36th Annual Workshop on Instruction in Library Use

York University, TorontoMay 2007

Ganga Dakshinamurti, Ph.D., Librarian

Albert D. Cohen Management Library

Lena Horne, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Department of Textile Sciences

The University of Manitoba

Crossing Boundaries: A Case Study of Integration of Information Literacy Through

Partnership

What Motivated Us to Collaborate?

1. Institutional priorities.

2. A revised undergraduate program.

3. Personal commitment to student’s learning.

Institutional Priorities

• University of Manitoba Libraries strategic plan

• Information Literacy Coordinator

Personal Commitment

• Student learning environment• Information literate students

Revised Undergraduate Program in Textile Sciences

• Interdisciplinary• “Lock step” sequence of courses• Premium on current development

Textiles, Products, and Consumers

• First-year course open to all students• Uses the supply chain as a template• Without a suitable textbook

Customers

Retailers

Distributors

Manufacturers

Suppliers

Raw Material Vendors

Supply Chain Framework

Natural and synthetic fibers

• Spinning

• Weaving

• Knitting

• Dyeing

• Finishing

Manufacturers of textile products.

Customers

Retailers

Distributors

Manufacturers

Suppliers

Raw Material Vendors

• Gov’t documents• annual reports from corporations• trade association websites• Trade

magazines• company websites

• Academic journals• Gov’t documents• Business data bases• Company websites

• Business data bases• Trade magazines• Gov’t documents• Company websites

• Websites• Business data bases• Books• Gov’t documents

Supply Chain Framework

Need for Collaboration

Interdisciplinary nature

Textile scienceEconomicsBusinessGeographySociologyPsychology

Professor’s Standards

• What is it? • Where appropriate, major historical

events.• What are the current developments?

Professor’s Standards

• What is it? The wool industry• Major wool production regions• Output statistics• Economic significance • Where appropriate, major historical

events.• Collapse of the reserve price system• What are the current developments?• Scientific research

Librarian’s Standards

• Integrate information literacy development with curriculum

• Introduce resources at the appropriate moment in a course

• Match complexity of search skills to the sequence and level of course material

• Meet information literacy standards

Absence of a Textbook as a Hook

• The role of textbooks.• How to use the on-line catalogue system

to search Textile Sciences book titles.• Other media and sources

Assignments with IL Components

Given two tools, which one will help you finish the job?

Assignments with IL Components

Cotton Production Statistics

Tools

Two websites on cotton production:www.nationmaster.com

www.cottoninc.com

Question

If you need to use 2006 data on world cotton production and consumption, which website would you use? Defend your answer.

Evaluate currency of information

www.nationmaster.com www.cottoninc.com

Question

From the exports, imports, production, and use data, can you find any information that helps to explain the ranking of cotton producing countries? Defend your answer.

Factual versus interpretive information

www.nationmaster.com www.cottoninc.com

Question

Evaluate the websites using the criteria listed under “Accuracy” and “Authority” in Web Evaluation “ABCs”. Which source would you use if you want to know something about the cotton industry beyond simple industry statistics?

• Learn evaluative criteria, two at a time• Careful reading of material

Assignments with IL Components

When I need to know something about the Canadian apparel industry

…..

Structure of the Canadian Apparel Industry

• The role of print and electronic publications as sources of information for an industry.

• Websites that contain credible information on the global textile and apparel industries.

• Criteria for evaluating credibility of websites and other sources.

Tools

Two sources containing descriptive information on the Canadian apparel

industry:www.strategis.ic.gc.ca www.fpinfomart.ca

Questions

1. How does the Financial Post define the Canadian apparel industry?

2. How does Strategis define the Canadian apparel industry?

3. What can you get from the Financial Post that you cannot get from Strategis?

www.strategis.ic.gc.ca www.fpinfomart.ca

Question

If you are writing a paper on the performance of the Canadian apparel industry over time, which source would you use? Defend your answer by referring to the criteria in “Web Evaluation ABCs”.

• Snapshot versus historical account• Practice using relevant evaluative criteria

Assignments with IL Components

Use more than two tools at a time!

Innovative Uses of Textiles

Question

Find one innovative end use for each of the following textile applications:

• Military end uses (apparel or non-apparel)• Medical or health end uses (non-apparel)• Sports or recreation end uses (apparel)• Fashion apparel end uses

Practice using keywords

More Questions

• Who makes this textile and/or product?

• Where is this company located?• Is it a private or a public company?• How long has this company been in

business?• Is textiles this company’s primary

business?

Sources of Information on Companies

The librarian:

• Showed newspapers, directories, company bibliographies, annual reports and websites as sources of information on companies.

• Evaluated relevance of information in each source.

“Course-Integrated Instruction” Criteria

(Allegri, 1985)

1. Faculty and librarian involvement in planning, delivery, and evaluation of program.

2. Curriculum based information literacy instruction.

3. Mandatory student participation.

4. Credit received for participation.

Criterion 4

Credit for Student Participation

Evaluation

1 term test = 20%2 assignments @ 15% each = 30%IL competency =

15% Final exam = 35%

Future Plans

Undergraduate Program• Formalize learning activities –

modules/online delivery• Higher levels of information literacy

development in 2000, 3000, and 4000 level courses.

Graduate Program

• Information literacy as the foundation for literature review segment of research methods course.

Essential Elements for Successful Partnership

• A shared, understood goal• Mutual respect, tolerance, and trust• Competence for the task at hand by

each of the partners, and• Ongoing communication

(Ivey,2003, p. 2)