The OWEAC meeting at Linn-Benton on 2/8/08 was excellent! I appreciated the chance to touch base with our writing instructor colleagues across the state. We discussed many of the dynamic factors impacting writing and information literacy instruction in Oregon. Revisions to the general education outcomes, changes to the AAOT, 4-credit conversions, and the information literacy recommendation make this a wonderful time to create partnerships and strengthen collaboration between librarians and writing faculty. If you get a chance to attend a future OWEAC meeting, I highly recommend it!  
Here are a few things I heard expressed at the meeting:

• An appreciation of the work of librarians at all institutions and an appreciation of the importance of information literacy across the curriculum
• An idea that the librarian’s role might increasingly become that of an IL consultant to instructors (e.g., librarian works with instructors/programs on incorporating IL into curriculum and assignments)
• At some institutions the librarians are overwhelmed and cannot meet all requests to be in the classroom for traditional instruction (this was an observation by a member of the writing faculty at PCC)
• An IL tutorial students complete and turn in online may be one solution for adding an IL component
• Librarians are passionate about working with students and faculty, but trying to cover everything in a one-shot orientation is not the best way to provide instruction
• A feeling that the IL competencies are compatible with writing outcomes
• Caution that Writing 121 should not be the catch-all for everything…need to draw in other disciplines and promote IL across the curriculum

Discussion at OWEAC was in alignment with possible next steps we identified at the Oregon Information Literacy Summit last November:

• OWEAC members are interested in sharing IL instruction practices including information on  collaborations, curriculum development, assignments, various models of librarian consultation…or other ideas and practices people can share.
• Further development of examples that describe the IL Proficiencies and the skill level we expect students to demonstrate at various academic levels (see for example PSU’s IL Matrix).

These are directions we may pursue at a mid-year IL retreat similar to the one hosted at Chemeketa last spring, or perhaps at the next Oregon IL Summit. Please let me know if you are interested in helping to plan an IL retreat and I am happy to coordinate that effort.

~Michele