A Chancellor's Office, Staff Report to the
Educational Policy Committee of the Board of Governors.
March 13, 1996

Prepared by: Carolyn F. Norman, Coordinator
Library and Learning Resources Programs

This report is designed to review developments in the field of information competency. This document has been produced in response to the policy formation agenda established by the Educational Policy Committee of the Board of Governors as a particular reply to one of its policy questions: What should be the basic guiding principles for education planning in the next decade? It is within this context that some of the subsequent questions are offered to help guide the Committee's policy discussion:

The remainder of this document provides a working definition of information competency and describes what is currently known about the scope and significance of the delivery of information competency instruction within the Community Colleges. In addition, information is included which profiles other efforts in the State as well as nationally. The report concludes with recommendations for future Committee activity.

Emergence of "information literacy " as an agreed upon academic competency can be traced to roots in many fields, hence definitions often vary depending on the source of the research under review. However, the predominant definition of information competency can be traced to those engaged in providing "library orientation" or "bibliographic instruction" described as a set of skills provided to the new users of a library. It is also agreed that neither bibliographic instruction nor library orientations are comprehensive enough, as currently constituted to provide students with all the information skills they need to; retrieve, organize, interpret, use and communicate information.

With the advent of the information explosion, the diversity of available information technologies and the increasing prevalence of information conveyed through visual images, the information literacy competency gap has widened significantly. It is now evident that in addition to knowing the location of periodicals in the library, students also need to be able to work independently using current and emerging technologies, i.e. computers, data bases, information networks etc.), understand the nature of electronic databases, think critically, "read" visual images, manipulate graphics, be familiar with copyright laws, and understand issues of free speech, censorship, access and privacy. In short, information competency involves and includes a wide range of disciplines ranging from computer science, to philosophy, and the visual arts.

Although there is additional work to be done before clear consensus emerges about the standards, components and discrete skills necessary for inclusion in a definition of information competency, a number of major associations have produced definitions which share many of the same elements. The American Library Association, Association of College and Research Libraries, the National Commission on Library and Information Science, the National Forum on Information Literacy, and the American Council of Education agree that information competence can be defined as:

In fact, these basic elements are incorporated in the 1992 description of an "information literate" person as defined by The National Forum on -- information Literacy (Appendix A).

For the purpose of consistency, with the exception of direct quotations, the term information competency will be used in the remainder of this report in lieu of bibliographic instruction, library instruction or information literacy. It is generally agreed that information competency is the more inclusive term.

Information competency as an emerging issue has developed as part of a broader review of the status of Libraries and Learning Resources in the California Community Colleges. In 1985, the college library and learning resources professionals led an effort to establish a policy and program development agenda for Libraries and Learning Resource Programs. A workplan was adopted with the express purpose of ascertaining the status of Community College libraries and learning resources in the following specific areas:

In June 1992, Chancellor's Office staff, with support from the Advisory Committee, Library and Learning Resources Programs, developed and adopted a systemwide action plan. One of the six critical goals identified in

this plan is instruction. Specifically, that goal states that California Community Colleges need to: "Promote Library and Learning Resources Programs as a means of enhancing the teaching learning process and the promotion of intellectual growth". In the following section of this document activities undertaken in four specific areas are described. These four areas have been selected because of their immediate importance in helping to advance the instruction goal as set for Libraries and Learning Resource programs and include:

For a number of years, the National Center for Education Statistics, has collected a wealth of education data through their Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) formerly the HEGIS Report. Feeding into IPEDS, the Chancellor's Office also conducts an annual data survey which began in 1989-90. The authority for conducting this survey and the subsequent reporting mandates is established in the California Education Code 78101. The Code charges the Board of Governors with responsibility for adopting standards, rules, and regulations for the California Community Colleges library services. In addition, Title 5, Section 55841 of the California Code of Regulations, mandates that an annual report on the condition of libraries be submitted by each district to the Chancellor's Office.

Through the Annual Library and Learning Resources Data Survey information is now available in the areas of expenditures, personnel, collection, program and services. In addition, the survey has yielded information in the area of information competency including level of course activity and enrollment, associated costs and comparative data regarding students and their need for instruction in the area of information competency. Following is a summary of current findings.

Information competency instruction in the California Community Colleges consists of library discipline credit courses, non-library discipline credit courses, and orientations, lectures and tours. Data depicted in the table below includes aggregate information for five years beginning with the 1988/89 to the 1992/93 academic years. Key factors illustrated by the data note that more that 41,000 students received information competency

instruction through their enrollment in credit courses provided by library faculty staff while an additional 991,000 students participated in library and learning resources programs which included orientation, lectures and tours.

Information Competency Programs, California Community Colleges,
1988-89--1992-1993

Credit Sections
Library         1,104
Non-Library       349
Totals          1,453

Orientations, Lectures and Tours
Library        46,000
Media          12.385
Totals         58,305

Total Student Completions
29,470
11,905
41,375

Total Participants
850,000
141,000
991,000

Faculty agree that students need to be information literate. However, much work needs to be done to ensure that this skill forms part of the curriculum planning process for all colleges. One of the basic source documents available to aid in curriculum planning efforts is the 1990 "Standards for Community, Junior and Technical College Learning Resources Programs". This document provides a blueprint for building effective Learning Resource Centers (LRCs) and establishes the promotion of learning through academic programs as an appropriate goal for institutions with teaching as their principal mission as opposed to research. An excerpt from the standards reads as follows:

Based on this standard, the role of libraries and learning resources programs is to facilitate and improve learning by supporting and expanding classroom instruction. In particular these programs are charged with teaching students information-seeking skills for self-directed studies and life-long learning.

Few Colleges have taken formal action to include components of information competency (library instruction) as a requirement for the certificate, degree or diploma. Where requirements are established, there is great diversity in the implementation approaches which are in place. Some colleges have established information competency as a graduation requirement. Others list it as a general education option Area A (Communication and Analytical Thinking) or Area D (Language and Rationality--Communications and Analytical Thinking). In addition, several colleges have developed articulation agreements for library courses as transferable electives.

Matriculation services as defined in the California Education Code Section 78212 do not specifically cite information competency skills as an area to be assessed. However, the Matriculation process itself is the area which holds most promise in the identification and subsequent development of curriculum to address competency needs of students. Subsections (3) (A) through (E) require matriculation services to include:

An example of the use of the matriculation process to determine information competency needs was demonstrated by Cuesta College, (1990-91). Cuesta piloted a process to validate instruments designed to assess library proficiency as a requirement for the Associate Degree. This pilot makes it possible to consider future options for inclusion of information based assessment in all future matriculation plans.

There is yet another area of the community college instructional delivery program which can be used to integrate information competency instruction in the curriculum, namely the Extended Opportunity Program and Services regulations. Current statutes in the California Code of Regulations, [Title 5, Chapter 7. Special Programs, Subchapter 2.5, Article 3 (Program Standards) 56234 (c)] establish that EOPS

It is evident therefore that processes, procedures and established programs such as Matriculation and EOPS can already serve as points of departure for the integration of information competence across the curriculum.

Since 1992 several grants have been allocated through the Intersegmental Joint Faculty Project Fund which have been- designed to expand the base of understanding in relationship to "information competency". Following is a brief description of these grant efforts and related activities catalyzed by the grants.

In 1992-93 a consortium of colleges submitted a proposal for funding to the Intersegmental Joint Faculty Project Fund under the title, "Information Literacy--Achieving Intersegmental Goals" . The primary goals of the proposal were (a) to develop an understanding among postsecondary segments in California that research skills are fundamental to all college bound and matriculating students and (b) to achieve a coherent statewide program for the development of information competency skills for California's students .

In the Summer of 1993, an Intersegmental Information Literacy Task Force with K-20 representation was formed. A draft concept paper resulted from this work which advocated the establishment of a required, college-level course in bibliographic instruction designed to raise students to a level of information competency (Appendix B). This paper was circulated intersegmentally to library professionals and was subsequently modified and formally accepted by the Academic Section of the California Library Association on November 14, 1993. The Academic Section represents all postsecondary library programs. The finalized document includes background describing the scope of the problem, outlining the perceived causes and includes a set of recommendations addressed to the California Community College Board of Governors, the California State University Board of Trustees and the University of California's Board of Regents. In particular the recommendations urge each of these three Boards to develop systemwide policies which would incorporate the following principles:

The Joint Faculty Projects grant for 1994-95, "Basic Library and Information Competencies: A Unified State-Wide Approach," built on the efforts of the previous grant and was designed as phase two of the process. While the earlier phase attempted to increase awareness among the segments of higher education in California of the need for a coherent program for the promotion of information literacy, this phase focused on identifying those skills which should be part of a comprehensive program of bibliographic instruction in the first two years of college. The project goals were to:

The third goal is particularly consistent with the concept paper prepared by the Intersegmental Information Literacy Task Force, further specifying a list of consonant objectives which focus on (a) statewide implementation of bibliographic instruction as a requirement for the awarding of a certificate or degree; and, (b) development of blanket articulation agreements and guaranteed transfer for bibliographic instruction courses.

Based on the body of information accumulated since 1992, the Intersegmental Joint Faculty Projects have developed funding priorities for the next cycle of grant allocations. Particular focus for these new grants will be on the continued development of information competency skills for students through the development of compatibility standards and intersegmental agreements. In addition, Chancellor's Office staff is advancing related objectives through other activities, two of which are described below:

It is amply evident that information competency in the California Community College must be developed in consonance with efforts in the other segments of education, namely the University of California, the State University and K12. It is important therefore to have a general understanding of the policy directions in each of the other segments of education in the state.

The University of California does not have a formal systemwide policy on information competency. Each of the nine campuses and their individual libraries address information literacy/competency separately and independent of each other. Two approaches are presented below:

The Commission on Learning Resources and Instructional Technology (CLIRT) was charged with developing and recommending policy guidelines to the Chancellor which facilitate the effective uses of learning resources and instructional technology throughout the CSU. In January of 1993, the Council of Library Directors, under the CLIRT umbrella, published Transforming CSU Libraries for the 21st Century: A Strategic Plan of the CSU Council of Library Directors. Information competency needs of students is one of the central recommendations included in this document.

The plan recommends that the CSU "establish basic competency levels in the use of recorded knowledge and information and processes for assessment of student competency." CLIRT approved the strategic plan for the CSU libraries and identified information competency as a high priority. Accordingly, CLIRT requested the Office of Academic Affairs to form a work group to:

The CSU work group is currently in the process of seeking funding to implement pilot projects on information competency that will stimulate the development of accepted information competency initiatives systemwide. The pilots being considered will focus on curriculum revision, faculty development needs, methods of assessing information competencies and systemwide dissemination of the results within the CSU.

In 1986 the California State Department of Education issued a report, "The Crisis in California School Libraries: A Special Study". This document identified several areas of concern in the status of K-12 libraries and the impact of their findings on educational quality. The report concludes that schools do not have the kind of programs in place that would enable them to prepare students who are skilled in the information search and retrieval process and in particular in their ability to use new and emerging information retrieval technologies. Specific findings concluded that:

Since the issuance of that report several efforts have been underway to address the problems identified. One notable outcome has been the publication of a book, Information Literacy: Research as a Thinking Process in California's Curriculum, authored by the California Media and Library Educators Association. The book is dedicated to the formulation of an information literacy framework for K-12.

In the mid 1 980's, information competency as a recognized issue critical to the quality of education emerged nationally. Taking the lead in these efforts were the professional associations and the federal government. Central to the philosophy of these groups was the recognition that bibliographic instruction and library orientations as currently constituted, fell short of providing students with all the information skills needed. Following is a brief description of foundation reports, and other policy documents which have helped to shape the national policy context of information competency.

This 1983 report prepared by the National Commission on Excellence in Education reported a 20-year decline of educational achievement among America's youth. The Commission's recommendation that educational reform create a "Learning Society" notes that "...at the heart of the Learning Society are educational opportunities extending far beyond the traditional institutions of learning... They extend ...into libraries... and...indeed, into every place where the individual can develop and mature, work and live."

National Commission on Libraries - In 1985, this association took the lead by stating that a "basic objective of education is for each student to learn how to identify needed information, locate, organize, and present it in a clear and persuasive manner.

This report was published in 1995, by the U.S. Department of Education and called for the nation's school and public libraries to be "assessed for their ability to respond to the urgent proposals for excellence in education and lifelong learning."

In this 1986, report the Carnegie Foundation directly acknowledged the relationship between libraries and quality undergraduate education. The opening summary statement of the Resources for Learning section states:

This concept paper was produced in 1987 for the National Commission on Libraries. The authors described the role of the school library media program as needing to 1 ) be involved in helping students develop thinking skills; 2) take into account current research on how children and adolescents process information and ideas, and 3) assist with the development and an information skills program in all curricular areas.

In 1988 the American Association of School Libraries published national guidelines for school library media programs. Information Power affirmed the mission of ensuring that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information and identified specific roles for school libraries.

The U.S. Department of Labor Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) Report: (1 991), outlines the economic shift in contemporary American society toward information services, suggesting and recommending skills that all Americans will need for entry-level employment. This report found that good jobs will be filled by people who can put knowledge to work, and identified information as one of the five competencies central to job performance. The ability to effectively use information in the context of the SCANS Report includes the following competencies:

In 1995, the U.S. Department of Education awarded a 3-year contract for approximately $1.3 million to assess the role of school and public libraries support of the National Education Goals. The contractor will conduct the study in cooperation with the American Library Association. The purpose this study is to find out how school and public libraries are performing as education providers and how well they are responding to the country's urgent demands for school improvement. It is intended to inform researchers, policy makers, and practitioners by responding to six research questions:

Accreditation

In the previous portions of this document state and national activities impacting information competency have been described. There is yet another arena which must be included to round out the discussion and that is accreditation. Accrediting bodies have become increasingly more interested in the demonstration of information competency on individual campuses. Accrediting agencies now include standards specific to information competency. Guidelines regarding these standards note the centrality of the library and information competency to the teaching and learning process. Recent policy changes by accrediting agencies are summarized below:

The Middle States Association on Higher Education includes:

The Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges states that:

The 1996, draft of the proposed Standards of Accreditation for the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (AACJC) require that:

The steps to be undertaken by the college system in order to further policy discussion and development may include but not be limited to the following:

The committee may consider recommending to the full Board that further policy development be pursued in the area of information competency. It would also be important to identify the scope of work and the needed resources to undertake such an effort.

As we transition from the Information Age to the Communication Age, the need to master information skills is critical to the development of an educated citizenry. Given the importance of information competency the question is not, if we should incorporate it into our curriculum, but how to do it. It is critical to the system that policy direction be established in this area particularly if we are to be proactive rather than reactive to apparent imminent mandates which may surface legislatively both at the state and federal levels or through standards established by accrediting commissions.

Arp, Lori. "Model Statement of objectives for Academic Bibliographic Instruction:" draft revision. College & Research Library’s News, No. 5, May,. 1987, p. 256-261.

Affleck, Mary Ann. "Bibliographic Instruction in Community Colleges: Current Practice and the New Standards", Research Strategies. Winter. 1992, IV 10, No 1, P. 24-33.

American Library Association, American College Research Libraries,

"Standards for Community, Junior, and Technical College. Learning

Resources Programs, College & Research Library News, No. 8, Sept. 1990,

p. 757-767

Variables Affecting the Academic Success of Community College Transfer Students, unpublished dissertation, Claremont Graduate School, May 1990.

Breivik, Patricia S. and E.C. Gee, Information: Literacy: Revolution in the

Library, New York: McMillian, 1989

"The Crisis in California School Libraries, A Special Study", Brandes. Barbara,

California Department of Education,

Library and Learning Resources Programs: Status and Needs: California

Community Colleges Board of Governor's Report, May 14-15, 1992, Item #7

The Information Society: Are High School Graduates Ready?, Education Commission of the States, Sept. 1982.

U. S. Department of Education: Office of Educational Research and Improvement- Library Programs.

Library/Media Directors' Council. Washington State Community & Technical

Colleges. Information Competency: An Initiative for Integrated Learning, A

Position Statement

Alliance for Excellence: Libraries Respond to a Nation at Risk: Recommendations and Strategies for Libraries and Learning Societies. Center for Libraries and Educator Improvement, 1984.

Information Competence in the California State University: A Report,

Commission on Learning Resources and Instructional Technology. 1995

APPENDIX A

An information literate person is one who:

- recognizes that accurate and complete information is the basis for intelligent decision making

- recognizes the need for information

- formulates questions based on information needs

- identifies potential sources of information

- develops successful search strategies

- accesses sources of information including computer-based and other technologies

- evaluates information

- organizes information for practical application

- integrates new information into an existing bode of knowledge

- uses information in critical thinking and problem solving .

- National Forum on Information Literacy: Summary of findings, 1992

APPENDIX B

Intersegmental Information Literacy Concept Paper

Revised Draft

Summer 1 993

Prepared by the

The Intersegmental Information Literacy Task Force

Summer 1993

Academic librarians in the State of California support Bibliographic Instruction/information Literacy, hereafter referred to as Information Literacy, as requirement for the certificate of completion, for graduation and for lifelong learning. We further believe that all students should demonstrate proficiency within the first two years of college.

Information Literacy is the effective acquisition of knowledge. This includes the users ability to retrieve and utilize data and information via traditional or emerging technologies. The literature and the demonstration sites in California reveal that incoming college students, even those who have had prior library instruction are not information literate and thus are unable to use academic libraries to the degree that their course work requires

A 1986 report, "The Crisis in California School Libraries: A Special Study," indicates several deficiencies in California K-12 libraries and their impact on educational quality. It concludes that the State's K-12 schools are not in a position to certify that students are skilled in the information search process or retrieval of information, especially utilizing new and emerging information retrieval technologies. Some of the deficiencies cited are that:

It is evident that the majority of students in existing K-12 institutions, whether they drop out or graduate lack the information retrieval skills necessary for a successful collegiate, vocational experience and or lifelong learning. A literature search further reveals that incoming college students, even those who have had prior library instruction, are unable to use academic libraries. Consequently, postsecondary institutions throughout the country have offered and continue to offer instruction in information literacy. Some programs are (independent) stand-alones, others are content specific and many are mandatory.

It is essential that the development and transferability of library research, and or information retrieval skills from elementary school to community college to baccalaureate needs to be identified and articulated. Furthermore programs need to be identified to assist students in developing knowledge and expertise in this discipline.

The participants of the Intersegmental Information Literacy Conference and the Task Force recommends that the California Community College Board of Governors work with the California State University Board of Trustees and the University of California's Board of Regents to develop policy that:

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