To address the growing problem of misinformation, librarians often focus on approaches tied to the frame "Authority Is Constructed and Contextual" from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. The Framework, however, encompasses a much wider range of skills,…

We are moving toward a future in which digital practices are becoming more ubiquitous. Also, there is evidence to suggest that innovative digital practices are changing the face of 21st-century learning environments. Critical to 21st-century teaching and learning success is continued emphasis on learner preferences, shaped by innovative digital…

Rubric assessment of information literacy is an important tool for librarians seeking to show evidence of student learning. The authors, who collaborated on the Rubric Assessment of Informational Literacy Skills (RAILS) research project, draw from their shared experience to present practical recommendations for implementing rubric assessment in a…

Libraries, as authoritative custodians and providers of information, are facing a number of challenges as they are trying to adjust to the new information environment. Some challenges arise from major paradigm shifts in recent decades relating to the understanding of the nature of information processes and conceptions of authority. Engagement…

Northern Michigan University (NMU) is a public 4-year undergraduate institution of higher education with an enrollment of approximately 9,500 students. The university's Division of Academic Information Services encompasses both the staff of the library, which includes authors Clumpner and Burgmeier, and the instructional technology areas, where…

Reference service via instant messaging (IM) has significant potential to benefit distance learners. There has been wide experimentation with IM to expand reference services in libraries across the US, with mixed results. Concern has been expressed that IM cannot provide the same reference experience as face-to-face interactions. One academic…

Librarians at Washington State University Vancouver helped the campus develop a method of assessing its General Education Program, a program based on university learning goals, one of which is information literacy. The assessment method, which relies on an electronic portfolio (ePortfolio) along with rubrics to evaluate work in the ePortfolio,…

Gathering qualitative information about usage behavior of library Web sites is a time-consuming process requiring the active participation of patron communities. Libraries that collect virtual reference transcripts, however, hold valuable data regarding how the library Web site is used that could benefit Web designers. An analysis of virtual…

Businesses and higher education leaders are looking for students with the ability to evaluate and analyze information and to use this information to solve real-world problems. These are the information literacy skills students need for the 21st century. However, several recent studies on the ability of college freshmen to handle the rigor of…

Intended to provide a comprehensive system for the evaluation of a media specialist's total job performance, this three-part evaluation form is based on the St. Louis Community College's Faculty Evaluation System: Instructional Resources Faculty, August 1981. Designed for peer evaluation of media specialists, the first form includes a rating scale…

The project that yielded this report developed a framework for the University of Alberta's library to guide the activities of the self-study portion of the university's Presidential Advisory Committee on Campus Review (PACCR). The framework demonstrates how the review process can be adapted to meet the particular needs of the library while…

An analysis of publication types and the use of citations in studies of library and information science (LIS) program quality suggests that publication types should be differentiated, that book publication is important, and that the role of humanities-oriented faculty may be lost without attention to book production. Presents a formula for LIS…

In an effort to improve individual progress toward meeting university requirements for promotion and tenure, librarians at Murray State University (Kentucky) recently revised their Faculty Activities Report and Faculty Evaluation forms to meet the following objectives: (1) to develop a Faculty Activities Report form that would be easier to…

Arguing that there is a current tendency among librarians to talk more about the evaluation of bibliographic instruction than to actually do anything about it, this paper examines limitations of and considerations pertaining to evaluation and includes: (1) a brief discussion of the history of bibliographic instruction; (2) discussion of types of…

Presents an 83-item comprehensive annotated bibliography that provides general information on rating and ranking, an evaluation of "An Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States," articles about individual guides, and individual ranking studies for specific disciplines. Items cited are primarily articles written since…