Integrating Information Literacy and Research Strategies into a Sophomore Chemistry Course: A New Collaboration

Librarians at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) teach a one-credit information literacy course, which is required for several majors. For many years, a section of this course was integrated into a senior level professional chemistry course. Students in this course work with chemistry faculty to develop a research proposal, and spend five weeks with the chemistry liaison librarian learning library and information research skills related to their topics. Recognizing that students need to begin learning research and career skills sooner than their senior year, chemistry faculty approached the library to work with them in integrating information literacy skills into a new sophomore level course. During this new course's pilot semester, the chemistry liaison librarian was invited to teach two class sessions and to develop an assignment for students to help them write a paper on a chemistry topic. This chapter discusses specific outcomes, topics covered, assignments, observations, and future directions of the information literacy instruction in this new sophomore level course.