Information Literacy for Undergraduate Music Students: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

prime objective of all educational programs in music is provide opportunity for every music student develop individual potentialities utmost.(1) This statement, one of objectives of National Association of Schools of Music, has profound implications for librarians and music faculty at any undergraduate institution concerned with music education. If the musician must be equipped function and interact with total society and to adapt changes in society,(2) then one of objectives of a college education in music, as in other disciplines, must be prepare students be effective life-long information users. Educators must continually reexamine what comprises an undergraduate education in music. Recent additions traditional undergraduate music curriculum, such as increased emphasis on multicultural awareness, interdisciplinary approaches, and utilization of computer technology, reflect societal changes. In midst of constant change, however, a basic assumption must underlie entire discussion of undergraduate music education: college graduates must be information literate as a foundation for all other educational endeavors. The explosion in amount of published information (in all formats) and increased electronic accessibility information sources require that education of undergraduate students include not only strategies and tools for finding information, but methods evaluate information they find. Critical thinking skills have always been essential effective information retrieval; increasing complexity of information environment reinforces need for students develop analytical and discriminating cognitive skills.(3) The backgrounds and experiences of undergraduate music students may vary widely in their exposure various formats of library catalogs, including online catalogs, electronic gateways online catalogs of other institutions, online periodical indexes, and online full-text databases. They may use a music collection housed in a branch library devoted subject of music, a collection that is integrated into general library collection, or music materials not housed in institution's library. They may learn information skills from professional music librarians, general librarians, music faculty, or any combination of these, with or without formal bibliographic instruction and music bibliography courses. Nevertheless, it is possible identify conceptual processes involved in finding and using information that should be a part of education of all undergraduate music students, even though specific information tools vary among institutions and situations. Introducing an increasing number of specific information tools students without incorporating these conceptual processes is unlikely produce graduates who will become effective, life-long users of information. Bibliographic competencies for music students at an undergraduate level were delineated more than a decade ago by Bibliographic Committee of Music Library Association - Midwest Chapter.(4) This article uses Association of College and Research Libraries' Model Statement of Objectives for Academic Bibliographic Instruction as a basis for undergraduate bibliographic instruction for music students by focusing on manner in which (1) information is identified and defined by scholars, (2) information sources are accessed intellectually by users, (3) information sources are organized physically within libraries, and (4) information sources are structured.(5) These four elements of an information-gathering process are discussed in following sections, and each section is followed by several questions. This article does not attempt answer each question in detail; rather, questions are presented stimulate discussion among music faculty and librarians about current and desired levels of information literacy among their students. …