Program Goals
As a focal point of campus intellectual life, the library is committed to helping students learn to responsibly engage with information for both academic and personal pursuits. The Waidner-Spahr Library supports intellectual growth and stimulation by adhering to the following goals.
Teach Dickinson students to become information literate.
- Provide foundational information literacy learning via the First-Year Seminar program.
- Develop a comprehensive and systematic information literacy support plan for each major.
- Communicate standards of academic integrity and plagiarism prevention.
Assess local information literacy practice to improve existing programs and create opportunities for new ones.
- Establish measurable outcomes for the general information literacy program, and for departmental programs.
- Evaluate the information literacy skill sets of the student body at representative times during their educational experience.
- Periodically assess department information literacy programs for effectiveness and improvement.
- Evaluate classroom instruction activities to assure usefulness and alignment with course goals.
Collaborate with appropriate constituents to create the best information literacy learning environment for students and foster life-long learning.
- Faculty: collaborate to provide major- and course-integrated instruction.
- Academic Advising: collaborate to provide information about academic integrity and plagiarism prevention.
- Other campus offices: Seek and develop opportunities to enhance information literacy skill sets outside the classroom with offices such as the Writing Center, Center for Global Study & Engagement, Career Center, Admissions, etc.
Increase awareness among faculty, students and administrators of information literacy and its benefits and importance to academic success.
- Communicate the information literacy program mission and goals formally and informally across campus via department meetings, individual liaison meetings, and through committee interaction (APSC, P&B, SXC, etc.).
- Include information literacy goals, concepts and skills in all classroom instruction involving a librarian.
- Market information literacy in the library’s promotional efforts.
Train librarians in best practices for teaching and assessing information literacy skill sets.
- Identify training opportunities such as ACRL’s Immersion program.
- Provide funding and travel time for professional development opportunities.
- Facilitate peer learning within the library.