Information Literacy & Instruction

D'Amour Library has a robust information literacy program that includes first-year, discipline-specific and graduate instruction.

Goals of the program are to develop in Western New England students:

• The ability to access relevant sources to fit an information need.
• The ability to critically evaluate information and its origins to satisfy an information need.
• The ability to use information in an ethical and legal manner.

Instruction sessions have the biggest impact when pared with an authentic assessment. Instruction can take form of in-person classes, use of online learning objects and tutorials, or one-on-one appointments with students. To discuss the best format for your course, get in touch with a librarian today!

Every WNE undergraduate participates in information literacy instruction through the Golden Bear Discovery curriculum. Information literacy is embedded in all GOLD courses, which are taken by every first-year student at WNE. GOLD courses provide a foundation for all incoming students to understand how to use the library's information resources, develop strategies for evaluating information for reliability and creditability, and use information in an ethical and legal manner.

Additionally, students in the College of Business and College of Engineering also receive additional instruction in their Fall BLUE courses. 

Beyond Golden Bear Discovery, D’Amour Library offers curated instruction services in a variety of formats to upper-level and discipline-specific courses.

For a better idea of what we can do, check out our Bibliobites menu of information literacy options.

The following practices have been found by D'Amour librarians to result in increased success of library instruction sessions:

• Library instruction should complement defined learning objectives and course outcomes.
• Pair instruction with an assignment that represents a performative or authentic assessment. Students should be given the assignment in advance of the session.
• Timing of an instruction session is important - 'just in time' not 'just in case.' Don't schedule too early in the semester, as later sessions can have a bigger impact.
• The instructor should attend the library session - your presence is necessary to answer questions about the assignment, syllabus, or course policies.
• Set clear expectations for citation and plagiarism.
• Be aware of the cognitive load that library work can place on students - it's best to focus sessions on the important concepts. Students don't need to know everything at once!

D'Amour Library maintains a number of guides intended to help students and faculty develop their information literacy skills: