Report: SAILS Test Executive Summary 2014

Information literacy is a set of skills that includes recognizing an information need, locating and retrieving the needed information, analyzing the information, and using the information for a specific task. As sources for information continue to expand, students need to develop these skills so that they not only succeed in their professional careers, but also make well-informed decisions in their day-to-day lives. Information literacy has been identified as an important skill set by faculty of all disciplines, administrators, and accrediting agencies. Therefore, the University Library is exploring ways to assess these skills, which will allow departments and programs the ability to make well-informed decisions regarding the curricula. As part of the University Library’s Three-Year Information Competency Plan (2010-2013), the library administered the Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (SAILS) Test. The test has been widely administered over a period of several years and is nationally recognized as both reliable and valid. With the support of Dr. Eileen McFall, Director of Assessment, the University Library piloted the test to selected students in Pacific Seminar 1 in 2011, to selected students in Pacific Seminar 3 in 2012, and finally to selected students in Pacific Seminar 3 in 2014