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Our hours for the summer are:
Monday through Wednesday: 8am-4pm
Thursday: 8am-4pm
Friday: 8am-4pm
Saturday and Sunday: closed

Where is everything?

Hartness Library has moved into Blackboard. Students faculty and staff can find all our resources (ILL and other forms, reference and citation help, etc.) under the Hartness Library tab. For your convenience you can still find the catalog and links to our article databases here.

Information Literacy Assessment FAQ

Take our information literacy tutorial here.

What is a Graduation Standard?

The Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees has instituted graduation standards for all Associates and Bachelors degree candidates. The object of these standards is to provide assurance that VSC graduates have certain essential skills for success in the workplace and in life in general. These standards are now being phased in.

What is the Information Literacy standard?

At the Vermont State Colleges, it means that upon graduation students will be able to:
1. Define a research topic and the information needed.
Understand the process for stating a research question.
Differentiate between types and depth of information sources.
Understand the limitations of information availability.
Define information producers, providers, and formats of informa tion required for a topic.
2. Use a variety of traditional and electronic resources to collect and organize that information.
Select appropriate resources (experts, printed, online) to navigate the information environment.
Formulate a research strategy.
Use a variety of techniques to search catalogs, indexes, and full text databases.
Record and synthesize results of search as evidenced in written work.

3. Evaluate the information and its sources critically.
Identify the purpose for which the information was produced and its intended audience.
Investigate qualifications and reputation of authors and publishers. Verify information.
Locate and examine critical reviews of information sources.
Recognize cultural, physical, temporal, or other contexts within which information was created, and consider those contexts in evaluation of sources.

4. Acknowledge and document the sources needed.
Differentiate between one’s own and others’ ideas.
Properly acknowledge and assign authorship.
Select an appropriate documentation style and use it consistently.

Learn more about VTC's or CCV's Information Literacy program

What is the Information Literacy program at Vermont Technical College?

The Information Literacy Program at Vermont Technical College is a response to the Vermont State College’s Board of Trustees implementation of graduation standards in information literacy.

The program consists of tutorials and quizzes available in the BlackBoard organization "Vermont Tech Information Literacy", and an online assessment to ensure that students meet the standard. This occurs in students’ first year, usually in the first semester.

Both Bachelor's and Associate's degree students will take the same assessment. With a score over 20 the student will pass at the Associate's level; with a score over 25 the student passes at the Bachelor's level.

Who has to take it?

All students entering Associate’s or Bachelor’s level degree programs in the fall of 2005 or after must pass the Information Literacy Graduation Standard to graduate. The requirement is waived for students who already have Bachelor's degrees.

How is it assessed?

Students take an online assessment through the college’s BlackBoard course management system. The test is available on an ongoing basis. The test will be available 24 hours a day and is accessible from anywhere you can log into your Blackboard account. The assessment tests students on their understanding of the concepts embodied in the standard. The test is 28 questions long, is mostly in multiple-choice in format, and requires students to visit websites, evaluate resources, and use analytical skills to answer questions.

How difficult is the test?

The test is designed to ensure that all students meet a common, basic level of competency in information literacy. Most students pass the assessment with little difficulty. There is a tutorial available in the Blackboard organization as well as three practice quizzes. The questions that students seem to have the most trouble with are the ones that ask them to look at and evaluate resources like books or websites. So being observant and taking your time will help you pass.

How do I know if I passed?

When you finish the test, you will see a screen that says something like: “You answered 26 out of 28 questions correctly”. With 28 questions on the assessment, you would need over 20 correct answers to pass at the Associate's level and over 25 to pass at the Bachelor's level.

What if I fail?

The test options are set so that you may take the test again whenever you like.

What is the Information Literacy Program at CCV?

There are three approaches to teaching Information Literacy at CCV: Instruction in information literacy may be provided within English Composition and SEI (CCV’s capstone course), and is often a part of library instruction in other courses.
Students can learn the basics of information literacy on their own by using the TILT tutorial.
A freshman level course in critical thinking and information literacy, Search for Meaning in the Information Age, is being piloted in 2006-2007.

How is Information Literacy assessed at CCV?

Information literacy is assessed in the capstone course Seminar in Educational Inquiry (SEI). The rubric by which final projects are evaluated includes the four elements of information literacy, so that successful completion of SEI includes demonstration of information literacy.