Information Literacy at the Naval Academy . In 1995 the Middle States visiting team recommended that the Library extend its instruction program, systematically, to incorporate teaching midshipmen how to find information efficiently and effectively on the Internet. Responding affirmatively to this recommendation required a significant investment of computer equipment. Working together, the Computer Services Division and the Library outfitted two electronic classrooms in Nimitz with computer workstations and other equipment. Through additional collaboration between the Political Science Department and the Library all plebes now receive information literacy instruction in FP130, the introductory American Government course.
Additional instruction occurs in other core and majors classes.
The librarians conduct evaluations of the information literacy component of FP130, and on the basis of feedback from students and faculty, as well as from our own observations, we can tell that our work in this area is making a difference. Thanks for your help. Next year we expect to do more of this, and also to work systematically with the academic departments, to ensure that students in all majors receive what the faculty considers to be an appropriate level of information literacy for majors in each discipline. Hence the teaching of information literacy at Nimitz, and indeed at virtually all academic libraries, will continue to include elements from both the paper and electronic worlds. Our students and graduates will need to be not only conversant with, but adept in, both environments.