CSUSB Pfau Library’s Critical Information Literacy Lab Selected for Inclusion in Primo Database

SAN BERNARDINO >> The largest division of the American Library Association has chosen Cal State San Bernardino’s Critical Information Literacy Lab to be included in the Peer-Reviewed Instructional Materials Online database. An online site for teaching and learning developed for faculty and instructors, the CIL lab was selected by the Association of College and Research Libraries to promote high-quality resources in aiding librarians to respond to the educational challenges posed by still emerging digital technologies. “It is an honor to have our CIL lab selected for inclusion in the PRIMO database, as PRIMO is highly regarded in the academic library community,” said Gina Schlesselman-Tarango, instructional services and initiatives librarian in CSUSB’s Pfau Library. “Librarians and educators across the nation use materials in PRIMO to enhance their own instruction, and we are happy to provide a unique toolkit that balances critical information literacy skills and concepts.” The Critical Information Literacy Laboratory for faculty replaces and extends the Pfau Library’s skills-based online tutorials, reflecting the evolution of information literacy pedagogy to an approach that balances both concepts and skills. Among the different sections in the CIL lab website, there are various resources for instructors. The “Instructor’s Corner” contains discussion prompts, activities and helpful videos to engage students in the classroom. The resources are aligned with student learning outcomes and assist in helping students to think critically about how information works. The teaching tools can be tailored to class assignments and student needs. Library instruction requests are also available for personalized classroom assignment sessions. Instructors have the option to invite a librarian to their smart classroom or taking their class to the library for a customized workshop. Instruction sessions taught in the library last an hour and offer students hands-on computer experience. Those taught in smart classrooms are lecture-style and last approximately 40 minutes. To request a library instruction session, visit http://library.csusb.edu/forms/libraryInstructionRequest.php. Along with collaborating digital technology and general education learning outcomes, the CIL lab offers a faculty grant. The purpose of the Pfau Library CIL Grant is to support faculty in integrating critical information literacy into their courses. Support will include a $300 stipend to faculty who develop and implement a CIL assignment and its assessment in their spring 2016 course. All full-time, tenured or tenure-track CSUSB faculty are eligible for project support. The ACRL is a professional association of academic librarians and other interested individuals. It is dedicated to enhancing the ability of academic library and information professionals to serve the information needs of the higher education community, and to improve learning, teaching, and research. PRIMO is a means to promote and share peer-reviewed instructional materials created by librarians to teach people about discovering, accessing and evaluating information in networked environments. To visit the CIL lab, go to http://library.csusb.edu/cillab/. For more information on the CIL lab, contact Gina Schlessman-Tarango at gschlesselman@csusb.edu.