Mission

The DiMenna-Nyselius Library is committed to the educational mission of Fairfield University and the development of lifelong learners through our instruction. We focus on the education of the whole person through a student-centered approach to instruction that encourages curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and intellectual exploration.

We encourage the development of information literate global citizens through strong partnerships with faculty, our central position within the academic community, and by fostering a caring and supportive learning environment. Our instruction focuses on individual student learning, encouraging students to challenge themselves, and fostering an increasing capacity for critical thinking and self-reflection. Through our adherence to the ALA Code of Ethics we promote academic integrity, social responsibility, and the ethical use of information. Students are encouraged to engage with the world of scholarship through the creation and sharing of knowledge as well as the identification and use of quality information that best suits their information needs.

What is Information Literacy?

According to the Association of College & Research Libraries’ (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, “Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.” In other words, to be “information literate” is to be someone who has the ability to recognize when outside information is needed, to locate it, to evaluate it for reliability, and to use it ethically. The ACRL Framework informs all of the instruction our librarians do. The Frames are:

• Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
• Information Creation as a Process
• Information Has Value
• Research as Inquiry
• Scholarship as Conversation
• Searching as Strategic Exploration

Rather than static learning outcomes or standards, the Framework establishes threshold concepts that provide the flexibility needed for us to teach students the complex and interconnected skills of research and using information.

What We Do

Our instruction librarians work with faculty, staff, and students both in-person and online. Faculty collaboration is welcome and encouraged (and their presence in the classroom during instruction is required, as detailed below in Policies & Procedures). Our librarians can work with you to do things like:

• Develop and deliver lessons that support course objectives and programmatic learning outcomes for students
• Create learning materials such as Course Guides or tutorials
• Act as embedded librarians for courses
• Teach individual workshops on research skills
• And more

To speak with a librarian about how to integrate information literacy instruction into your course or program, visit the Faculty Partnership Program page to find your Librarian Partner.

First-Year Instruction 

Librarians work with every section of ENGL 1001: Introduction to Rhetoric & Composition each semester. Since ENGL 1001 is a required course for all first-year students, this means that we are able to reach nearly all first-year students with at least one face-to-face class session. These sessions serve as the foundation for research skills and critical thinking developed in upper-division courses, and work toward the development of lifelong learning skills.

Our ENGL 1001 instruction is developed in collaboration with the English Department’s Core Writing Team, Fairfield University’s first-year rhetoric and composition faculty.

To speak to someone specifically about first-year library instruction, contact our Associate Teaching & Learning Coordinator, Tolonda Henderson, at thenderson1@fairfield.edu.

Policies & Procedures

• Unless otherwise arranged, instruction is held in the Library Instruction Lab, room 114, on the lower level of the Library.
• Instruction requests and requests for course guides should be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance of any desired date.
• Faculty engagement is essential for student learning. Professors are required to attend class during library instruction sessions.
• Faculty are strongly encouraged to work with librarians to develop appropriate assignments and lesson plans.

Unless otherwise noted in the sections above, questions about library instruction can be directed to the library’s Teaching & Learning Coordinator, Emily Porter-Fyke, at eporter-fyke@fairfield.edu.