The Library at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College supports the mission of the college by “preparing information-literate citizens to compete and succeed in a 21st century workplace.” In support of that mission, the Library staff assists students in gaining information literacy skills in a variety of ways, including assisting with research requests, library orientation program, and instruction sessions on a variety of resources. Course-specific library instruction sessions are also available as further means of developing effective skill sets. Additional resources for developing information literacy skills include course specific research guides, as hosted on the LibraryIC website, information on plagiarism, and online tutorials.The Library also houses the campus writing center, a recent addition to the resources designed to assist in effective use of information.
The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has adopted a set of guidelines and standards addressing information literacy competency. As the ACRL states, “an information literate individual is able to:
• Determine the extent of information needed
• Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
• Evaluate information and its sources critically
• Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base
• Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
• Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally"
The "In the KNOW" Program of the RCCC Library serves as one means of providing an information literacy experience designed to build expertise in mining the wealth of resources available to members of the 21st century college campus. The In the KNOW Program is composed of three components: the Library Orientation Program, the Continuing Instruction Program and the Web-based Learning Program.
Mission Statement
The In the KNOW Program serves the students, faculty and staff of RCCC. The program is designed to assist participants in finding, analyzing, and applying sources of information appropriate for their individual learning experience.
Objectives
The objectives of In the KNOW are the same as those outlined by ACRL in defining the information literate individual who is able to:
• Determine the extent of information needed
• Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
• Evaluate information and its sources critically
• Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base
• Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
• Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally
Activities developed by librarians at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in order to promote the teaching of Information Literacy are included in this guide. The activities feature active learning exercises and tools to assess student learning. Faculty and librarians from other institutions are welcome to use these activities. Microsoft Word files have been provided which may be modified to suit specific needs.
For more information, contact Laurie Robb.
In January 2016, ACRL adopted an updated approach to Information Literacy, called the Information Literacy Framework. To learn more about this updated framework checkout the online tutorial 23 Framework Things. It is a online, self-paced course on the new guidelines.
Important Links to remember for designing your Research Guides: