library staff helps instruct at annual teaching symposium

The 2004 Annual Teaching and Learning Symposium in May offered insights about information literacies for anyone involved in teaching and learning on campus. This year the symposium focused on the ability to identify and critically use information of all sorts and on many levels.

Presentations, workshops and breakout sessions all touched on four broad themes of the symposium including information and communication literacy, literacy in the sciences and math, cultural literacy and literacy for engaging the world. Topics ranged from "Cultural Literacy: Linking Classroom and Community" to "Bringing Conventional Materials into the Digital age," and many of the activities offered were run by library staff.

"The Symposium was a great success and did exactly what this annual tradition is intended to do: bring faculty, academic staff and graduate assistants together to talk about issues related to teaching and learning," says Abbie Loomis, coordinator for Library & Information Literacy Instruction. "We were delighted that 250 people registered for the event." She is a member of the campus committee that organized the symposium.

Jo Ann Carr, director of the Center for Instructional Materials and Computing, says she felt the participation of many campus libraries was crucial for the symposium. "The integral role of the campus libraries in advancing learning was evident through the many programs where library staff partnered with other faculty and academic staff," Carr says.

Many other library staffers directed breakout sessions and workshops, including Amy Kindschi of Wendt Library; Jo Ann Carr, Anna Lewis, Catherine Stephens and Peter Cupery of the CIMC; Abbie Loomis of Library & Information Literacy Instruction; Steven Frye of College Library; Lee Konrad and Amy Rudersdorf of Digital Content Group; and Patricia Herrling of Steenbock Library.