Partnership between Engineering Libraries: Identifying Information Literacy Skills for a Successful Transition from Student to Professional

Abstract

A partnership was formed by two academic engineering librarians and a librarian in an engineering firm to learn more about the information needs and skills necessary for their clients as they transition between the academic and work environment. Through a review of the literature and a preliminary survey of practicing engineers, it was found that more emphasis during information literacy training should be placed on finding gray literature and that, because of evolving information-seeking patterns, a strong focus should be placed on evaluating information. KEYWORDS information literacy, engineering information, information needs of new graduates, information needs of new engineers, McGill University, SNC-Lavalin, Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB), Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)

Workplace Information Needs of Engineering and Technology Graduates: A Case Study on Two Continents

“…Although the purpose of IL instruction is to provide students with lifelong learning skills, the reality is that is has proven difficult for engineering students to transfer information literacy skills learned at the university to the workplace [3]. Lloyd [4], for example, has pointed out that librarians are too focused on teaching specific skills to meet academic objectives, that it makes the transfer to the workplace more difficult for students.…”

Understanding Undergraduate Engineering Student Information Access and Needs: Results from a Scoping Review

“…Developing a stronger understanding of how undergraduate engineering students seek, access, and use information is closely linked to the evolution of engineering curricula. Undergraduate engineering programs have integrated design work throughout the curriculum [17] and accrediting bodies such as Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) are placing increased emphasis on information literacy and how it is correlated with life-long learning [18], [19]. Ercegovac [20] has identified a paucity of research about the information behavior of engineering undergraduate students.…”

If the Engineering Literature Fits, Use It! Student Application of Grey Literature and Engineering Standards

“…Clearly, identifying the difference between grey literature, standards, and other forms of literature is an important issue for practicing engineers. In a survey by Waters, Kasuto, and NcNaughton [5] corporate engineers responded that the most important types of information were standards and technical reports (grey literature).…”