What the framework means to me: Attitudes of academic librarians toward the ACRL framework for information literacy for higher education

Abstract

Findings from in-depth interviews with academic librarians reveal initial perceptions of the value of the new Association of College and Research Libraries' Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education and information about individual experiences in implementing the framework into information literacy skills instruction. Fifteen academic librarians, recruited through the ILI-L listserv, participated in Skype interviews that averaged 50 min in length. Participants shared that the Framework has had an impact on their teaching, helps them to better articulate the role of the librarian and the concept of information literacy, supports collaboration with faculty, and presents new empirical research opportunities for academic librarians. At the same time, acceptance of the Framework by librarians has not been universal, implementing the Framework into one-shot information literacy instruction is difficult, and full implementation of the Framework may require a restructuring of how information literacy education is approached.