Information Literacy in Writing Tutor Training at a Liberal Arts College

Abstract

Academic librarians have long understood and argued for the importance of integrating information literacy into the curriculum. The literature shows strong evidence of librarians collaborating with faculty, peer tutors, and other on-campus constituencies in an effort to facilitate both the discussion and acquisition of information literacy skills and concepts. The literature points to a likely collaboration: that of libraries and writing centers, in light of their corresponding missions and endeavors. This paper details how two academic librarians partnered with teaching faculty who oversee the campus writing center to infuse information literacy skills and concepts into the training of writing tutors. The authors explore the history of the collaboration with faculty that led up to the information literacy workshops, provide a detailed explanation of workshop activities, focusing on disciplinary discourse and resource evaluation, and discuss how information literacy standards were embedded in the activities. We also consider challenges and opportunities afforded by the experience, as well as future steps to extend this collaboration.

Charting Success: Using Practical Measures to Assess Information Literacy Skills in the First-Year Writing Course

“…Other examples described joint workshops led by instruction librarians and the professional writing staff focused on improving student learning outcomes (Artz, 2005;Boff & Toth, 2005;Cooke & Bledsoe, 2008;Leadley & Rosenberg, 2005). Further examples discussed the use of peer tutors serving in an assortment of roles from marketing ambassadors to basic research support assistants (Cannon & Jarson, 2009;Deese-Roberts & Keating, 2000;Furlong & Crawford, 1999;Gruber, Knefel & Waelchli, 2008;Lowe & Lea, 2004;Millet & Chamberlain, 2007).…”

Working together: library and writing center collaboration

“…As information literacy has become a larger part of the curriculum at most schools some writing centers have begun to examine ACRL's information literacy standards (Brady et al, 2009). One of the reasons many gave for RSR 40,4 collaboration was that it allowed librarians to make connections with those working in the writing center and to get to know each other's services (Cannon and Jarson, 2009). It was important for librarians and writing center staff to have a full understanding of each other's roles and their relationships to each other before deciding how to collaborate.…”

“…Instructors planned to continue to discuss the objectives and materials taught in these sessions to further improve them. Librarians at Muhlenberg hoped that tutors would be able to identify problems with research or sources in papers they evaluated and would help students at the point of need or refer them to a librarian (Cannon and Jarson, 2009). At the University of New Hampshire at Manchester, librarians, writing instructors, and the learning center, which offered tutoring services in writing and composition, worked together to train student writing tutors to provide basic information literacy skills.…”

“…At Muhlenberg College, collaboration between writing instructors and a librarian prompted the writing instructors to ask the librarian to author a chapter about evaluating sources in a writing text on which they were working (Cannon and Jarson, 2009). Similarly Cooke and Bledsoe (2008) suggested that the campus writing center and librarians work together to write a joint newsletter, directed toward faculty and staff or students.…”