What is Information Literacy?

An information literate person is able to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information."[1]

In the mid-1990s professionals in higher education and the research library community began discussing their mutual concern regarding the enormous growth in the availability of information and the simultaneous rapid advancement of technologies to facilitate access to this flood of information. Although universities were investing heavily in these new technologies, they were not expending equal efforts in teaching their students to find, evaluate, and use the information effectively. "Information Literacy" became a concept (and catchphrase) to address this concern.

Information literacy has been described as "a new liberal art that extends from knowing how to use computers and access information to critical reflection on the nature of information itself, its technical infrastructure, and its social, cultural and even philosophical context and impact."[2] In addition to emphasis on the nature of information and critical evaluation, information literacy differs from traditional library instruction in that the entire university shares in the responsibility for helping students develop these skills. The most successful information literacy programs are integrated across the curriculum and depend on active participation and support from the administration, faculty, librarians, and information technology staff. While librarians have been leading the way in developing information literacy standards, several regional and discipline-based accreditation associations have been active in incorporating the concept of information literacy into their accreditation criteria.[3]

Information Literacy at the Brandeis Libraries

Over the last decade the Brandeis University Libraries have promoted information literacy in our library instruction programs by educating students to understand the organization of knowledge, to access the needed information effectively and efficiently, and to evaluate the relevance and authority of information. We utilize a multi-tier approach that allows us to work with the faculty to develop the information-seeking abilities appropriate for each student level. Faculty establish the context for learning, motivate students to explore the unknown, offer direction on how best to satisfy information needs, and monitor students’ progress.

All first-year students have a mandatory program component during orientation week and another component as part of the curriculum during their writing seminar or writing-instensive USEM. The library class sessions are integrated into the subject matter of the seminars. Upper-level students participate in the Library Intensive Program with course-integrated information literacy instruction, which involves the librarians partnering with faculty members and gearing the instruction specifically to the course or program content. Many of the Library Intensive courses are identified in the University Bulletin.

There's More To Be Done

Along with library instruction, there is much more that we can do together to make sure that all students get a chance to develop information literacy skills. For one, the Library Intensive program will be targeting more methodology courses, research seminars, and proseminars. For first year graduate students who do not have research/methodology courses, we can offer discipline-oriented workshops that can address their particular information literacy needs. Outside of library instruction, the librarians are delighted to work with faculty members to create class assignments that engage the students in using a wide variety of information sources to increase their knowledge, ask informed questions, and hone their critical thinking skills. Faculty, librarians and information technology staff can also collaborate with faculty on ways to assess the information literacy of our students.

The value of information literacy extends way beyond the academic classroom setting and contributes to lifelong learning skills. Today's continuing information explosion makes our task of developing and nurturing these skills more vital than ever.

1. American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. Final Report. (Chicago: American Library Association, 1989.)

2. Jeremy J. Shapiro. and Shelley K. Hughes. "Information Literacy as a Liberal Art". Educom Review. 3.2. Mar./Apr. 1996. http://www.educause.edu/pub/er/review/reviewarticles/31231.html

3 .See the Association of College and Research Libraries Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education approved January 18, 2000 at http://www.ala.org/acrl/ilstandardlo.html  

The National Women’s Committee
The Brandeis University National Women’s Committee will hold their National Conference on the Brandeis campus from Wednesday, May 29 to Sunday, June 2, when over 200 representatives will arrive to attend workshops and training sessions. During the conference, the library will present a "Library Experience Program" where we will demonstrate the latest advances in the libraries as well as share our future plans and needs. The conference is also our opportunity to thank the members who work tirelessly in support of the libraries.

The Brandeis University National Women’s Committee is comprised of volunteers whose mission is to raise funds for the University. Founded in 1948 by eight women, the group has grown to nearly 50,000 members from throughout the country who raise funds in support of the University.

Seven of the eight founders of the Brandeis University National Women’s Committee, ca 1948: From left to right Mrs. Max Katz, Mrs. Max Ritvo, Mrs. Harry Michaels, Mrs. Irving Abrams, Mrs. Carl Spector, Mrs. Hyman Silverman, and Mrs. Tillie Thorner (Not pictured, Mrs. George Alpert).

The First Graduating Class
The Brandeis University Class of 1952 will be celebrating their fiftieth anniversary May 24-26, 2002. For this reunion they will return to campus to enjoy several events and to join the Class of 2002 at Commencement. The Library has invited the members of the first class to attend A Trip Down Memory Lane, a program that will compare library research in 1952 with current research practices. The program will also include a visit to the University Archives and an exhibit focusing on the first four years of student life at Brandeis. The exhibit utilizing materials that have been donated by members of the Class of 1952 will be on display through August 2002.

Welcome!

First Class in Castle Commons, ca. 1948. Photos from Ralph Norman Photography Collection, Robert D. Farber University Archives.

Bridging the Scholarly Gap:
Teaching Students Critical Evaluation of Resources
Leslie Stebbins, Reference Librarian

Research at Cornell University [1] has found that the number of scholarly citations in student research papers is decreasing, while the number of citations to unpublished web sites is on the rise. In many cases, the only book students cite in their bibliographies is the course textbook.

Recently, another team of researchers [2] discovered a gap between what faculty members expected to see in the bibliographies of student research papers and what was actually there. Professors expected students to cite scholarly resources in their papers, and students tended to use unevaluated resources. The results of these two studies are probably not news to many faculty members at Brandeis and around the country.

If it’s not on Google it doesn’t exist

One of the purposes of a college education has always been to assist students in the development of critical evaluation skills. For library research, the need for well-developed critical evaluation skills has increased for several reasons:

• Traditional filtering mechanisms, such as the library, are no longer in place because students often go to favorite web search engines to carry out research.
• Students often prefer online full-text resources over print resources without considering the content of the resource.
• Visual clues available in print format, like glossy advertising and pictures, are often not available in full-text formats, making it more difficult for students trying to evaluate the quality and purpose of an electronic journal or magazine.
• High school librarians and teachers dealing with tight budgets have encouraged students to get their research needs met over the non-proprietary web

Closing the Gap

Instructing students in web evaluation is a complex task. Though there are some quick and dirty rules, what really needs to take place is the development of an appreciation for, and recognition of, scholarly research in any format and a knowledge of the tools needed in a particular discipline to retrieve the research. Here are some possible devices to try:

1. Have the students brainstorm a list of criteria to use to judge whether a piece of information (from a book, the web, or any format) should be included in their research paper.
2. As part of the written assignment give students instructions on what types of materials you will be expecting them to consult and include in their bibliographies. Research has shown that verbal instruction is not effective in conveying this information to students. It needs to be written down as part of the assignment.
3. Let students know their bibliographies will be considered when calculating a grade for the research paper. Possibly assign a percentage of the overall grade to the bibliography.
4. Provide students with library instruction through the Library Intensive Program [http://www.library.brandeis.edu/reference/libraryintensive.html]. This can expose them to the tools needed for accessing the scholarly literature in a particular discipline, as well as teaching them techniques for evaluating resources.

Tools of the Trade - from Martin Luther King to Feline Reactions to Bearded Men

Many faculty and librarians have also found that using or creating bogus or biased web sites can help students better develop their own criteria in an active and more effective way. The following are examples of sites that have been used at a variety of classrooms around the country.

• The Psychosocial Parameters of Internet Addiction
  [http://library.albany.edu/briggs/addiction.html]

  This widely used site provides a bibliography mixing real and fake resources, and it includes a biography of a fake faculty member who supposedly authored the site.

• The Martin Luther King Web Site
  [http://www.martinlutherking.org]

  This site is real (rather than intentionally bogus) and is frequently used in teaching students to evaluate web sites. On first glance it appears to be a web site honoring Dr. King, but lower pages steer the user to carefully cited material that mixes fact and fiction and promulgates the beliefs of David Duke and others on the radical right.

• Evaluating Web Pages - UC Berkeley
  [http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html]

  In addition to giving instruction on evaluation, this site links to a number of different sites relating to Latin America, the Mayan Calendar, Gun Control, Stem Cell Research, and Aspartame. The site provides you with tools and hints in evaluating these real sites and deals with much more subtle evaluation techniques.

• Feline Reactions to Bearded Men
  [http://www.sree.net/stories/feline.html]

  This site looks like real research - though it is a bit over the top. If you are able to give your students the URL with a straight face, go for it.

1. David, Philip M. and Suzanne A. Cohen, "The Effect of the Web on Undergraduate Citation Behavior 1996-1999," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 52 (Feb 2001): 309-314. And, David, Philip M., "The Effect of the Web on Undergraduate Citation Behavior: A 2000 Update." College & Research Libraries 63 (Jan 2002): 53-60.

2. Grimes, Deborah J. and Carl H. Boening, "Worries with the Web: A Look at Student Use of Web Resources," College & Research Libraries 62 (Jan 2001): 11-23.  

Library Reserves Offers New Services
Janet Hill, Reserves Manager

Have you seen the reserve room web site lately? You can now submit requests for library materials to be placed on reserve with our convenient web forms. There are also forms you can print out to submit along with personal copies and electronic reserve materials. Please take a look.

For Fall 2002, we have expanded our electronic reserve service to include any class that signs up for it before August 15th. Bring in your reserve list and photocopies now! Unfortunately, after August 15th we can not guarantee that your class will be included in our electronic reserve service.

Professors are continuing to find new ways to use electronic reserves in their courses. This spring we included streaming Real Audio files for two of our electronic reserve classes. Here is a sample electronic reserves page to show you the kinds of materials we can place on electronic reserves, including two audio files. Please contact Janet Hill, jhill@brandeis.edu, or x64693, if you are interested in adding streaming Real Audio files to your electronic reserve page for the fall semester.

Along with adding these services, the library has worked with the University General Counsel’s office to develop a new set of copyright guidelines. These guidelines maintain a balance between the "fair use" claims of instructors seeking to provide appropriate readings for their students and the legitimate claims of rights holders for fair remuneration. More information about copyright is available on our website.  

Tachididaxy *
Wait, Don't Tell Me . . . Let Me Look It Up!
The Best Online Quotation Dictionaries
Ann Frenkel, Manager, Goldfarb Reference Department

When my erudite Dutch uncle says, "Answer me in one word," what is he referring to? [1]

I think Hillary Clinton said something once about fighting with friends, what was it? [2]

Why is the ancient city of Athens often shown with an owl? [3]

Below is a brief list of some of the most useful, freely available online quotation and phrase dictionaries. Some are electronic versions of classic resources. Most of these allow keyword searching, subject searching, and browsing, as well as list the authors alphabetically. The Barlett's even includes a Concordance Index to Quotations.

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations: A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature
An 1919 edition of this classic resource with quotations from the prolific Anonymous to the Zangwill.
http://www.bartleby.com/100/

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
A classic and unique resource, as the subtitle says, "giving the derivation, source, or origin of common phrases, allusions, and words that have a tale to tell," published by E. Cobham Brewer in 1898
http://www.bartleby.com/81/

The Columbia World of Quotations
A comprehensive resource with 65,000 quotations from 5,000 authors, edited by Robert Andrews, Mary Biggs, and Michael Seidel, and published in 1996.
http://www.bartleby.com/66/

xrefer
A truly unusual resource, the name is spoken as "[cross]ref." This database simultaneously searches a word or phrase in authoritative encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri & books of quotations. Definitions are linked to all entries.
http://xrefer.com/

1. In Shakespeare's As You Like It , Act III. Scene II, Rosalind asks Celia about Orlando, "Alas the day! what shall I do with my doublet and hose? What did he when thou sawest him? What said he? How looked he? Wherein went he? What makes he here? Did he ask for me? Where remains he? How parted he with thee, and when shalt thou see him again? Answer me in one word." From Bartlett's Familiar Quotations http://www.bartleby.com/100/

2. "You show people what you’re willing to fight for when you fight your friends." Said by Hillary Rodham Clinton in 1994. From The Columbia World of Quotations http://www.bartleby.com/66/

3. "The owl is the emblem of Athens. Because owls abound there. As Athe’na (Minerva) and Athe’næ (Athens) are the same word, the owl was given to Minerva for her symbol also." From Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable http://www.bartleby.com/81/

About To Be Shelved
Mark Alpert, Social Sciences Librarian
Katherine Button, Reference Librarian, Science Library
Anthony Vaver, Humanities Librarian

• Robert J. Sternberg, ed. Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid. Yale University Press, 2002.

  This book is devoted to investigating what the most current psychological research tells us about stupidity in everyday life. The contributors to the volume, all renowned scholars in various areas of human intelligence, present fascinating examples of people sabotaging their own success. The authors draw from a full range of theory and research on stupid behavior to help us understand how people can avoid stupidity and its devastating consequences.

• Roy Porter. Madness: A Brief History. Oxford UP, 2002.

  In just over 200 small pages, including pictures, the late Roy Porter presents a history of madness from antiquity to the present day. He covers topics as diverse as electric shock therapy, sexual deviancy, witches, and Prozac. Porter concludes by noting that the idioms of the psychological and the psychiatric continue to replace Christianity and humanism as the ways of making sense of the self.

• Malcolm Cross and Robert Moore, eds. Globalization and the New City: Migrants, Minorities and Urban Transformations in Comparative Perspective. Palgrave, 2002.

  The idea for this book arose from a multidisciplinary social science network designed to consider the impact of recent migration on European cities. The authors consider a number of key questions in explaining how modern cities are evolving, and several chapters assess the relevance of debates in social science concerning "global cities."

• Jonathan B. Tucker. Scourge: The Once and Future Threat of Smallpox. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2001.

  Read the first chapter-"Monster on Death Row"-and you won't want to stop. Long after the triumphant eradication of smallpox in 1980, vials of the Variola major virus remain under maximum security at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. Tucker, an expert in biological weapons, continues the debate about re-vaccinating the public and whether or not to destroy the stocks to keep the virus from terrorist hands.

• Griffith Edwards. Alcohol: The World’s Favorite Drug. St. Martin’s Press, 2000.

  The book jacket claims that "for those who like to drink and for those who LOVE to drink, Alcohol is a classic look at fact and falsehood, and how to tell the difference." Edwards uses both history and chemistry to look at how society might better handle this pleasure-giving, somewhat dangerous drug. Chapters include, "Alcohol, What Is It?," "A Short History of Drunkenness," and "The Drinker’s Dilemma."

• Donald E. Knuth. Things a Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About. Center for the Study of Language and Information, 2001.

  The six lectures presented here were part of a course at MIT on "God and Computers" in the Fall of 1999. Knuth, as a guest lecturer, wrestles with such topics as free will, randomization and religion, and the complexities of language translation. The last chapter is a transcript of the panel discussion, "Creativity, Spirituality, and Computer Science."