Many library instruction programs are moving to embed information literacy skills throughout the curriculum of individual departments in a systematic way—often referred to as “scaffolding”, as skills are introduced and then built upon throughout a student’s time in the program. Just such a task was undertaken at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to scaffold information literacy skills for Chemistry and Biochemistry majors. Rather than just randomly select classes for library instruction, or wait until a faculty member contacts the library for instruction, scaffolding allows the librarian to look more deeply at departmental curricula and pinpoint crucial areas for information literacy engagement. This engagement does not always have to be instruction, but could take many forms: providing or consulting on assignments, interacting with students in online course management systems, providing alternative content (videos, podcasts, worksheets, etc.). Following a description of the scaffolding program for Chemistry and Biochemistry majors at UTC, we will explore benefits and drawbacks to scaffolding and how you can work to scaffold information literacy skills with the Chemistry departments engaged with at your own institutions.

Building competency: Scaffolding information literacy skills throughout the chemistry curriculum

255th National Meeting (2018)

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