Standards and Best Practices for Florida Academic Libraries: Educational Role

Educational Role: Libraries partner in the educational mission of the institution to develop and support information-literate learners who can discover, access, and use information effectively for academic success, research, and lifelong learning.

3.1 Library personnel collaborate with faculty and others regarding ways to incorporate library collections and services into effective curricular and co-curricular experiences for students.

3.2 Library personnel collaborate with faculty to embed information literacy learning outcomes into curricula, courses, and assignments.

3.3 Library personnel model best pedagogical practices for classroom teaching, online tutorial design, and other educational practices.

3.4 Library personnel provide appropriate and timely instruction in a variety of contexts and employ multiple learning platforms and pedagogies.

3.5 Library personnel collaborate with campus partners to provide opportunities for faculty professional development.

3.6 The library has the IT infrastructure to keep current with advances in teaching and learning technologies

"The Standards include performance indicators, which are intentionally library-centric. Outcomes, however, should be user-centric, preferably focusing on a specific population and articulating specifically what the user is able to do as an outcome of the performance indicator. "
- ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education

Performance Indicator 3.1 Library personnel collaborate with faculty and others regarding ways to incorporate library collections and services into effective curricular and co-curricular experiences for students.

Sample Outcomes

• Faculty seek the input of librarians on use of library resources in course and assignment development.
• Students use library collections for both curricular and co-curricular information needs.
• Faculty require students to use of a variety of sources from library databases.

Performance Indicator 3.2 Library personnel collaborate with faculty to embed information literacy learning outcomes into curricula, courses, and assignments.

Sample Outcomes

• Faculty seek the input of librarians in developing information literacy learning outcomes for their courses and assignments.
• Faculty introduce, reinforce, and scaffold learning of information literacy learning outcomes.
• Faculty require increasingly sophisticated demonstration of information literacy learning outcomes as students proceed to graduation.
• Faculty seek the input of librarians in evaluating the effectiveness of program curricula for teaching information literacy skills.
• Students demonstrate proficiency in finding, evaluating, and using information.

Performance Indicator 3.3 Library personnel model best pedagogical practices for classroom teaching, online tutorial design, and other educational practices.

Sample Outcomes

• Librarians design and administer information literacy instruction sessions that incorporate hands-on, active learning techniques.
• Faculty seek advice from librarians regarding pedagogical practices.
• Students and faculty indicate that the library tutorials are well-designed and effective teaching resources.

"Many academic institutions use benchmarks to identify their strengths and weaknesses in comparison to similar institutions. For example, benchmarking can be used to demonstrate whether an institution or its library is funded or staffed at levels comparable to similar institutions in a geographic area, with a similar enrollment, or with other related characteristics."
- ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education

Principle 3: Educational Role

• Participants at group presentations. E.g.: Per full-time undergraduate student. Per enrolled student.
• Number of group presentations. E.g.: Physical. Virtual.
• NSSE “Experiences with Information Literacy” Topical Module Survey data. E.g.: Number of respondents who responded “very much” or “quite a bit” to the NSSE Topical Module question “How much has your experience at this institution contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal development in using information correctly?” or CCSSE. E.g.: Worked on a paper or project that required integrating ideas or information from various sources (look for responses “very often” or “often”).
• Number of information literacy courses for credit. E.g.: Required information literacy course for credit. Elective information literacy course for credit.
• Number of repeat faculty requestors of instruction services. E.g.: Percentage of instruction sessions conducted for repeat faculty requestors.
• Percentage of faculty who requested instructional services in the past academic year.
• Number of information literacy sessions per instructional librarian.
• Number of courses in which librarians are embedded.

All ACRL Standards information taken from:

Association of College and Research Libraries. (2018). Standards for libraries in higher education.

       Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/standards/slhe.pdf

11.3 The institution provides (a) student and faculty access and user privileges to its library services and (b) access to regular and timely instruction in the use of the library and other learning/information resources. (Library and learning/information access)

Rationale and Notes

To ensure appropriate use of the library and other learning/information resources, the institution is expected to provide timely and effective access that enables students, faculty, and staff to take full advantage of the learning resources provided by the institution. Furthermore, the institution
has a responsibility to provide access to instruction in the use of the library and other learning/ information resources. Access to resources, services, and instruction should address students enrolled at off-campus instructional sites, in distance or correspondence courses, or in evening courses, if applicable.

NOTE
Information related to assessing the effectiveness of instruction in the use of the library usually would be included in Standard 8.2.c (Student outcomes: academic and student services).

Questions to Consider

• What services are accessible on campus (e.g., the library, computer labs) versus at off-campus sites and through off-campus access?
• Do students and faculty have different user privileges?
• What are operating hours for the library and other learning resources?
• What services are available electronically when the library or other related facilities are closed?
• What delivery mechanisms exist for instruction and assistance to library users?
• How does the institution provide instruction and assistance to all users at all locations and through all modes of delivery?

Sample Documentation

• Details on user privileges by type of user.
• List of operating hours.
• Services and collections available online and at off-campus sites.
• Documentation of the availability and type of instruction.
• Schedules for instruction in the use of the library and learning/information resources (e.g., at orientation, by request of instructors, on demand).
• Reports of completed library instructional activity that demonstrate broad participation in the instructional program by all segments of the institution at all locations and delivery modes.

Reference to SACSCOC Documents, If Applicable
SACSCOC policy: Distance and Correspondence Education
Cross-References to Other Related Standards/Requirements, If Applicable
Standard 6.5 (Faculty development)
Standard 8.2.c (Student outcomes: academic and student services)
CR 11.1 (Library and learning/information resources)
CR 12.1 (Student support services)

All SACSCOC information taken from:

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. (2018). Resource manual for the principles of accreditation: Foundations for quality enhancement. [3rd ed.].

       Retrieved from https://sacscoc.org/pdf/2018%20POA%20Resource%20Manual.pdf