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Instruction Services

Our information literacy offerings are based on the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy which defines information literacy as 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.  (ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, 2016).

As such our instruction aims to provide a mix of practical skills and critical thinking activities to improve the information habits and practices of our student researchers.

ACRL Information Literacy Framework

In January of 2016 the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) adopted the new Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education

The Framework is organized into six frames, each consisting of a concept central to information literacy, a set of knowledge practices, and a set of dispositions. The six concepts that anchor the frames are presented alphabetically:

  1. Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
  2. Information Creation as a Process
  3. Information Has Value
  4. Research as Inquiry
  5. Scholarship as Conversation
  6. Searching as Strategic Exploration

For a summary of each frame, please explore the following infographics by Bucknell University

Why is Critical Thinking Important?

An ability to think critically is essential to a student's time in school and is a vital life-long skill.

Employers highly value critical thinking skills too, with a 2013 AAC&U study showing that “a candidate’s demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than their undergraduate major."

It's not easy to teach students to adopt a new thinking style; in today's polarized environment, it can even be difficult to impart to them the importance of deliberate and critical thinking.