Welcome to the Department of Library & Information Science!

Research instruction is a primary mission of the Library. We provide research instruction with our quarterly drop-in classes on Information Literacy, by conducting classes customized for specific disciplines as requested by faculty, and by providing one-on-one consultation at the reference desk. We also create pathfinders, research guides, and handouts to assist in the research process.

We support the instructional program of the college and the research needs of WCC faculty, students and staff through the instruction of Information Literacy. The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) is a division of the American Library Association and they define Information Literacy as the abilities necessary to

"recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information."

The WCC Library strives to encourage Information Literacy by teaching how to:

• Identify the information need
• Develop search strategies, including the selection of appropriate terms and concepts
• Conduct an effective and efficient search, using the best resources available
• Find the information, wherever it may be located
• Critically evaluate the information found
• Use the information ethically and legally
• Evaluate the outcome to determine whether the research met the information need