The Importance of a School Library in Regard to Students’ Research Skills 

By Rachel Friedman, University Librarian, MMLIS 

Information literacy, “a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information” (Theme, 2022) is extremely important. One cannot do research or write articles without this awareness, as it guides when and how to do research. For hundreds of years, this skill has been associated with libraries. Why is this the case? 

Essentially, libraries have the resources (books, scholarly magazines etc.) which enable students and scholars to perfect their research skills. As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect, and for many years there was no other place to practice one’s literacy. Additionally, school librarians are usually required to teach students how to locate and analyze information. After all, it is only fair, when giving patrons access to evaluate resources, to ensure that these people can also use them effectively. 

Should patrons wish for further training in information literacy, our library staff would be happy to assist them. We provide training in creating viable search terms, literary analysis, and other important skills which enable researchers to locate the books and articles which would be useful to them in the moment. AUHS Staff, Faculty, and Students are very welcome to drop by for assistance. 

References: 

Theme, R. (2022). Information Literacy. Welcome to ALA’s Literacy Clearinghouse.  https://literacy.ala.org/information-literacy/