Bringing it All Together: Strengthening an Information Literacy Program through Yearly Assessment

Information literacy has long been a priority at Emmanuel College, and in the fall of 2018 librarians began developing a method for yearly assessment of our information literacy program. Through analysis of student surveys, worksheets, and essay citations at different points during their first college semester, we are able to track student development as they learn the essential skills for discovering and evaluating information. The program strengthens the relationships between librarians, faculty, and students through collaboration, and the data generated can be used not just to prove the benefits of information literacy instruction to key stakeholders, but also to improve information literacy sessions by pinpointing gaps in student learning. Though extensive, the assessment is streamlined enough to repeat year on year, allowing librarians to track changes and growth in student information literacy learning over time. This presentation recounts the multi-year refinement process of the program, its transformation through the pandemic, and the most recent form used during the fall 2021 semester.