Information literacy is defined as:
“the set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyse, and use information”
(American Library Association, 2000).
It is vital that students have the skills to enable them to use the wide range of information sources available online and in print.
Students need to be able to retrieve, evaluate and use information effectively. By helping students to develop information literacy skills, we can contribute to their academic success and help our graduates become independent and successful lifelong learners.
During your time in the ATU you will be expected to read course materials to inform and educate yourself with the subjects you are studying and to write assignments set out by your lecturers. The majority of the material is provided as recommended reading lists, printed course packs or links to electronic copies of books and articles provided through ATU’s VLE LearnOnline.
However, you will also be expected to develop your learning and do research beyond what is set by your lecturers to show your understanding of the subjects you are studying. This requires you to search, find and evaluate information independently on the topics you are studying. To do this effectively you need good information skills. With information accessible in various formats and quality, it is important that students have the skills needed to allow them to use the variety of information resources available and to retrieve, evaluate and use that information successfully.
The library offers training to all students to equip them to use and understand the library, recognise that information is available in a variety of formats, determine when information is needed and find it, evaluate the quality of information, and use information ethically and legally.
The library has professional staff that has the means and skills to help students become competent and skilled learners.
The library has all the resources to assist students with their academic journey.
All teaching staff can integrate Information Literacy into their courses. We have many options for including Information Literacy skills to support students in achieving their course learning outcomes. Library staff can deliver instruction online, come to your class for a single instruction session, or as frequently as you want.
As part of the Academic & Professional Skills (APS) First-Year Experience (FYE) module the library offers four standalone Information Literacy Instruction sessions which aim to provide students with the key competencies to learn information literacy skills:
Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education advances the knowledge, skills and abilities of information literacy and grounds them into threshold concepts needed to move to the next step in the learning process.
SCONUL Seven Pillar of Information Literacy defines core abilities and understandings of information literacy in higher education.
Always try to STOP, THINK, CHECK that what you are seeing, reading or hearing is accurate and reliable.
Email us: Library.GalwayMayo.atu.ie
Call us: +353 (091) 742784
Ask us: Staff are here to help!
