Communications in Information Literacy - Issue 2 - An Exploration of Two Information Literacy Open Learning Object Repositories: Value, Content, and Engagement

Oct 15, 2026

Information literacy (IL) open learning object repositories (LORs) provide librarians a platform to locate and exchange instructional resources. With many librarians entering the workforce lacking formal training in pedagogy, these repositories support the Library and Information Science field. This study compares two IL LORs—Project Cora and the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy Sandbox—to examine user engagement and repository differences, finding that usage persists but yearly submissions have stagnated.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Purpose and scope

Literature and context

Roles and responsibilities of teaching librarians

Training gaps in MLIS/MLS programs

Study approach

Repositories compared

Findings and implications

Engagement patterns and submission trends

Recommendations for improving engagement

Communications in Information Literacy | Volume 17 Issue 2 | Article 6 | | --- | --- | | 12-2023
An Exploration of Two Information Literacy Open Learning Object Repositories: Value, Content, and Engagement
Tiffanie Lynn Ford-Baxter
California State University, Los Angeles, [tfordba@calstatela.edu](tfordba@calstatela.edu)
Follow this and additional works at: [https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/comminfolit](https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/comminfolit)
Part of the Higher Education Commons, and the Information Literacy Commons
Let us know how access to this document benefits you. | | Recommended Citation Ford-Baxter, T. L. (2023) . An Exploration of Two Information Literacy Open Learning Object Repositories: Value, Content, and Engagement. Communications in Information Literacy, 17 (2), 424–450. [https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2023.17.2.6](https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2023.17.2.6) This open access Research Article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4 .0) . All documents in PDXScholar should meet accessibility standards. If we can make this document more accessible to you, contact our team. An Exploration of Two Information Literacy Open Learning Object Repositories: Value, Content, and Engagement Tiffanie Lynn Ford-Baxter, California State University, Los Angeles Abstract Information literacy (IL) open learning object repositories (LORs) provide a space for librarians to find and exchange instruction resources and lessons. Given many librarians enter the workforce with little or no formal training or educational opportunities to learn about pedagogy, these repositories are indispensable resources to the Library and Information Science field. This study explored the contents of two popular IL LORs, Project Cora and the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy Sandbox, to uncover how users engage with the resources and how the repositories differ. This study's findings suggest that while resources within the LORs are being used, yearly submissions have stagnated. Intentional assessment of disciplinary and information literacy concept gaps, followed by targeted calls for resources, may improve and increase engagement with the repositories as communities of practice. Keywords: information literacy, learning object repository, open educational resources Ford-Baxter, T. L. (2023). An exploration of two information literacy open learning object repositories: Value, content, and engagement. Communications in Information Literacy, 17(2), 424–450. An Exploration of Two Information Literacy Open Learning Object Repositories: Value, Content, and Engagement As highlighted in the Association of College and Research Libraries’(ACRL, 2017) Roles and Strengths of Teaching Librarians document, the instructional responsibilities of an academic instruction librarian are expansive and include roles such as a teacher and instructional designer. Academic librarians’ instruction responsibilities have evolved significantly in the past decade, moving from what Julien et al. (2018) described as "teaching students how to find materials in the library" (p. 179) to the instruction of information literacy threshold concepts, critical thinking, and a vast array of related literacies meant to nurture students into information literate citizens. However, MLIS programs do not appear to have responded adequately to these changes and increasing instructional responsibilities. As early as 2006, researcher Walter remarked, "after thirty years of discussion and debate, teacher training is still a relatively minor part of the professional education for librarians even as it becomes an increasingly important part of their daily work” (p. 216) . More recently, areview of 98 ALA-accredited MLIS courses related to the Roles and Strengths of Teaching Librarians document found that

FAQs

What do information literacy open learning object repositories (LORs) enable for librarians?

They provide a space to find and exchange instruction resources and lessons, helping librarians support teaching and learning even when formal pedagogy training is limited.

Which two IL LORs are compared in the study?

The study explores Project Cora and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy Sandbox.

What key engagement finding does the study report?

Resources are being used, but yearly submissions have stagnated, suggesting that community contribution and assessment practices may need improvement.

Oct 15, 2026

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