Library Information Literacy Instruction

Library Information Literacy Instruction For your Class

The SDSU Library provides instruction to help our students navigate our information-rich world. Our instruction can be found in multiple formats.

The SDSU Librarians will happily work with instructors to integrate library information literacy instruction into their courses. Typically, we give guest lectures with hands-on activities during class time. These instruction sessions can be in your usual campus classroom or in a library room. 

The SDSU Library has two information literacy rooms located in the Library Addition (Dome) building. These rooms are used by the librarians to offer course-integrated information literacy instruction and additional workshops. Instructors can request library information literacy instruction in LA-76 or LA-78 for their classes.

LA 76

  1. Select the type and length of instruction you would like for your class
  2. Select the Library Information Literacy Room you would like to use for your class. Please be aware that each room has a different setup that facilitates instruction in different ways
  3. Select the date and time you would like to request for your session. *Note: Instruction rooms must be requested at least 1 week in advance.
  4. Typically, librarians teach for the entire scheduled class period (50 mins or 1 hr 20 mins). Be sure to select how much time you would like the room allocated for your class.
  5. Complete the request form with the relevant information
  6. A librarian send a confirmation email within 3 business days to finalize the details of your information literacy instruction request for your class

Note: This form is for information literacy instruction in the library. If you would like to discuss other possibilities, please email Suzanne Maguire

Request Specialized Library Instruction

SDSU Librarians offer specialized library instruction sessions intended for upper discipline courses such as courses in the upper 200s - 700s. Our General Library Instruction develops students' foundational research and information literacy skills.

Our Specialized Library Instruction builds off what is taught earlier to helps students develop essential skills related to their discipline. and other related areas.

Contact your Subject Librarian to learn more about developing a custom session for your course.

Library faculty in Special Collections offer a variety of instructional experiences including simple "show-and-tell" sessions, basic research orientations, and specialized sessions that incorporate course- or assignment-based resources and activities.

Discover how to incorporate Digital Tools into your course.

Explore information literacy embedded with hands-on DIY learning.

SDSU Library Instruction Mission, Goals, and PLOs

Approved Fall 2020

The SDSU Library Instruction Program furthers SDSU’s mission of research-oriented high-quality education and student success initiatives. The SDSU Library Instruction Curriculum is designed to provide undergraduate and graduate students with information literacies and other meta-literacies. SDSU Library instruction strives to transform users into independent researchers, and provides the research capacities necessary to support lifelong learning that prepares students to navigate an information-rich 21st century and impact the future of the San Diego region and the world.

The Library Instruction Program scaffolds information literacy thoughtfully throughout a student’s college experience by increasing coordination and collaboration among librarians and by growing our partnerships with campus and the community.

The goal of library instruction is to teach students to seek, analyze, contextualize, and incorporate information to enrich their understanding of the world. Students who graduate from SDSU will apply these skills to be thoughtful Consumers, Creators, Evaluators, Explorers, and Engaged Professional Specialists.

The Library Instruction Programmatic Learning Objectives (PLOs) map directly to the SDSU Institutional Learning Outcome:

  1. Seek, analyze, contextualize, and incorporate information to expressly enrich understanding of the world. (WASC Information Literacy)

In addition, the PLOs are mapped to the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy.

  • SEEK: Students will craft purposeful research strategies that allow them to effectively discover information that speaks to their research questions and flexibly apply these strategies in a variety of information seeking contexts.
    • ACRL Frames: Research as Inquiry, Searching as Strategic Exploration
  • ANALYZE: Students will learn to recognize bias, distinguish expertise and authority, and critically appraise the appropriateness of sources of information relevant to their research needs.
    • ACRL Frames: Authority is Constructed and Contextual, Scholarship as Conversation
  • CONTEXTUALIZE: Students will build professional and scholarly expertise in their field of study and will be able to identify the information channels, authoritative sources and research techniques of their field and how that fits into the larger information economy/ecosystem.
    • ACRL Frames: Authority is Constructed and Contextual, Information has Value, Scholarship as Conversation
  • INCORPORATE: Students will develop their own expertise by articulating and sharing their ideas through synthesizing and citing/attributing the sources/ideas they discover and select.
    • ACRL Frames: Information Creation as a Process, Information has Value, Scholarship as Conversation