Get Started With Information Literacy
Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.” -ACRL Framework.
Instruction Services Quick Links
- Instruction Services Overview
- Information Literacy Instruction Service
- Schedule Instruction Session
- Course Readings and Assignment Design
- Library Video Tutorials
- Meet the Teaching Team
- Open Educational Resources
- Online Self-Guided Tour
- In-Person Tour (PDF)
- Research Guides
- Asynchronous Research Modules
- Consult With Us
Our Instructional Goals
In our teaching we aim to:
- Recognize and honor students’ lived experiences
- Explore the complex, iterative, and political nature of information and research
- Discuss information creation and use as they arise in different, situated contexts
- Emphasize the transferability of information literacy in- and outside academic contexts

Let's Get Started.
Use the form below to request Information Literacy instruction. Please review our existing asynchronous modules and video tutorials before requesting an instruction session.
Our Instructional Scope
Our teaching includes discussions such as:
How research is based in inquiry, including articulating and defining the scope and purpose of research. In practice, this includes:
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Creating research questions and topic development
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“Presearching” or surveying a topic
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Identifying and articulating research needs
Structures of information and searching. In practice, this includes:
Crafting and refining search strategies
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Keyword searching
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Facet/advanced searching
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“Citation chaining”/Cited Reference Searching
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Discovery tools (e.g., Start My Research)
Distinguishing between types of information sources to respond to research needs
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Search engine algorithms and bias
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Scholarly and popular resources
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Types of Information sources, including (but not limited to) journal articles, books, newspapers, magazines, trade publications, social media, and Wikipedia
Synthesizing and evaluating information. In practice, this includes:
Creating research questions and topic development
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Reading and analyzing information and texts
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Evaluating for relevancy and/or credibility
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Exploring the nature of authority and expertise
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Choosing and defining ‘evidence’; using evidence to build arguments