Authority is constructed and created … but not by you

Abstract

This paper engages in a critical review of information literacy practices as manifest through materials shared publicly on the ACRL Sandbox. Focusing primarily on the frames “Authority is Contested and Constructed,” and “Scholarship as Conversation,” we analyze lesson plans shared on the ACRL Sandbox that address those frames, including the positionality of the students for whom the lessons were created. Preliminary analysis finds that most of the lessons shared position students exclusively as information consumers, learning how to find and evaluate existing published research, rather than emphasizing their potential roles as producers. This perspective fails to capitalize on students as creators (e.g., from formal undergraduate research to social media). We conclude by presenting some ways in which information literacy instruction can be adjusted to prepare future librarians to recognize and respect students’ existing knowledge and build upon that knowledge.