ARLIS/NA 45th Annual Conference

The concept of critical information literacy is now a decade old and has gleaned a substantive body of library literature. But librarians still often struggle with making the social justice concepts key to critical information literacy “sticky” for art and design students who often question the relevance of research skills to their practice. On the heels of conversations about the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy, this session will serve as a discussion of standards for visual literacy, including where it intersects with critical librarianship. Stephanie Grimm, Research and Instruction Librarian, Savannah College of Art and Design will present a model for a series of anti-stereotype visual research workshops that consider the existing visual literacy standards through the lens of critical librarianship and feminist pedagogy. Though initially developed for comic artists and illustrators, the workshop has grown to include strategies and activities that can be adapted for visual artists in general. Maryland Institute College of Art’s Siân Evans, Instruction Librarian, and Jennifer Ferretti, Digital Initiatives Librarian, will address two main aspects of their new critical information literacy program: engaged instruction and topical research guides. Specifically, they will discuss a “Beyoncé-based” library instruction session geared towards first year art and design students who had limited research experience. With themes such as current events and popular culture at the center, instruction and online tools help to engage students with information resources and research methodologies to help understand their work and their environment.


This session will be recorded and made accessible after the conference in the ARLIS/NA Learning Portal.