Expanded learning environments

Abstract

Information literacy programs are beneficial as they needed not when they might be needed. That’s why it should be embedded into the curriculum in higher education institutions so that libraries can act accordingly. This brings integration of the library resources into the online learning environments, sharing the same platform with the actual teaching and learning dynamics. Today’s technology offers course management systems (CMS) as online learning environment. This tool gives libraries an opportunity to serve their number of e-resources as they needed and to bring up information literates with set of skills to find, evaluate, analyse and use the information. This poster will cover Ozyegin University’s experience on integration of library services into the CMS. Changing role of the librarian and cooperation between faculty members and the librarian is another dynamic in this integration. Even though it is in a brand new university with one and half year past, the contribution was huge both from the faculty and the library in understanding the need and exercising it. Faculty librarian, the first contact person for Information Services, enrols in courses upon faculty’s permission, then follows the outline, assignments, homework, reading lists. Thus the librarian knows literally all about skill and resource needs for the course. Librarian’s role is to provide guides on given topics, links to the right resources, using reading lists for collection development and being ready for live forums with students’ questions. Consequently the information is given as it is needed; skill set is developed for the right purpose, awareness is increased for the services and resources.