Future Trends in Information Literacy Instruction: Lessons Learned from 13 Libraries

In response to fresh mandates for proof of our library’s impact on student success, we are reformulating the instruction program at the Clemson University Libraries. Rather than racing forward with shots in the dark, we conscientiously chose to set aside time for research and planning. This presentation reports on the process and results of this first stage. I will start by reporting findings and identifying trends from my interviews with instruction librarians at thirteen academic libraries—a mix of peer institutions from our regional consortium and “model” institutions whose achievements in information literacy education have been recognized by the ACRL. I will then discuss how contextualizing these practical trends through current theories of threshold concepts, transfer, and interdisciplinarity (drawn from both library science and writing studies research) allows us to extrapolate future directions in information literacy instruction. After all, why not build a program that anticipates the next set of best practices rather than simply “catching up” to national trends? Finally, I will share the concrete action items that we are implementing at Clemson in response to this research and offer suggestions for practical applications at other institutions. While primarily providing insight into the state of information literacy instruction and the process of change in one university library’s instruction program, this presentation will also briefly touch upon the overlapping missions of information literacy instruction and general education, as well as the place of pedagogical training within libraries