Teaching Support at HKBU Library: Information Literacy @ HKBU Library

What is Information Literacy? 

Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.

Source: Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) ​http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework

As it is essential to whole person education, information literacy is recognised in the HKBU Graduate Attributes. HKBU students:

“will have the necessary information literacy and IT skills ... to function effectively in work and everyday life”.

Information Literacy Programme: Mission and Goals
Supporting academic excellence through Library instruction

Mission

The mission of the programme is to support academic excellence at the University through information literacy instruction. The term “information literacy” embraces the practical skills, analytical abilities, and attitudes that are necessary for finding and using information in an effective, critical, and socially responsible manner.

These skills are important not only in an academic setting, but also in professional and personal life. Information literacy is essential to lifelong learning, and is therefore recognised in the University’s Graduate Attributes.

Goals

• Provide all HKBU students and staff with both general and discipline-specific learning opportunities to become effective critical users of information
• Collaborate with faculty in integrating library instruction and information literacy across the curriculum
• Engage in effective teaching and learning practices, assessment, continuous improvement, and ongoing professional development.

HKBU librarians teach over 300 information literacy instruction sessions each year. We invite you to learn more about our programme below.

Undergraduate Support

Postgraduate Support

Taught Postgraduates

Based on the requests of the programme and faculty administrators involved, the Library provides tailored orientations and workshops for postgraduate students. These are frequently requested for inclusion in Research Methods courses, and help ensure students are familiar with Library services and resources. Given the rapid pace of change in the information landscape, such sessions are particularly useful to those postgraduates that have not participated in formal education for some time.

Interested faculty and administrators are more than welcome to request such sessions for their own courses and programmes. Click here for the workshop request form, or feel free to get in touch directly with the Liaison Librarian for your Department.

Research Postgraduates

The Library provides IL sessions tailored to the needs of research postgraduate students as part of the Mandatory Common Core Programme (MCCP). Topics covered include scholarly communication, literature search, source documentation, and getting published.