Information Literacy Instruction: Competencies, Caveats, and a Call to Action

SUMMARY

While the value of information literacy (IL) instruction has been repeatedly demonstrated, there remain numerous difficulties in establishing it in the academic curriculum. The IL competency standards for science and technology as articulated by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) provide guidelines for instruction, but they do not address the pedagogical requirements needed to align the standards to learning objectives and outcomes. In this paper, we review the issues confronting librarian/instructors, and offer some guidelines in how to use these competencies effectively.

KEYWORDS:

• Library instruction
• information literacy
• ACRL instruction competencies
• guidelines for instruction
• critical thinking skills
• faculty collaborations
• effectiveness assessment