What Works

Volume 32, Number 4, April 2005

Ken Haycock

teacher-librarians and college success

Research Finding:
High school teacher-librarians make a difference to college success.

Comment:
High school library use is a predictor of college library use.

Students from schools with teacher-librarians are more familiar with basic library use concepts, fundamental ideas about how information is organized, and how to use online catalogs to advantage than students from schools without teacher-librarians.

Students from schools with teacher-librarians achieve better on tests of information research skills. This includes formulation of research strategies and selecting and citing quality resources.

Information literacy must be taught and practiced in multiple ways in a variety of settings over time to be successful due to the complexity of information and variability of information problems.

Information literacy must be learned as a tool of strategy rather than a tool of procedure.

Academic librarians need to support actively their school library colleagues as information literacy skills underpin student achievement. "Libraries do not succeed; students do."

SOURCE:
Smalley, T. (2004). College success: High school librarians make a difference. Journal of Academic Librarianship 30(3), 193-198.