Practice Makes Perfect: Creating Information Literacy Modules for Learning Management Systems

Many institutions now use learning management systems (LMS) such as Blackboard and Canvas to deliver class content for distance learning programs, online-only classes, or to supplement face-to-face courses. Learning management systems offer the librarian a remarkable opportunity to reach students in new and exciting ways. The restraints of the traditional one-shot session in which the instructor expects the librarian to impart all knowledge about the online system, e-journals and databases, and the physical collection no longer need define the limits of information literacy. Music students find that they need to be able to navigate a library’s music collection very early in their college careers. Information literacy skills are necessary for finding scores and recordings as well as for projects and papers. Using best practices for creating short modules in an online learning environment, we will explore developing information literacy units for musicians that can be imbedded in an institution’s LMS. Print and online music resources will be used to develop basic information literacy skills for undergraduate and beginning musicians