ANSS Information Literacy Standards for Anthropology and Sociology Students - Background

ANSS created the Ad Hoc Information Literacy Committee in January 2004 to be: "...concerned with information literacy for students of anthropology, sociology, criminology, criminal justice, and related fields. The committee shall investigate standards and practices of information literacy, determine how those standards and practices can be applied, and then disseminate its findings through ANSSWeb."

The group began with an exhaustive review of the literature on information literacy in the disciplines and teaching and learning in Anthropology, Sociology and affiliated fields (see the Selected Bibliography included at the end of the Standards.) The group investigated existing efforts to develop IL standards in other disciplines. At the ALA Midwinter meeting in 2006, the ANSS Executive Committee officially established the Instruction and Information Literacy Committee, charged with "...the investigation, review, analysis and development of standards and practices of information literacy (IL) and instruction in anthropology, sociology and related fields. The Committee follows the ACRL Information Literacy Advisory Committee’s guidelines for the development of subject-based IL standard, recommends how ANSS IL standards and practices can be applied, adapted and implemented, and disseminates its findings."

During 2006, a task group of the ANSS IIL Committee (Patti Caravello, Triveni Kuchi, and Susan Macicak) drafted the Information Literacy Standards for Anthropology and Sociology. Incorporating their reading, their understanding of information literacy in these disciplines, examples from their IL instruction work with students and faculty, and – most important – the input of several sociologists and anthropologists, the task group revised the document many times. Responding to the committee’s invitation, some sociologists and anthropologists attended the ANSS IIL meeting at ALA 2006 to discuss the standards work and provide advice and input. The American Sociological Association Council officially endorsed the July 2006 draft in August 2006 at the ASA Annual meeting, acknowledging that final revisions incorporating faculty input were forthcoming. The draft standards were likewise presented at several meetings during the 2006 American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting in November 2006 and comments invited on the AAA website. The committee will seek formal AAA endorsement of the final version.

The Task Group worked closely with Carla B. Howery, now retired Director of the Academic and Professional Affairs Program at the American Sociological Association (ASA) and Edward L. Kain, Professor of Sociology and University Scholar at Southwestern University. The group continues to work with Carla's sucessor Margaret Weigers Vitullo, who with Dr. Kain oversees the ASA Academic and Professional Affairs Program's Department Resources Group, whose over 50 members “make departmental visits to assist with reviews, evaluations, curriculum building, and program development.” This group is concerned with “sociology teaching and curriculum and in helping others to strengthen their teaching skills” and therefore was a natural group for ANSS IIL to collaborate with.

The Task Group submitted its final draft to the ACRL Standards and Accreditation Committee, which reviewed and made final edits. The standards documentwas approved by the ACRL Board at the ALA Midwinter Meeting 2008.