Instructional Services
Information Literacy at the University Libraries
According to the American Library Association, “To be prepared for a future characterized by change, students must learn to think rationally and creatively, solve problems, manage and retrieve information and communicate effectively. By mastering information problem-solving skills, students will be ready for an information-based society and technological workplace.”
An information literate person can:
- Understand the organization of information
- Recognize and articulate a research problem
- Develop appropriate search strategies
- Select and use information retrieval tools
- Locate and retrieve sources
- Analyze and critically evaluate information
- Organize and synthesize information
- Use and apply information
For more information on information literacy, please see the Association for College and Research Libraries’ Information Literacy Website.
The UNC Libraries offer an extensive array of credit courses each year. Search Webster for the Libraries' current course offerings.
LIB 150 Introduction to Undergraduate Research 1 Credit
Students will gain active learning experience in seeking information in a dynamic research environment. Includes skills in identifying, retrieving, organizing, and evaluating information.
LIB 210 Internet Research and Resources 3 Credits
Examines the issues related to access, use, and evaluation of Internet resources appropriate for academic and professional scholarship.
LIB 250 Introduction to Information Literacy 3 Credits
An in-depth opportunity to explore the implications of our information rich society and to learn to use critical thinking skills in evaluating this wealth of information.
Course-related instruction services
At the request of colleagues teaching courses in a wide range of disciplines, librarians also design and teach library instruction sessions tailored to fit the specific research and curricular needs of students in particular courses. Librarians teach methods of research, sources of information, and evaluation of information. The Michener Library's hands-on classroom enables students to conduct their own database searches during the session.
Examples of what course-related instruction sessions may include are:
- Electronic database demonstrations with time for hands-on practice
- How to choose and use electronic and print periodical indexes
- Instruction in general and subject-specific reference materials
- How to use the library catalog
- Internet search strategy and evaluation
Core Library Instruction Program (CLIP)
Through the Core Library Instruction Program (CLIP), Librarians introduce the skills needed to begin to utilize the Library’s collections and services. This program is coordinated with the Curricula of ID 108, English 122, and English 123. Schedule a CLIP Workshop
Subject Specific Classes and Workshops
Subject-specific workshops are tailored to the needs of a particular class. A librarian will determine, in consultation with the course instructor, the appropriate research skills that students must obtain for success in a specific course. The librarian will then create an instruction session, which can include demonstrations of any electronic database provided by the Libraries or the Internet, to develop the students research skills. The Michener Library hands-on classroom enables students to conduct their own database searches during the session. Schedule a Library Workshop
Library User Guides
Library User Guides are short guides to the University Libraries’ services and resources. They are available in print format in the Libraries, and many are also available online. Assignment Guides may be customized for the needs of particular courses.
Contact information
If you have any questions about the Libraries’ Instruction Services, please contact Head of Instruction Gregory Heald. Prof. Heald can be reached by e-mail at gregory.heald@unco.edu or by telephone at (970) 351-1550.