Libraries on the Prairie

I'm at the "Libraries on the Prairie" rural sustainability institute, sponsored by the State Library (funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Mary Wegner and Mary Cameron are leading discussion on information literacy. Participants are sharing ideas for doing information literacy in the library:

1. Email to teachers--work with schools
2. provide teacher in-service at public library
3. Disucss information literacy with board--library website, pathfijnders, EBSCOhost
4. provide info literacy and library role at WIC site
5. classes; genealogy
6. podcasting
7. table tents with website
8. own library website taking people to good info sources (library website as home page on library's computer)
9. bookmarks, pathfinders
10. EBSCOhost classes
11. "treasure hunt" for staff--practice finding info: develop skills in staff

Take home points:

Find, evaluate use information
Embrace librarians' unique role
Seize the teachable moment!

State Library's role in helping you:

new section on State Library's website on information literacy
continue to do workshops--EBSCOhost and others

One of the points that the Marys kept coming back to is that librarians should embrace the role of teacher--it may be one-on-one in those "teachable moments" or in formal classes or training, but this is what we do, folks!