21st Century Workforce Initiatives: Implications for Information Literacy Instruction in Academic Libraries

The discussion that follows is designed to expose the reader to a selection of educational reform initiatives that fall under the “21st Century Workforce” umbrella. The aims of these initiatives are quite harmonious with the overarching goals of librarianship and the opportunities for librarians to become involved and to demonstrate leadership in this arena are plentiful. The author’s efforts to incorporate information literacy principles and to encourage critical thinking in a graduate level organizational behavior class – in light of these initiatives and in response to employer feedback – are also discussed. It is hoped that the following information will inspire librarians to explore the initiatives further and to re-examine current information literacy and instruction efforts within this larger framework.