Created By

Blaine Greteman, Associate Professor of English

Amy Chen, English and Communication Librarian

Learning Objectives

Information literacy allows individuals to determine when to seek information, where to look for that information, and evaluate the authority of the information they found in order to use it appropriately and effectively.

To quote the American Library Association, information literacy "forms the basis for lifelong learning. It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. It enables learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more self-directed, and assume greater control over their own learning."

This assignment teaches information literacy by assigning students to review the information landscape within their discipline, subject, and topic area to create a LibGuide. After completing this assignment, students should be able to identify what types of resources exist in their discipline (English literature), subject (Shakespeare), and topic (chosen by the class) by location, audience, access requirements, and creator. Furthermore, students should be able to answer questions as to each resource's comparative strengths/weaknesses. Outstanding students will be able to use this assignment evaluate information landscapes in other topics, subjects, and disciplines. 

Description

The university library website includes library guides (LibGuides) to subjects ranging from Shakespeare to Social Work. These guides help students and scholars as well as community members find the best resources in the field for learning about a subject. Often, these resources subscription-based, which means they are only available to users because the library purchased access. However, sometimes LibGuides list resources that are available for free online. The best LibGuides teach users not only which sources are available, but which are the best according to their authority and usability. For this assignment, you will create a Shakespeare LibGuide that could be used by future students. The assignment will take place in several stages.

Project

1. The class will identify 5-6 essential resource categories for this subject.
2. Once we agree to the categories, the instructor will create a Google Doc as an online work space.
3. Students will sign up for their preferred resource category on the Google Doc.
4. Students in the same resource category will work as a group.
5. Your group will need to search three locations: A-Z Databases; any resources your instructor suggests; and Google to see if there are any other research institutes, nonprofits, or other locations with information devoted to your resource category.
6. List all the possibilities you can find in the Google Doc under your resource category.
7. Take the time to learn more and test each resource before narrowing them down to the best 5-6 sources according to the following criteria: Authority (who created it); Use value (I can learn more); Research value (I can answer research questions with provided information; and Accessibility (how easy is it to navigate; does it require a university log in or is it open access).
8. Create a separate list for your resource category's final selections. 
9. Your group will then need to write its portion of the LibGuide. List your selected resources in order of importance, with the most important first. Provide the following information for each resource: 1-3 sentence resource description followed by bullet points detailing the resource’s authority, what distinguishes this source from others, and search strategies. 

Tips

• Use standard formatting in Google Docs
• Describe resources in your own words
• Begin bullet point phrases with a verb, like you would for a resume
• Avoid unnecessary words
• Remember bullet points aren't full sentences
• Agree on standard phrases, for example: "university log in required"
• Copy the resource's title accurately