Faculty Services

Library instruction sessions are tailored to specific courses and assignments and may include an introduction to research processes, information discovery and access, source evaluation, information ethics and documentation, and digital literacy. Sessions may be hosted in the library instruction classroom, library special collections, faculty classrooms, or Zoom for online and hybrid courses.

Reference librarians provide library instruction to classes upon the request of the course instructor. Please:

• Schedule library instruction at least two weeks in advance,
• When contacting the librarians, include the assignment or assignments students will be working on that necessitates library instruction. Include any additional information about scaffolded steps that precede or follow the library session,
• Ensure the students are familiar with the assignment prior to attending the library session,
• Attend the library instruction session,
• Share the library instruction survey link in a timely manner when sent by the librarian.

For more information or to schedule a library instruction class, you may:

• Contact your Library Liaison
• Email the Reference Department at reference@ric.edu
• Call the Reference Department desk at 401-456-8125

Library instruction at Rhode Island College is based on the Association of College and Research Libraries' (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy (Marco de Referencia a la estructura ACRL para la Alfabetización Informativa para la Estudios Superiores & Literacia da Informação e Pensamento Crítico no Ensino Superior: Combater a Desinformação). The framework was adopted by ACRL in 2016 and is a set of key threshold concepts an information literate student will develop throughout their college education, and beyond.

In brief, the framework concepts are:

• Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
• Information Creation as a Process
• Information Has Value
• Research as Inquiry
• Scholarship as Conversation
• Searching as Strategic Exploration

RIC's Committee on General Education (COGE), Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, and Committee on the Assessment of Student Outcomes (CASO) ensure the college's Research and Information Literacy standards are included in course offerings across the curriculum and assessed regularly. These standards and assessment rubric are based on Association of College and Research Libraries' (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy and can be viewed on the COGE website.

Students in First Year Seminar courses are expected to demonstrate a developmental understanding of two threshold concepts from the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy. The concepts are:

• Research as Inquiry
• Scholarship as Conversation

Information Literacy Resources for FYS Faculty:

Students in First Year Writing courses are expected to demonstrate a developmental understanding of two threshold concepts from the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy. The concepts are:

• Authority is Constructed and Contextual
• Searching as Strategic Explanation 

Information Literacy Resources for FYW Faculty: