Library instruction
A page within Murphy Library
Welcome
Thank you for your interest in collaborating with the Library Department on instruction.
This page will introduce you to information literacy instruction services offered by the Library Department and to the benefits of incorporating information literacy instruction into your course.
We invite instructors to place a request for a library visit to their class using the form linked on this page. We look forward to working with you, and please contact us with any questions at libinstruct@uwlax.edu.
Defining Information Literacy
Murphy Library uses the following definition for information literacy from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education:
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.
The learning goals of information literacy, as in most other disciplines, are that students gain and practice particular skills, but also that their understanding of concepts leads them to reflect on how they act. As the ACRL describes it, information literacy is “an overarching set of abilities in which students are consumers and creators of information who can participate successfully in collaborative spaces.”
Information literacy shares close relationships with digital literacy, media literacy, research methods, writing and rhetoric, ethics, and even business. Information literacy is not a box to be checked; it is a way of being that needs to be reinforced and built upon throughout a student’s academic career, regardless of discipline.
Our tips for developing deeper understandings of information literacy:
Building information literacy needs practice. Students often encounter bottlenecks in their learning, which can be overcome with regular opportunities to apply their skills, followed by intentional feedback that reinforces concepts. One support strategy is to break apart larger assignments to allow students to refine their work and understanding of research step by step. Information literacy can't be fully developed in a single session or assignment.
Make room for reflection. As we mentioned, information literacy consists of skills but also of behaviors and understandings. Metacognition and critical thinking are central to becoming an information literate citizen. To support students in this, create space and time for their cognitive processing through reflective exercises like discussions or research logs that allow students to keep track of their progress. Providing feedback on these reflections helps students better understand their growth, a cycle that encourages deeper learning and self-awareness.
Benefits of Library Instruction
Information literacy is both its own form of study and present in all disciplines. It can look different depending on context, and that can lead its practices to be overlooked or assumed. Collaborating with a librarian on instruction allows instructors to identify what they are already achieving in their courses and to advance areas that are crucial to student success.
Building in supports to make the implicit explicit in your curriculum benefits students by addressing their prior knowledge and guiding their learning. Information literacy is transferrable by nature; the competencies students gain sustain them throughout their education and onward in their careers and lifelong learning.
Common Instruction Topics
- Evaluating source credibility
- Research process (developing a topic, writing a literature review, etc.)
- Understanding different source types (scholarly/popular, primary/secondary, etc.)
- Search strategies (using library databases, selecting search terms, etc.)
- Citation support
- AI literacy
- And more!
Library Department Student Learning Outcomes
The Library Department approved the current set of Student Learning Outcomes in December of 2024 as part of our mission (see Bylaws II. A. 1.) to “set Murphy Library’s curriculum for teaching.” The creation of these programmatic SLOs was guided by the ACRL Framework as well as the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ (AAC&U) Information Literacy VALUE Rubric. Feel free to explore these documents if you would like to learn more about teaching and assessing information literacy!
- Search: Students will explore information by employing tools and adapting search strategies to access information relevant to their needs.
- Evaluate: Students will critically evaluate sources of information, considering the authority of the creators and contextual factors influencing the information’s creation, dissemination, and purpose.
- Credit: Students will credit the original ideas of others through proper attribution and citation.
- Create: Students will create information intentionally, considering the impact of contributions on others.
Library Instruction Policies and Procedures
Our library instruction guidelines have been put in place to help to create an effective learning experience for students.
- We require 2-week notice for all instruction requests. You can request instruction via our library instruction form or by reaching out to a librarian directly. For general instruction questions, you can email libinstruct@uwlax.edu. Please allow 2 business days for a response.
- Information literacy is our area of expertise. Our librarians will work with you to create a lesson plan for our classes together based on your course learning outcomes and assignments. We will do our best to accommodate your class schedule, but we are not able to always accommodate all content if we are not allotted enough time.
- To optimize instructional effectiveness and student engagement, assignments should be introduced prior to the library session. This ensures that students view the session as directly relevant to their coursework and come prepared with informed questions. Ideally, the session should be scheduled at a point in the semester when students are actively applying the related knowledge, thereby reinforcing learning through contextual practice.
- Instructors are required to be present at the scheduled instruction session. Experience shows us students are more engaged with instructors present.
- Please provide the instructing librarian with information on any accessibility accommodations required for your class ahead of time.
Course Integration vs. Library Instruction
Information literacy course integration is different from how we traditionally think of library instruction. This approach positions faculty as co-creators with librarians, working together to implement a coordinated, effective information literacy curriculum throughout a program or major.
This work is faculty-driven, not mandated administratively or outsourced to a third party. Infusion like this rests on the idea that curriculum design is led by core instructors leveraging their expertise to apply information literacy to disciplinary contexts. By taking this approach, information literacy is readily scaffolded into students’ learning, which allows for consistent and repeated practice and for increasing depth as skills develop.
Want to learn more about how individual instructors or entire programs can support students’ information literacy through course integration?
For Programs
Enroll as a program (typically a department) in UWL Information Literacy Curriculum Planning. This is a multi-year process featuring an instructor workshop series, democratic selection and alignment of key interventions, and follow-up assessment. It is in its pilot phase with General Education classes in English and Communication Studies. In Fall 2026, the library may be able to enroll another program. If your program is interested, please have your chair reach out to Kendall Morgan.
Individual Teaching
Without your program being formally enrolled, instructors can still test out course integration. Librarians can help you with course design related to information literacy within a new or existing course. Please contact Sarah Bakken, Kendall Morgan, or libinstruct@uwlax.edu to get started.
The Library Department likes to keep track of these types of integration and any feedback you have on our materials. Please let us know if you’re already using or adapting library instructional content on your own!
