextual nature of its application in an academic setting.

Repurposing Zotero for Sustainable Assessment and Scalable Modified Embedding

Purpose – This paper aims to describe a new application of Zotero, a citation management system, for embedded librarianship and assessment. It explores student reception of this approach and maps Zotero’s capacities to represent citations to learning outcomes and information literacy frames that instruction librarians assess. Design/methodology/approach – The librarian worked with a course using Zotero group libraries for collaborative work, used Zotero to communicate with students and assess their information literacy skills and surveyed the students to determine their perception of librarian participation via Zotero. Findings – Using Zotero’s features made it possible to formatively and summatively assess student work quickly, and students were receptive to librarian participation via Zotero. Practical implications – This suggests that librarians facing difficulty embedding in online courses or those seeking to assess student work may wish to explore Zotero as a sustainable solution to both challenges. ...

From Studio Space and Makerspace to Workplace: Adapting Instruction and Outreach to Fit the Needs of Practitioners from Art to Engineering

This paper discusses the specialized instructional needs of creative practitioner communities and consequent tensions students of applied fields face related to their place in the academy. By drawing on the literature of workplace information behavior and exploring the multiple communities of practice that creative practitioners navigate, we suggest information literacy approaches that acknowledge and accommodate their unique needs. If librarians acknowledge an inherent multidisciplinarity, wide ranging use of sources, tacit knowledge, and information use in specialized creation spaces, they can teach information literacy skills that are transferable and meet workplace affordances and needs. This leads to information literacy instruction that resonates with students in these fields and positions them to better succeed in their chosen fields.

Inorganic is Still Good for You: Building a Structured Group Mentoring Program for Librarians

Abstract It might be hard to know when one’s institution is mentoring its librarians well, but it’s easy to know when an institution is mentoring poorly. Poor mentoring can be a factor in individuals failing to advance and low retention, and can result in problematic workplace culture, while reinforcing structural inequities. At the University of Colorado Boulder (CU-Boulder) we had an option paired mentoring system in place, but received consistent complaints about mentoring in internal/institutional assessments. Librarians also expressed difficulties in understanding the tenure process, finding opportunities to grow a satisfying career, and gaining familiarity with institutional culture and context. A task force was formed to investigate ways to better provide mentoring in the libraries. After investigating various options, the University Libraries put in place a structured group mentoring program that connects groups of 35 new librarians together with 23 senior librarians. New librarians are automatically added to a mentoring group upon arrival, and all senior librarians are required to participate as mentors. The program enables mentoring related to tenure, professional goals, work life balance, and institutional culture and context. A library committee develops potential discussion topics, group assignments, structure, open sessions, and program evaluations. The group mentoring approach imparts numerous advantages not shared by other structures.

Beyond the first year: Supporting sophomores through information literacy outreach

ABSTRACT The sophomore year is increasingly becoming a target of retention efforts, as universities and colleges realize that nearly as much attrition occurs between the sophomore and junior years as between the first and sophomore years. As a result, there is an opportunity for libraries to reach out to and target second-year students. This article presents a case study of a sophomore outreach program at the University of Puget Sound focused on citation management software. Our results suggest that libraries should pursue outreach targeting the sophomore population.