Quick on the heels of my book reviews I am working on, this semester I decided to take on a practicum class, which is like a mini non-required Co-Op, because our program does not have a Co-Op program (yet, more on that in a further winter update).

After absolutely falling in love with Information Literacy after taking the class last semester, I approached a librarian at another campus who teaches a credit course in IL (which is a big deal for the conservative University of Toronto).

Opposed to working there directly, she proposed a research project based on the assessment of her students in the course. Working with the TA of the course, the three of us are publishing a paper examining the old tests and assignments, trying to understand why, after a semester of study, students continually fail to understand Boolean searching, and constructing search statements.

I am completing the literature review and a part of the content analysis coding. Of all my work this semester, this may be my most time consuming, contributing to the probably the three busiest months in my life.

However, it will also most likely be the greatest learning opportunity I will have had in these last two years. I feel really confident when I say to prospective libraries that I have detailed empirical knowledge with the IL needs of todays undergraduates. Plus, to be academically published, can’t complain about that.