A comparison between the ACRL Characteristics of Programs of Information Literacy that Illustrate Best Practices and James Madison University Information Literacy Program for LIS 764 course.

1. Characteristics of Programs of Information Literacy that Illustrate Best Practices
James Madison University Information Literacy Program
Kaleena T. Woodard
LIS764-Fall 2017
September 14, 2017

2. Characteristics of Programs of Information Literacy that Illustrate Best Practices
Category 1: Mission(Category 1)
Category 2: Goals and Objectives(Category 2)
Category 3: Planning(Category 3)
Category 4: Administrative and Institutional
Support(Category 4)
Category 5: Articulation (program sequence) within the
Curriculum(Category 5)
Category 6: Collaboration(Category 6)
Category 7: Pedagogy(Category 5 and 6)
Category 8: Staffing(Category 4)
Category 9: Outreach(Category 4)
Category 10: Assessment/Evaluation(Category 10)

3. Category 1: Mission
The mission statement describes the overall purpose of the organization. The
mission statement will include a definition of information literacy. The mission
statement must be consistent with the ACRL Information Literacy Competency
Standards for Higher Education and promotes relevant lifelong learning and
professional development.

4. Category 2: Goals and Objectives
Goals and objectives are clearly based on what a program and or organization
plans on achieving based on the mission statement. They are consistent with the
mission, goals, and objectives of the library and the institution. The goals and
objectives should establish measurable outcomes for evaluation of the program. The
goals and objectives must have a curriculum for students’ academic pursuits that will
allow students’ to become life long learners.

5. Category 3: Planning
Planning for an information literacy program:
Articulates and develops mechanisms to implement and/or adapt components
of the best practices listed in this document (as needed).
Chapter 1-Figure 1.2- What’s Your Process
1. How do you find out about your learners?
2. What are some of the things you want to know about your learners?
3. How do you decide what will include in the instruction?
4. What factors do you take into account when you organize your instruction?
5. How do you select the methods, modes, activities, and/or exercises you
include in the instruction?
6. How do you determine what your learners have attained from the
instruction?

6. Category 4: Administration and Institutional Support
Individuals’ that work together as a team within the educational institution
who servers as main or extra support to make sure that students educational needs are
met. The team includes collaboration among the librarians (staffing) that are a part of
the library liaison program. This program provides a main librarian for each subject
matter that students are studying. This program ensures that the students’ research
needs are met through these librarians. Each librarian liaisons for each subject matter
has their own webpage of online guides and key resources that servers as instructional
aides based on the set curriculum.

7. Category 4: Administration and Institutional Support
Subject Guides

8. Category 4: Administration and Institutional Support

9. Category 5: Articulation (program sequence) with the Curriculum
Articulation with the Curriculum identifies the scope (i.e., depth and
complexity) of competencies to be acquired on a disciplinary level as well as at the
course level. Articulation also emphasizes learner-centered learning. (“It is critical
information literacy’s intent that students will ultimately “take control of their lives
and their own learning to become active agents, asking and answering questions that
matter to them and to the world around them” (Alborg, 2006, p. 193). In these ways
critical IL has a great deal to offer librarians interested in developing a deeper
engagement with their work and its implications, as well as the potential to shift the
focus of information literacy instruction to an authentically student-centered
mode.”) (Tewell, 2015, p. 25)
Madison Research Essentials Toolkit
The Madison Research Essentials Toolkit was designed to equip students
to use and understand the JMU Libraries, recognize that information is available in
a variety of formats, determine when information is needed and find it, evaluate the
quality of information, and use information ethically and legally.

10. Category 6: Collaboration
Collaboration with faculty, librarians, other instructors, teaching assistants,
administrators, and other program staff member to make sure that students
become life –long learners.
Assignments
Librarians are available to collaborate with faculty to design resource-
based assignments that provide students with an opportunity to practice and
refine their information literacy skills.

11. Category 7: Pedagogy (Categories 5 and 6)
A. Madison Research Essentials Toolkit
The Madison Research Essentials Toolkit was designed to equip
students to use and understand the JMU Libraries, recognize that
information is available in a variety of formats, determine when
information is needed and find it, evaluate the quality of information,
and use information ethically and legally.
B. Assignments
Librarians are available to collaborate with faculty to design resource-
based assignments that provide students with an opportunity to practice
and refine their information literacy skills.
C. Instruction by appointment
Faculty and students may request an appointment with a liaison
librarian for assistance in learning new sources and skills.

12. Category 8: Staffing
Staffing is based individuals' that can offer additional support for
students while conducting research projects.
See Category 4

13. Category 9: Outreach
Outreach activities for an information literacy program. This includes
identifying and reaching out to relevant stakeholders and support groups
regardless of background that are both within and outside of the institution.
Example: Library locations were students can get additional research aide.
 Memorial Hall - ETMC
 Music Library
 Special Collections
 Innovation Services

14. Category 10: Assessment/Evaluation
Madison Research Essentials Skills Test (MREST)
GenEd students must demonstrate competency in information literacy by
passing this online test by the end of their first year. Students take the test in a
secure testing lab in Ashby Hall.

15. Resources
ACRL Board (2012). “Characteristics of Programs of Information Literacy that Illustrate Best
Practices: A Guideline”. Association of College & Research Libraries.
www.ala.org/acrl/standards/characteristics
James Madison University Information Literacy Program.
https://www.lib.jmu.edu/instruction/
Kaplowitz, J. R. (2014). Chapter 1 "Why Do I Need to Know about Instructional Design?"
Designing Information Literacy Instruction: the teaching tripod. Rowman & Littlefield.
Tewell E. “A Decade of Critical Information Literacy. Communications in Information
Literacy.” 2015 01;9(1):24-43.