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In His Own Words: Carey Hatch
Assistant Provost for Library and Information Services

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SUNY Selects Ex Libris

SUNYConnect Information Literacy Course Chosen

SLN Students Access SUNYConnect Databases

SUNYConnect -the-Dots

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Ulster County Community College submitted the successful bid for the SUNYConnect information literacy course. The course is scheduled to be ready for acceptance testing early next year. This is another milestone along the way towards a complete SUNYConnect: making information literacy materials available to all of SUNY - either as a complete online course or as a template to be customized by your library

This event also represents further evidence of SUNY working together: the use of a SUNY-only Request for Proposals (RFP); the reliance on SUNYLA committee expertise; the dovetailing with the SUNY Council of Library Directors' (SCLD) committee work; the utilization of a SLN course; the ongoing "collaboratorium" that is Web course development SUNYConnect style.

The RFP was prepared with significant help from the following members of the SUNYLA Library Instruction Committee: Sue Ann Butwell (Geneseo), Nancy Cannon (Oneonta and Committee Chair), Janet Hogan (Binghamton), and Carla List (Plattsburgh). Larry Randall and John Schumacher of SUNY/OLIS rounded out the RFP committee.

The OLIS solicited proposals from individuals within SUNY or from SUNY campuses for an information literacy course. Such a SUNY-only RFP was a unique procedure. The same approach is planned for the selection of SUNYConnect LMS host sites. Proposals were evaluated by a diverse group of SUNY librarians, teaching faculty and System Administration staff.

The Information Literacy Course RFP built upon the work done by all the SUNY librarian/instructors in general and the work of the SUNY Council of Library Directors' Information Literacy Initiative Committee in particular. Core competencies in information skills/management developed by these groups were used as essential building blocks of both the RFP and the successful proposal. Work on SCLD and SUNYLA committees doesn't always garner the renown it deserves. Yet it is this kind of committee work that is a critical part of SUNY librarians working together.

Ulster's information literacy course is field-tested. In its current form, the course is a SUNY Learning Network offering this semester and has been available via SLN since 1997. As many as five sections of the course are offered each semester. The SUNY Learning Network's Instructional Design Partners work with SUNY faculty assisting them in presenting their courses online. Here is the online course description for "Information Literacy" offered by Ulster County Community College -

This course will introduce students to the
organization, retrieval and evaluation of
electronic and print information. Students
will be provided with an overview of college
library systems, networked information systems,
traditional scholarly resources, evolving
delivery systems, and the concepts underlying
the research process. Students will gain an
understanding of the importance of the Internet
as a research tool and the changing nature of
information resources. Students will utilize
electronic databases, the World Wide Web, and
print resources. Students will be able to apply
principles learned in this course to research
assigned in other courses. Students will practice
thinking critically when formulating research
queries and evaluating information resources.

http://sln.suny.edu/sln

The course in its current form can be examined at http://itec.suny.edu/ucclib111/home.htm

Modifications and enhancements to the course needed to meet the RFP specifications are to be completed by early in 2000. At that time, the course will undergo acceptance testing. When ready, the course will be available to any SUNY school to make use of it as is or to use it as a starting point for their own information literacy materials. Starting with this common framework/template, the resourceful SUNY librarians and Web-meisters will be able to create a variety of customized, tailored courses suitable for the diverse student body of The University. The OLIS and SUNYConnect will serve as a clearinghouse providing access to these information literacy courses of many flavors.