For several reasons, it seems logical that the library should have the primary responsibility for information literacy training in institutions of higher education. Some of the reasons seem obvious. Of faculty members on a university campus, librarians arguably have a better understanding of the composition of the library's collection, and have received extensive training in the use of the various tools of information retrieval.
More students will be brought into the library as a result of hosting the information literacy sessions in the library. Kuh, Boruff-Jones & Mark (2007) point out that students, particularly first year students, often find the library and librarians intimidating (p. 20). Exposing students to the library and library staff will work to assauge this anxiety. Similarily, Kuh et al.1 go on to discuss how Wofford College brought students into the physical space of the library:
...exploring new purposes and physical structures for the library may also reduce anxiety....For example, when Wofford College relocated its Writing Center to the second floor of the library, use of the center "jumped dramatically" as students had ready access to library resources and computers for research and word processing. (p. 20)From this scenario, it seems possible that by being brought into the library to visit the Writing Center, students became more aware of the resources available to them there. In the case of information literacy courses, the benefit will likely be twofold. By physically being in the library, students may begin to take notice of the the fact that resources are available, and through the session, they will learn the best methods for utilizing them.
Similarily, increased student contact with librarians early in the educational process through information literacy sessions will likely decrease their anxiety and help them to see librarians as a source of academic assistance. Kuh et al. point out: "Especially important is for the first-year students to come to know librarians as both sources of academic support and information they can draw on during the course of their studies" (p. 20).
Kuh et al. also make the point that collaboration between librarians and faculty may prove beneficial:Librarians and classroom faculty members working together to create class activities that incorporate library and other information resources, while supporting the content learning goals of the course, may be more effective than activities that either librarians or classroom faculty members design independently. (p. 22)In this type of scenario, the students will have access to both faculty and librarians, and they will learn and apply information literacy skills simultaneously. It will likely prove more engaging, and possibly more memorable, for students to apply new information literacy skills to an actual information need.