Experiential Information Literacy: Infusing Student Partnerships into Higher Education

There are myriad information challenges facing society, including the proliferation of AI technologies, the normalization of mis- and disinformation on social media platforms, entrenched political polarization, and more. The ubiquity and shaping power of these information challenges on society demands that librarians pursue alternative ways to empower students to succeed in our rapidly changing world of information. Experiential information literacy is a promising direction for the future of information literacy education. Experiential information literacy does the essential work of broadening our information literacy community on our campuses by welcoming students as partners, explorers, and decision makers in their research and education. These experiential learning opportunities enable students to engage deeply and reflexively with real-world information literacy topics that resonate with them. Librarians should lead in the development of experiential information literacy opportunities that pique students’ curiosity and foster a sense of agency in navigating the complexities of our information ecosystem. In this keynote, Rachel will highlight the characteristics that make experiential, student-partner learning opportunities appropriate for developing meaningful information literacy instruction. The presentation will also spotlight experiential programs and projects within the Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies that welcome students into our expanding information literacy community and provide various examples of how one might infuse these characteristics of experiential information literacy education into your own campus contexts as educators. Attendees are encouraged to imagine and explore opportunities for experiential education where students can act as choiceful and curious partners exploring real-world information literacy topics that are likely to shape their lives now and into the future.