What is information competency?

Information competency (IC), one of Pierce College's five core abilities, is the ability to seek, find, evaluate and use information to engage in lifelong learning. Library faculty at Pierce College can help teaching faculty accomplish the IC outcome through instruction in library resources and research methods useful to any assignment or discipline.

Join us in collaborative teaching.

  • We design library instruction in the context of your specific assignments to teach students skills and resources they will need to successfully complete those lessons.
  • Feel free to stop by even before you have solid outcomes. We can work together to explore what IC might look like in your course and to modify current or develop new, effective research-based assignments.
  • Students benefit most from a minimum of two sessions. These can be scheduled sequentially, or at intervals to allow time for investigation and follow-up.
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    Improve student's papers and presentations.

  • Library instruction increases effectiveness of student research and improves the quality of student work by demistifying the library, building student confidence, and introducing students to tools required for lifelong learning.
  • Library instruction helps accomplish the IC outcome.
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    Things to remember.

  • Library instruction is most effective when students are working on relevant assignmetns at that time.
  • Library faculty design instruction that effectively meets course goals and IC goals. With that in mind, we do not do "library tours" nor a standard presentation.
  • As always, please encourage your students to come to the library to work with the reference librarians on-on-one for any of their research needs. We are eager to assist and instruct students in learning practical, effective, efficient, and successful research methods and tools.
  • Remind students to start their research early. Borrowing materials from other libraries (InterLibrary Loan) can take up to two weeks. Allow 24 hours to get materials from the other Pierce College campus.
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