1. INFORMATION LITERACY SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Evaluating Sources: Books
1 | U p d a t e d J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6 | J u l i e A n n e K e n t
Instructions
Use the book(s) you have located from the library or those provided to you by the
librarian. Answer the following questions in full sentences.
To assess the credibility of your chosen source; you may need to do some
additional research to locate authoritative information about the author.
1. Evaluate Authority: Who is the author of this book? Do they have a degree
or other expertise that qualifies them to write on the subject? What else
has the author published?
2. Evaluate Affiliation: What institution (company, organization, university,
etc.) published this book? Is it a commercial or non-profit publisher? What
else does the institution publish? Could the author’s affiliation with this
publisher bias their work?
3. Evaluate Currency: When was the book published and/or last updated? Will
you use it for current information or historical context?

2. INFORMATION LITERACY SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Evaluating Sources: Books
2 | U p d a t e d J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6 | J u l i e A n n e K e n t
4. Evaluate Audience: Who is the intended audience (students, educators, the
general public, experts) for the book? Is it written for someone with a small
or large amount of knowledge on the subject?
5. Evaluate Purpose: What appears to be the purpose of the book? Is it to
inform, persuade, entertain, report, or refute?
6. Evaluate Sources: Where did the author get their information? Is there a
bibliography? Are there footnotes? Does the author refer to either Primary
or Secondary material?
7. Conclusion: Now that you have assessed your book in more detail, do you
still think it is useful? Explain why or why not. If you do intend to use it,
name the chapters or sections that you think will be most useful for your
topic.