What the Teachers Are Teaching: How MLIS Programs Are Preparing Academic Librarians for Instructional Roles

Given the nearly ubiquitous responsibility for instruction that accompanies academic reference positions, are future reference librarians exposed to the concept of information literacy (IL) in their required, core reference courses? How widespread are courses specific to IL instruction in master's of library and information science (MLIS) programs and do the desired outcomes for MLIS information literacy instruction courses align with professional standards? Reference syllabi were analyzed to determine whether IL instruction was included as part of the course. Information literacy syllabi were analyzed against the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) "Standards and Proficiencies for Instruction Librarians and Coordinators." Results show that two-thirds of students are exposed to the topic of information literacy instruction in reference classes. Based on the outcomes stated in the syllabi, those enrolled in a formal information literacy instruction course are exposed to a limited numbers of proficiencies; consequently, effort needs to be made to incorporate more of the proficiencies for instruction librarians to produce well-rounded advocates for information literacy.