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Faculty Resources

Information Literacy at Iona University

Iona University Libraries' Information Literacy Program supports the research goals of the academic curricula. It helps equip our students with the information and skills needed to become influential members of an increasingly complex society. Information literacy is integral to the mission statements of the college and the library. The Iona University Libraries Mission Statement reflects and supports the College's mission by providing resources and services that "promote critical thinking, information literacy, and lifelong learning."

The Library promotes Information Literacy by:

  • conducting research skills classes
  • liaison work with academic departments
  • the library website
  • research guides for discipline, course, assignment, topic

Accrediting Bodies

The importance of information literacy has been recognized by accrediting bodies and has become a requirement of the accreditation process and a measure of an institution's performance. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is a leader in developing and promoting information literacy guidelines and standards. 

In 2003, Middle States published Developing Research and Communication Skills: Guidelines for Information Literacy in the Curriculum which discusses how to plan an information literacy initiative, what kinds of learning goals and teaching strategies are needed, and the process of assessment.3 It offers guidelines that demonstrate how IL has relevance for faculty, librarians, students, administrators, and the institution as a whole.4  As a consequence of the growing importance of information literacy, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), in concert with Middle States, developed a set of performance standards, each comprised of multiple skills, that define an information literate college graduate.

A number of specialized accrediting agencies also emphasize information literacy in at least one of their standards, including NCATE, ACEJMC, and ABET, APA and ACS.

References
Rockman, I. (2003). What do accreditation agencies say about information literacy? Long Beach, CA: The California State University, Office of the Chancellor. Retrieved August 29, 2006.