QUEST: A Collaborative Approach to Information Literacy

Abstract

QUEST, a joint venture of Villanova University's Falvey Memorial Library and the Core Humanities Seminar (CHS) faculty, began as a one semester self-paced online tutorial to introduce freshmen to the basic concepts of information literacy. Since Core Humanities is required for all incoming freshmen and is a cornerstone of the Core Curriculum at Villanova, it was felt that a foundation for information literacy initiatives should start here. Through these entities on campus, an Information Literacy Committee was formed and tutorial exercises were customized to course syllabi for 1,600 freshmen in over 100 sections. Librarians introduced the tutorials in a classroom setting and then corrected them as they were received via e-mail. Feedback was provided to the professors and students. Second semester included hands-on library instruction sessions on Boolean logic and critical resource evaluation techniques. This further encouraged the collaborative process with faculty at the same time it increased awareness of the librarian's role in the education process. Middle States guidelines for a broader institution-wide information literacy component were also addressed. Reference and non-reference librarians, CHS faculty, CHS staff, Media Graphics, and Systems personnel were integral parts of the project's success.