Librarians Help Faculty Bring Information Literacy to the Classroom

Madison, Wis.—April 10, 2008 — The stereotype of the passive academic librarian hiding behind a desk is not only inaccurate, but it also keeps faculty from tapping into a key source of assistance.

Kari Nyren Mofford, reference instructor librarian at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and Marilyn Steinberg, librarian at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, described some of the support academic librarians can offer faculty during the April 10 online seminar “Librarians and Faculty as Partners: Collaboration at Work.”

Among an academic librarian’s skills is the ability to help faculty create successful student research projects, said Mofford and Steinberg.

“Research indicates that it’s not uncommon for teachers, especially of English, to be quite bored and disappointed with their students’ papers,” Steinberg said.

Academic librarians can help faculty
• build rubrics to evaluate a student's use of source material
• suggest changes or improvements to the assignment for next time
• implement firm plagiarism standards and discuss the standards with students

The seminar also included tips on and examples of how faculty can integrate information literacy skills into their classrooms.

If you missed the live event, you can order the program in CD or transcript format, both of which include the presenters' handouts.

Magna Publications is a leading publisher of newsletters and other information products in the higher education segment. Magna also manages onsite and online conferences on topics of interest to higher education.

For more information please contact David Burns, Publisher, Magna Publications, Inc., at 608-227-8109, or dburns@magnapubs.com.