Library and Information Fluency Instruction

• Foundations of our Information Fluency Program
• Options for Information Fluency Instruction
• Ideas for Course Assignments
• Information Fluency Instruction Librarians
• Scheduling Instruction
• Instruction Policies
• A la Carte Menu for First Year Seminars

Student Learning and the Library

Librarians at Gettysburg College are committed to fostering student learning. We maintain a special interest in the Effective Communication segment of the curriculum, which states that " Gettysburg College students should develop proficiency in the skills of writing, reading, and utilizing electronic media. Further, students should be able to articulate questions clearly, identify and gain access to appropriate information, construct cogent arguments, and engage in intellectual and artistic expression" (Gettysburg College). Librarians are uniquely positioned to support the cultivation of "information fluent" students.

Librarians describe an "information fluent" individual as one who is able to:

• Determine the extent of information needed
• Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
• Evaluate information and its sources critically
• Incorporate selected information into his or her knowledge base
• Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
• Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information
• Access and use information ethically and legally

(see the Association of College & Research Libraries' Information Fluency Competency Standards for Higher Education at http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/standards.pdf).