The goal of the Instruction Program is to foster the development of NMSU students, faculty, and staff as information literate individuals who can determine when information is needed, access information in all formats, evaluate information and its sources, and use information effectively and ethically. Information literacy is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. It is increasingly important in the contemporary environment of rapid technological change and proliferating information resources.
This program is dedicated to fostering information literacy within the NMSU community. In collaboration with other NMSU instructors, we offer services such as in-class and in-library instruction, the development of general and assignment-specific instructional materials, the creation of online learning resources, and workshops that highlight tools and resources supporting researchers’ information needs. These skills contribute to greater academic success, stronger papers, and higher-quality research projects, while also reducing library anxiety and the risk of plagiarism.
NMSU Librarians and archivists focus instruction on the practice of doing research in the NMSU Library and beyond, and on information literacy skills. According to the Association of College and Research Libraries' Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education: “Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.”
In teaching information literacy skills, Librarians follow the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, which says that:
Read the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education