Information Literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." Developing these critical skills creates the foundation for lifelong learning. (American Library Association. Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. Final Report. Chicago: American Library Association, 1989.)
As part of the university's student-centered curriculum, University Libraries' Information Literacy initiative will support the Libraries' commitment to promote learning and access through user education in information literacy. Multidisciplinary and client-centered, the Libraries’ community-driven approach will facilitate student growth to afford them the full meaningful access to resources and the acquisition of skills needed for confident decision making and life long learning.
Students entering college bring with them a diverse range of technological capabilities and various ideas on what constitutes ‘good information.’ While some are intimidated by technology, others feel very comfortable with their skill levels. As educators we have a shared obligation to not only inform students about the resources available to them, but to train and guide them on how to effectively and efficiently access current, accurate, and authoritative information.
The University Libraries are here to help teach information literacy skills to your undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in a number of ways. The faculty of the University Libraries can provide instruction for classes on a wide variety of library-related topics. They teach everything, including basic instruction on library catalogs, research databases, and printed resources, as well as the skills necessary to find and evaluate information on the World Wide Web. The faculty have a variety of subject backgrounds and will customize instruction for your specific course.
If you are teaching a fully online course on the Blackboard platform, your students will have access to the eLibrary Services Center. This customized, web-based portal brings the best in UToledo's digital resources together for our distance learners.
In addition, the librarians have prepared a number of general and subject guides to assist you and your students in finding resources that you need. The guides include information on finding materials, citation styles, general guides, and pathfinders that provide overviews of the research resources for a particular subject or course. You are free to use these resources in your classes. Click here for the list of guides available on our website.
On the Main Campus - If you have questions about Instruction Services, please contact Thomas Atwood (Information Literacy Instruction) at (419) 530-2833.
On the Health Science Campus - More information is available on the Mulford Library web site.
