Beyond Session Counting: A Program Development Model for Information Literacy in a Liberal Arts College

• Published in: The Reference librarian Vol. 64; no. 2-4; pp. 118 - 133
• Main Authors: Bombaro, Christine, Arndt, Theresa S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Routledge 02.10.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Academic libraries; Assessment; Capability maturity model (CMM); Capability maturity model integration (CMMI); Information literacy; Librarians; Program development
• ISSN: 0276-3877; 1541-1117
• DOI: 10.1080/02763877.2023.2293131

Academic librarians have long struggled to evaluate, report, promote and grow library services in order to effect positive changes in curricula. Metrics reported to faculty and administration generally include how many information literacy sessions are taught, how many students were present, and what subject areas were taught. However, merely counting information literacy sessions does not convey goals, opportunity, or progress. The Information Literacy Program Development Model (ILPDM) described in this article demonstrates how academic librarians at a small, liberal arts college moved beyond counting the number of information literacy sessions as a measure of value by clearly defining what a successful information literacy program should look like, and by demonstrating the impact, strengths, and limitations of a developing information literacy program. The model further allows librarians to track progress and identify opportunities for information literacy in each department and program across campus, and provides focal points for goal setting, outreach, and assessment. The model is adapted from the software industry's Capability Maturity Model (CMM), later known as the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), which tracks the evolution of complex processes along a continuum of five development levels.