The information literacy session in Senior Seminar is intended to demonstrate research strategies that students can employ to locate appropriate information for their oral presentation and paper by addressing ACRL's Objectives for Information Literacy Instruction: A Model Statement for Academic Librarians Competency Standard Two, Performance Indicator 5: "The information literate student extracts, records, and manages the information and its sources" (http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/objectivesinformation.cfm). 

During this hands-on session advanced search techniques are demonstrated as students are guided through a sample search using the library's online resources.  Students are more likely to comprehend the relevance of and actively engage in this session if the professor has promoted its importance before the session and is participating during the session by using each resource with the class, interjecting comments, and/or asking questions.  

The instructional objectives include the following:

• Identifying a variety of types and formats of potential sources for information

• Selecting the most appropriate investigative methods or information retrieval systems for accessing the needed information
• Constructing and implementing effectively-designed search strategies
• Retrieving information online or in person using a variety of methods
• Refining the search strategy, if necessary
• Extracting, recording, and managing the information and its sources

Searching proficiencies to be demonstrated include the following:

• Articulating a search query that incorporates Boolean logic and truncation

• Reviewing controlled vocabulary and Library of Congress subject headings
• Using limit options in online catalog and research database searches
• Using the Table of Contents option
• Using the OhioLINK loan option
• Using the export and downloading features
• Evaluating information for relevance, authoritativeness, and appropriateness

Additionally, students will be encouraged to consider the following:

• Keep a working bibliography
• Use the librarians as resources and schedule a research consultation
• Be familiar with the Critical Reasoning Rubric and Writing Rubric used in evaluating their research process

The students may be given a two-sided handout, "Search Strategy Planner" and “What Are Scholarly Resources?"