Libraries and College Readiness: The Bronx Community College Library High School Collaborative

In today’s information-rich global economy, City University of New York (CUNY) graduates need strong critical thinking skills. Over three quarters of the students who enroll across CUNY’s 24 campuses are drawn from schools in the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) (Strang, 2014). The NYCDOE, the largest public school system in the United States, serving over 1 million students (Strang, 2014). Unfortunately, many of the students who matriculate to CUNY’s college and universities are underprepared for college-level work. This is especially the case with students who attend high schools throughout the Bronx, one of New York City’s five boroughs. Most of the high schools throughout the Bronx are within the Bronx Community College (BCC) district. One area in particular that many students need additional support and development in is information literacy skills, a set of literacy skills known to be essential for their academic success. Information literacy skills include students’ abilities to think critically about the information they encounter online and in print; to evaluate information for its authority, timeliness, accuracy, bias, and appropriateness; and to evaluate the ethical use of information