Mindful Information Literacy Through Project-Based Learning

Selenay Aytac, Library Faculty, Long Island University

Information literacy is one of the core layers of biodiversity, which can promote resilience in the larger ecosystem. As health misinformation spreads, information literacy is one of the critical dimensions of sustainability. The mindfulness movement in librarianship has the potential for advancing a radical transformation of information literacy instruction by empowering students with the confidence to overcome the stress and frustration of information overload. The ability of library and archives professionals to deliver on their commitment to foster a more secure future and social justice within their communities is becoming increasingly linked to happiness and long-term job satisfactions. This hands-on session will outline some of the research behind a mindful information literacy framework and will introduce the concept of project-based learning by leading participants in an origami project focused on being present in the moment. 

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Understand the concepts of mindfulness in relation to information literacy instruction
• Develop ideas for task-oriented learning sessions
• Use origami as a mindful information literacy tool

About our presenter:

Selenay Aytac, PhD., MA, MBA, MS is Professor of University Libraries at Long Island University, New York. She received a Senior Fulbright Scholarship to conduct research at the Bogazici University Telecommunication and Information Technologies Research Center in Istanbul. She was a library research fellow at the Princeton University Library for the AY 2019-2020.