L6 3 2

=Teaching staff are provided with support resources (including training, guidelines and examples) on using library facilities to support student research and information literacy skill development. =

Evidence
‘It is not enough to work one-on-one or to offer an isolated lesson in note taking or Web search engines. People need lessons in the full range of skills, delivered in the contexts of the overall information process, including relevant technologies, and based in real subject area assignments’ (Eisenberg 2008). The burden of this support must fall on all staff in all courses.

Library and information professionals must collaborate with others to make a systematic effort to plan and deliver information literacy programs in context (Eisenberg 2008). This will involve assisting academic staff in providing information literacy skills to students.

Snavely (2001) suggests that, in addition to assessing all students’ basic information literacy skills, faculty and librarians should also work together to develop assessment instruments and strategies in the context of particular disciplines, as information literacy manifests itself in the specific understanding of the knowledge creation, scholarly activity, and publication processes found in those disciplines.

Resources
Milne & White (2005) collect together twenty-three sets of e-learning quality guidelines from an array of geographical regions. Such guidelines, or something like them, should be part of the support offered to staff by their organizations. Staff need guidelines, and examples of good practice.

Teaching staff should be provided with templates, examples, training and support in using the range of information resources available to support student learning.

A collection edited by Melling (2005) contains a selection of articles explaining the importance of the connection between library and information resources, academic staff and e-learning. In particular Stubley (ch 5) details a case study from the University of Sheffield where a needs analysis was performed and tight collaboration encouraged between library staff and academics. This trial resulted in a review and a great many enhancements to learning, teaching and research. A ‘New Partnership’ model appears to have improved library use across the university.