Information Literacy Virtual Workshops

New information literacy workshops are offered regularly. Dates, descriptions, and registration information for upcoming workshops are available below. ALL TIMES EASTERN.

Summer 2025 Information Literacy Presentations

Do As I Say: Authenticity in Teaching Research Practices and Information Literacy

July 10, 2025
12:00-1:00 pm (Eastern)
To register: https://go.osu.edu/authenticinfolit
Presenter: Jane Hammons, Teaching & Learning Engagement Librarian, University Libraries

When starting a research project, do you always develop a list of keywords and synonyms before you search? Have you ever cited a source without reading the entire article? Do you always spend a significant amount of time evaluating each source you find? When instructors and librarians teach students how to conduct research, we often outline specific steps that students should take and provide guidelines they should follow. But, do we always follow these steps or guidelines ourselves? If we don’t, why not? And what does that mean for the way we teach research and information literacy? This presentation will explore the idea of authenticity in relation to how we teach the research process. Participants will be encouraged to think about how we can approach teaching research and information literacy as it often is, rather than what we think it should look like.

For participants associated with Ohio State, participation counts as credit toward the Teaching Information Literacy Endorsement from the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning. For participants not associated with Ohio State, participation counts as credit for the Teaching Information Literacy Certificate being offered by the Teaching & Learning Department in The Ohio State University Libraries.

Teaching Practices Instead of Skills

July 14, 2025
12:00-1:00 pm (Eastern)
To register: https://go.osu.edu/practicesnotskills
Presenter: Dr. Logan Rath, Research & Instruction Librarian, SUNY Brockport

The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education marked a major shift in language around information literacy. Instead of the learning objectives from the Standards, the Framework uses knowledge practices and threshold concepts. The knowledge practices are not used by many librarians, but stem from the theoretical concept of practice theory (Schatzki et al., 2001). Approaching information literacy from a practice mindset generally results in librarians feeling more satisfied with their instruction, but several forces challenge our ability to do make this leap (Rath, 2022).

This session will introduce practice theory and briefly analyze the ACRL Framework through this lens. Then, potential solutions will be offered to combat the forces that drag us back to a skills-based information literacy mindset. Lastly, we’ll close with some questions and answers around enacting a practice-based mindset in information literacy instruction.

For participants associated with Ohio State, participation counts as credit toward the Teaching Information Literacy Endorsement from the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning. For participants not associated with Ohio State, participation counts as credit for the Teaching Information Literacy Certificate being offered by the Teaching & Learning Department in The Ohio State University Libraries.

Not Just for Research Papers: Demonstrating the Value of Information Evaluation Beyond the Context of Academia 

July 16, 2025
12:00-1:00 pm (Eastern)
To register: https://go.osu.edu/evaluationbeyondacademia

Presenters:

  • Mira Scarnecchia, Columbus State Community College
  • Emily Henderson, Columbus State Community College

We all face an abundance of information in our everyday lives—from our classes, our careers, and in our personal lives. Now, it is more important than ever that students are able to transfer information evaluation skills and strategies beyond the classroom. The presenters will discuss how librarians and instructors have the opportunity to teach, encourage, and empower students to effectively evaluate information in all facets of their lives, from their personal use of social media to their potential careers outside of academia. The presenters will provide our community college perspective and practical examples that participants can utilize with their own students.

For participants associated with Ohio State, participation counts as credit toward the Teaching Information Literacy Endorsement from the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning. For participants not associated with Ohio State, participation counts as credit for the Teaching Information Literacy Certificate being offered by the Teaching & Learning Department in The Ohio State University Libraries.

First-Hand Knowledge: Four Approaches to Experiential Information Literacy at Purdue 

July 21, 2025
12:00-1:15 (Eastern)
To register: https://go.osu.edu/experientialil

Presenters:

  • Clarence Maybee (moderator), Associate Dean for Learning, Purdue University
  • Rachel Fundator, Associate Clinical Professor, Purdue University
  • Thom Gerrish, Assistant Professor, Purdue University
  • Sarah Huber, Associate Professor, Purdue University
  • Samantha LeGrand, Assistant Clinical Professor, Purdue University

This session explores how experiential information literacy (EIL) is used to advance student learning by four librarians at Purdue University. Rachel Fundator will describe how she is developing an IL community on campus through an undergraduate research program. Thom Gerrish will discuss the role of EIL in enabling students to learn about the environment at a field station in Michigan. Sarah Huber explores how EIL supports ‘making’ as a way of creating innovative forms of scholarship, and Samantha LeGrand will describe the application of EIL in faculty and student partnerships to advance AI literacy. Attendees will learn about the various approaches being undertaken at Purdue and consider avenues for implementing EIL projects on their campuses.

For participants associated with Ohio State, participation counts as credit toward the Teaching Information Literacy Endorsement from the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning. For participants not associated with Ohio State, participation counts as credit for the Teaching Information Literacy Certificate being offered by the Teaching & Learning Department in The Ohio State University Libraries.

Information Literacy Instruction in a Post-Liaison World

July 22, 2025
3:00-4:00 pm (Eastern)
To register: https://go.osu.edu/ilpostliaison

Presenters:

  • Erica DeFrain, Associate Professor and Social Sciences Librarian, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • Kristina Clement, Assistant Director of Academic Engagement & Instruction for the Collegiate Librarians, Kennesaw State University Libraries
  • Dani Brecher Cook, Associate University Librarian for Learning and User Experience, UC San Diego Library
  • Nicole Pagowsky, Curriculum & Pedagogy Librarian and Liaison Program Lead, University of Arizona Libraries

As many libraries face the reality that traditional liaison models to support campus are unsustainable, liaison program re-org projects must grapple with the serious challenges of avoiding burnout, an inability to do more with less, and the shortcomings of instruction models that rely on transactional delivery.

In this presentation, we will talk through our approaches and perspectives on filling the liaison void, where we focus on locating pragmatic and effective solutions for ensuring deep and expansive engagement with information literacy instruction across our institutions. While our solutions are locally situated and determined by complex and constantly evolving factors, we will identify where our opportunities and conundrums overlap due to common elements shared across today’s academic libraries.

For participants associated with Ohio State, participation counts as credit toward the Teaching Information Literacy Endorsement from the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning. For participants not associated with Ohio State, participation counts as credit for the Teaching Information Literacy Certificate being offered by the Teaching & Learning Department in The Ohio State University Libraries.

Outdated Research Notions: Changing the Conversations on Your Campus

July 31, 2025
12:00-1:00 pm (Eastern)
To register: https://go.osu.edu/outdatedchangingconversations

Presenters:

  • Adrienne Warner, Undergraduate Engagement Librarian, University of New Mexico Libraries
  • Glenn Koelling, Undergraduate Engagement Coordinator for University of New Mexico Libraries
  • Jane Hammons, Teaching & Learning Engagement Librarian, The Ohio State University Libraries

When it comes to research, students may have received guidance over the course of their academic careers that is no longer effective. For example, students may have been told that domain (.org, .com) is an indicator of credibility for web resources. Such guidance can create frustration for students and may even harm their ability to effectively locate information and complete research assignments. For the last two years, librarians from the University of New Mexico and The Ohio State University have been giving a series of presentations highlighting examples of outdated research guidance often given to students. In this session, participants will learn more about the concept of outdated research notions and explore several examples. A key focus will be on strategies that librarians and course instructors can use to start changing the conversation around outdated notions at their institutions, in order to ensure that students are being provided with guidance that reflects best practices for researching in our current information landscape.

For participants associated with Ohio State, participation counts as credit toward the Teaching Information Literacy Endorsement from the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning. For participants not associated with Ohio State, participation counts as credit for the Teaching Information Literacy Certificate being offered by the Teaching & Learning Department in The Ohio State University Libraries.

Past Workshops

To access slides and/or view recordings of previous workshops, go to: Past Workshops.