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ERIC Number: EJ798686
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 17
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0271-0633
EISSN: N/A
Librarians as Agents of Change: Working with Curriculum Committees Using Change Agency Theory
Travis, Tiffini A.
New Directions for Teaching and Learning, n114 p17-33 Sum 2008
As early as 1935, librarians dreamed of seamless integration of information skills into the college curriculum. More than seventy years later, it is disheartening to note that only a select few universities have managed to fully embed information literacy (IL) throughout the curriculum in a strategic and pervasive manner. In a study of campus "readiness" for IL conducted in 2004 and 2006, although 58 percent of the institutions answered yes to the statement "librarians are engaged in curriculum planning," only 43 percent acknowledged that "information literacy is evident in their campus planning documents such as strategic plans". In 1995, the California State University System (CSU) published "Information Competence in the CSU: A Report", which outlined a strategic plan for moving toward an IL curriculum as a systemwide effort. With the tremendous level of political and financial support for this initiative, it is surprising to find that as of 2007 only slightly more than half of the twenty-three universities in the CSU system have information literacy and competency learning outcomes as part of the institutional requirements for general education. Of the thirteen campuses with IL learning outcomes, two campuses have added these outcomes within the last two years. To sustain integration of information literacy into the university curriculum, librarians and faculty need to investigate theories of change. Change agency is a framework that increases the likelihood of curriculum initiatives having an impact on student learning. The process of change is slow. Depending on the campus culture and external forces motivating change, it may take more planning and negotiation to achieve a favorable outcome. This article examines change agency theory as both a planning tool and an implementation process for integrating information literacy into the general education curriculum at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB).
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A