Service Learning, Information Literacy, and Libraries

Book excerpt: As the number of service learning courses and their requirements increase, it is essential for academic librarians to partner with faculty and administration to include lifelong research skills components. This crucial book provides insights and case studies that will help you do just that. Service learning—defined as community service connected to a for-credit college course—is acknowledged to be a high-impact educational practice. It provides students with opportunities to put what they learn in class into action, to engage problem-solving skills, and to reflect on their experiences. Ideally, in service learning, course materials inform student service, and students' service experiences, in turn, inform academic dialogue and comprehension. But where do academic libraries and librarians fit into this process? This is the first book to provide that missing piece, giving librarians practical information and examples of how to contribute to service learning on their campuses. It begins with an overview of librarian involvement in service learning, highlighting connections between service learning and information literacy pedagogy. Case studies focus on specific aspects of service learning that engage information literacy, illustrating ways academic libraries can partner with service learning initiatives. The book concludes with thoughts on assessment and short essays on the future of libraries and service learning.