Information Literacy in the Engineering Technologies at the Community College: A Literature Review

Abstract

Librarians and faculty of the Electrical Engineering Technology Department at Erie Community College teamed up to improve students’ information literacy skills. We reviewed information literacy literature from both the engineering and library viewpoints but found no studies of engineering technology students at the community college level. We examined and mapped standards from the department's accrediting agency with academic library instruction standards, providing a framework for what needed to be taught. The studies we reviewed pointed out difficulties with both instruction and assessment. We identified an assessment tool, Project SAILS, and made plans to implement successful practices found in the literature.

KEYWORDS:

• information literacy
• faculty
• engineering technologies
• standards
• curriculum
• community
• college
• instruction
• libraries
• collaboration
• assessment