University of Rhode Island

University Libraries, Public Services Department

Information Literacy Mission Statement

The University Libraries are dedicated to the development of a University community that is information literate, as defined by the American Library Association and the Association of College and Research Libraries. We offer the University community opportunities to become effective, efficient information consumers, researchers, and creators for the 21st century. We actively promote our instructional services as the bridge to information literacy empowerment between our patrons and their research needs.

The University Libraries’ Public Services faculty encourages the development of an information literate University community in the following ways:

• By collaborating with colleagues across the campus to integrate information literacy into academic programs.
• By promoting the use of information research tools and resources, regardless of format or setting to develop effective and efficient information practice both for university coursework and lifelong learning.
• By providing instruction formally and informally, to individuals and to classes, in person and online.
• By providing programmatic instruction that addresses the needs of the University community.
• By working to make every interaction at the library, especially reference questions, a learning opportunity for users.
• By evaluating the effectiveness of our approaches and regularly renewing our own skills.

Approved by the Public Services Department

March 21, 2008, revised & approved, April 15, 2016

2008 version used with permission of George T. Potter Library; Ramapo College of New Jersey

Contact information
If you have any questions about the Libraries’ Instruction Services, please contact Co-chair of Public Services and Information Literacy Librarian Mary MacDonald or Co-chair of Public Services, Head of Reference; Reference and Instructional Design Librarian Amanda Izenstark . Prof. MacDonald can be reached by e-mail at marymac@uri.edu or by telephone at (401) 874-4635. Prof. Izenstark can be reached by email at amanda@uri.edu or by telephone at (401)874-4582.

The University of Rhode Island Libraries are proud to be recognized as an Exemplary Program by the Association of College and Research Libraries' Instruction Section's Information Literacy Best Practices Committee.