Libraries

KU Libraries Information Literacy Mini-Grants: Home

Purpose & Overview

When faculty and instructors collaborate with librarians to design assignments, it enhances the teaching and learning process by positioning information literacy within the course structure rather than as an add-on.  The Information Literacy Mini-Grants program provides a structured opportunity for collaboration with the goal to improve students' information literacy skills and abilities. 

This year, the Information Literacy Mini-Grant committee welcomes applications that expand upon Kathleen Fitzpatrick's vision of "Generous Thinking."  Fitzpatrick asks academics to listen to their greater communities and build constructive, critical, and collaborative relationships with the public in demonstration of higher education as a common public good.  Successful applicants will work with librarians throughout the assignment revision process to connect information literacy with themes such as critical and constructive thinking, collaborative learning, and creative projects that contribute to the public good .  Please consider attending Fitzpatrick's upcoming presentation to the KU community on January 27, 2021.

About the Grants

KU Libraries Information Literacy Mini Grants

KU Libraries are offering three (3) mini-grants in the amount of $500 to faculty who commit to working with a team of librarians to redesign an assignment in an undergraduate course to meet an information literacy learning outcome.  In partnership with librarians and library staff, faculty will explore ideas for assignment redesign to deepen students’ information literacy skills while also considering Fitzpatrick's vision for the future of 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.”

Eligibility and Expectations

Faculty and Academic Staff from any department or program on the KU Lawrence campus are eligible.  Courses must be a 3-credit hour undergraduate course offered in the 2021-2022 academic year.

In collaboration with librarians, recipients of the mini-grants are expected to:

  • Attend introductory session in August 2021.
  • Meet with librarians 3-5 times during the fall 2021 semester. 
  • Redesign a major assignment from the course to scaffold information literacy skills throughout the research process.
  • Incorporate materials and teaching practices that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion.
  • Develop an information literacy learning outcome for the assignment.
  • Create rubric to assess information literacy skills.
  • Add appropriate Creative Commons licensing to all assignment materials to be shared as an Open Educational Resource (OER) in KU ScholarWorks.
  • Implement the assignment in the course during the next semester the course is offered.
  • Complete a short answer survey provided by Libraries to reflect on the experience and whether or not students met the information literacy learning outcome.
  • Consider sharing student learning artifacts with Libraries after implementation for the purposes of information literacy assessment.

Timeline:

Applications are being accepted now through April 2, 2021.

Applicants will be notified of acceptance by May 7, 2021.

Introductory session will be held in August 2021.

Grant money transferred to departments in December 2021.

Application Requirements

Readings