Library Curriculum

In developing the Library Curriculum, the library teachers were cognizant of the fact that access to information is rapidly changing in quantity, quality and format. That change drives the need to equip students with the knowledge and skills to navigate an increasingly complex information-rich environment, enabling them to select from myriad resources, and to assess the reliability of those resources and the information contained therein.

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the way that information is developed and shared has changed profoundly. Libraries have moved from a predominantly print-based model to a highly interactive electronic access model. No longer do students work in the closed system, a school library, where all material is vetted by an educated and informed school librarian who simply distributes the resources safely contained within the school walls. Now, the entire world is the resource, and it is available twenty-four hours a day. Now more than ever students need a program that teaches them to understand and use ethically a variety of information, sources, technologies and formats.

The curriculum presented here aligns with The American Association of School Libraries Standards for the 21^st Century Learner and The Common Core of State Standards. It is designed to develop information literacy and fluency.

To be information literate/ [fluent], a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report, 1989. http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/publications/whitepapers/presidential.cfm

In 2007 The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) enlarged upon the ACRL statement:

The definition of information literacy has become more complex as resources and technologies have changed. Information literacy has progressed from the simple definition of using reference resources to find information. Multiple literacies, including digital, visual, textual, and technological, have now joined information literacy as crucial skills for this century. American Association of School Librarians, c.2007

AASL’s Standards for the 21^st Century Learner says that students should be competent in the following skills:

1. Define an Information Task

2. Develop Information Seeking Strategies

3. Locate and Access Information

4. Use Information

5. Synthesize Information

6. Participate in Collaborative Activities

7. Evaluate the Process and the Product

8. Appreciate Literature

Learners use skills, resources and tools to:

1. Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.

2. Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge.

3. Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society.

4. Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.

AASL has summarized the intent of their standards in four words – THINK – CREATE – SHARE – GROW. The WPS school library teachers have used those words as touchstones in developing this curriculum to align with the standards.