1. Breaking the Barriers in Information Inquiry:
Opportunities for Libraries to Assist Students with Reading and English
Language Challenges
Kristina Appelt - Prairie State College
Tish Hayes – Oakton C.C./Moraine Valley C.C.
Terra Jacobson - Moraine Valley C.C.

2. Computer Lab
Coffee Shop
Book Store
Faculty Offices
Event Area
Copy Center
Printing
Cafeteria
Nap Room
Mall
Mail Room
Community Center
Group Study
Classroom
Information Center
Lounge
Phone Booth
Blockbuster
Library

3. Who are our students?
• IEL/ELL/ESL
• Developmental Programs
• Literacy Tutoring Programs
• Adult Ed programs

4. Literacy Facts
Students Taking Any Remedial Education Courses
03-04 07-08 % Increase
Public 2 yr 23.0% 23.9% 3.9
Public 4 yr 21.3% 25.3% 18.8
Public 4 yr 16.3% 17.2% 5.5
(PhD)
Private 4 yr 14.4% 16.5% 14.6
Private 4 yr 11.7% 13.3% 13.7
(PhD
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003-04 and 2007-08 National Postsecondary Student
Aid Study (NPSAS:04 and NPSAS:08)

5. Literacy Facts
Percent of Adults (16 and older) lacking basic literacy skills
1992 2003
Illinois 15% 13%
Cook County 22% 19%
U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003 National
Assessment of Adult Literacy
English as a Second Language
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d10/tables/dt10_433.asp
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/adulted/tables/table_2.asp

6. Needs assessment
• Varied pace • Create community
• Contextualized • Familiarity
Instruction
• Interaction
• Customized
• Self-awareness
• Individualized
• Set time constraint

7. Challenges for students with low
English language literacy levels
• Range of motivation and levels
• Used to different kinds of libraries, limited view
• Read for main point, but need details
• Library vocabulary, never been in a library
• Popular and fiction does not equal easy to read.
• Long time to succeed (5-7 years) for full comprehension. (30%-50%
pass rate for beginners)
• The view that all of these areas can be categorized into one approach

8. Ideas for libraries
Developmental & Literacy
ESL/IEL
Tutoring
• Basic definition handouts • Focus on “sourcing”
• Employment focus • Help them structure questions
• Space for tutoring • Book clubs for non-native
• One on One appointments speakers
• Shorter sessions, 30 min. • Hands on/interactive sessions
• Customized library tour • Multiple read through
• Be an “answer” person • Encourage group work
• Targeted advertising • Develop a sense of community
• Other library services • Librarians attend student
presentations

9. Collection Development
Instruction

11. Considerations for
Collection Development
• Population Needs
• Variety of Formats
• Age Appropriate Content
• Low-Vocab/High Interest
• Collections outside of traditional academic areas
▫ Popular Fiction
▫ Graphic Novels
▫ Urban Fiction

12. Identifying These Resources
• Catalog
• Special Collections
• Displays
• Marketing
• Instruction

14. Identifying Instruction Opportunities
• Adult ED (GED)/ ESL
• Intentional Advising
• English Department
• Math Department

15. English - RDG098
• Using library collections to guide the research
assignment
• Information literacy objectives
• Feedback