This blog series provides easy, free access to open web resources and content that support affordable learning opportunities. A wide variety of resources published by government entities, think tanks, and more are curated to demonstrate what may be relatively unknown or ‘buried’ in the internet. Resources reflect issues happening today for the use of librarians, students, and all audiences.
By Christal Young and Raymond Pun
FYE Correspondent Ray Pun spoke recently with Christal Young of USC Libraries about her work supporting first year experience programs through a number of creative activities and engagements. In this interview Christal shares her thoughts on the importance of the library’s role in facilitating connections for students who are new to campus through many interactions and services including a virtual hub.
Join the InfoLit Learning Community now. Already a member? Log in here.
This starred review, by Credo’s Henrietta Verma, appeared in the August 13, 2018 edition of Booklist Online. The book is a valuable tool for librarians who teach news literacy, but also for those who want to inform themselves for their wider library work and as news consumers.
Last week, I attended the 5th annual LILi Conference held at the Glendale Public Library in California. The theme was, “It’s Not Just Academic: Bridging Gaps with Information Empowerment in All Libraries” and explored information literacy services and programs provided by different libraries including public, academic, school, and others.
Join the InfoLit Learning Community now. Already a member? Log in here.
Last week on the blog, we discussed the advantages of getting peer input on your planned IL assignments and offered resources related to assignment development. One idea we shared as a quickfire way to improve your lesson plans was to host an assignment charrette, an event in which educators present their assignments and get feedback on them from peers.
If you’re looking for creative ways to prep for your upcoming library instruction, consider checking out Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers (2018) by Mike Caulfield, director of blended and networked learning at Washington State University Vancouver and head of the Digital Polarization Initiative of the American Democracy Project. From fact-checking Wikipedia, to finding original sources of a viral social media post, to identifying owners/creators of websites, this open access publication makes for a great starting point when teaching research techniques.
Join the InfoLit Learning Community now. Already a member? Log in here.
Looking for new assignments to give your students this fall? Try your colleagues and virtual network for inspiration and tips if you’re creating something from scratch. And if you need a good dose of inspiration first? There’s plenty of support to be found online, from content-creation tools to ready-made resources.
Looking for a good book to read during the summer? Here are some recent publications in the LIS field that might get you thinking of new practices, theories, and services to consider for your academic community in the fall!
Join the InfoLit Learning Community now. Already a member?Log in here.
This fall’s freshmen students will likely bring with them an awareness of disinformation, popularly called “fake news,” making it something you might find yourself addressing in information literacy lessons. Returning students can benefit from reinforcement of the skills they already learned in this regard, followed by more advanced, scaffolded lessons on how to discern deception in materials they may find in the classes in their majors.
Looking to up your library's social media game? One of the best ways to engage followers to is to provide a consistent stream of fun/useful content. Understanding that libraries don't always have the time to generate all of the content they'd like, we're here to help!
