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Toward Information Fluency in the Liberal Arts

A Symposium at the ACS Technology Center
November 19-21, 1999

Agenda
Symposium Participants: Alphabetical | By Team | Task Forces

Led by:

Ken Abernethy
Professor of Computer Science and Director, Rushing Center for Advanced Technology
Furman University
(864) 294-3219

and

Barbara Halbert
Director of Library Services
Associated Colleges of the South
(404) 636-9533

Location: ACS Technology Center at Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas

Enrollment: Teams of 2-3 people from each ACS institution.

Purpose:
This symposium was intended to provide a forum for faculty, librarians, information technology staff and faculty development leaders to identify central issues related to information fluency, share information on approaches and standards, and identify ways of collaborating more effectively in promoting information fluency.

Description of Event:
A two-day symposium focusing on five areas crucial for the development of information fluency:

• Standards: basic principles of information fluency
• Faculty/Librarian/Technology Support Staff Training: improving faculty, librarians', and IT staff members' own information fluency
• Faculty/Library/Technology Support Staff/Faculty Development Leaders Collaborations: interactive relationship among the creators of information, information structure specialists, and information maintenance specialists
• Curriculum: integrating information fluency training within and across the curriculum
• Assessment: evaluating the implementation of standards and practices

The event included speakers addressing each of these areas as well as breakout groups to discuss definition and implementation of each of the areas.

Plans for Follow-Up and Evaluation:
Participants in the five breakout groups, especially those designing curriculum, had a follow-up meeting to discuss their progress and outline future directions. In addition, an email list was created to foster continued discussion after the symposium.

Plans for Dissemination of Results:
A theoretical position paper describing the outcomes of the symposium was submitted for journal publication. In addition, the results from each of the breakout groups were submitted for conference presentations.