Copyright NASSP. For information on NASSP services and/or programs, please call (800) 253-7746.

ABSTRACT
Partnerships between university libraries and high schools have traditionally involved the use of the university library by students in Advanced Placement or other special classes. Tours of the library are often provided and students usually are allowed to check out materials on a limited basis. In a Wayne State University partnering project, faculty members and administrators of area high schools and faculty members and librarians at the university are developing models for information literacy instruction.
Wayne State University requires all incoming freshmen to complete a one-credit course that integrates information literacy into the course requirement of a group debate. Staff members at the new David Adamany Undergraduate Library team teach the introductory information literacy course with the faculty.
Since most of the undergraduate students at WSU are from the Detroit area, it seemed logical to communicate with area schools about research expectations for incoming freshmen and to provide articulation between the high school curriculum and the university. Four area high schools were chosen to participate in a pilot project to investigate ways in which a partnership between a university library and high schools could achieve this goal.
A committee of administrators, teachers, and library media specialists from two Detroit public schools, a suburban high school, and a parochial high school were asked to join with Wayne State librarians, faculty members, and administrators, librarians from the Detroit Public Library, and the Detroit Public Schools library media supervisor to explore possibilities for developing student information literacy.

THE PLAN
The initial committee--an administrator and media specialist or teacher from each of the four high schools and the WSU dean of libraries, director of the undergraduate library, instruction librarian from the undergraduate library, and a faculty member from the library science program--began meeting in October 1997 with the charge of "partnering for information literacy." All meetings were held at the undergraduate library where committee members would have access to state-of-the-art technology and see university students accessing information. The videotape "Information Power" served as an introduction to discussion. The committee agreed to look at what was in place for the teaching of information literacy at each school, identify a planning team, and share current research on information literacy.
The committee agreed to use the AASL/AECT Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning (1998) as the key document for planning, and the Big6(TM) as the model for teaching information literacy. The Big6 is a six-step process for solving information problems. The steps include task definition, information-seeking strategies, location and access, use of information, synthesis, and evaluation (Eisenberg, 1998).
The planning continued throughout the year as high school representatives identified curricular areas of focus. Each school agreed to plan a research assignment that would integrate information literacy skills into their school's curriculum. To facilitate the planning two levels of staff development were identified. First, committee members requested a workshop on information literacy and the Big6(TM), which would provide a standard approach for all schools. Wayne State University staff agreed to conduct the workshop.
Follow-up workshops at individual schools would allow for the use of available resources. High school participants stressed the importance of on-site workshops where teachers would work with the resources they and their students would use. These workshops would be planned and facilitated by the high school teams and a Wayne State librarian. During the planning process Wayne State staff members prepared and submitted grant proposals to fund the project.

IMPLEMENTATION

PART I--INFORMATION LITERACY WORKSHOP
A full-day information literacy workshop was presented at the David Adamany Undergraduate Library in May 1998. Attendees included two media specialists and two English teachers from Ferndale High School; a media specialist and a social studies teacher from Martin Luther King High School; a media specialist from Northwestern High School; and two librarians from the Detroit Public Library. Participants in the workshop were asked to read "The Big6: Not Just for Kids!" by Mike Eisenberg and Kathy Spitzer prior to the workshop.
The dean of libraries at Wayne State discussed the concept of information literacy and what is being done at the national level. An associate professor of library science introduced the Big6(TM) research model and discussed sample lessons integrating information literacy. I provided "handson" instruction in information access with participants completing a research log while working with on-line databases accessed through the Internet. The final activity of the day allowed the school teams to begin to discuss and develop their on-site workshop plans.
Because grant funding was not yet available, the participating schools covered the expense for released time for staff members, and Wayne State covered the cost of snacks and lunch and provided staff time for preparation and presentation of the workshop.

PART II--INFORMATION LITERACY WORKSHOPS
During the summer two of the high schools withdrew from the project. In one school the LMS relocated to another state. In the other school the team teacher took a year's leave of absence and adoption of the curriculum initially identified for the project was postponed. Communication with the two remaining schools continued and plans for workshops at Ferndale High School and Northwestern High School were finalized.
In addition, grant funding for the project through the Peter Herrick Foundation, a local source for grants, was received. Twenty thousand dollars was now available to reimburse the schools for released time for the May workshop; to cover WSU expenses for food, clerical help, and supplies; and to cover the estimated costs for the on-site workshops, continuing administrative expenses, presentations at conferences, and further workshops as yet to be determined.

FERNDALE HIGH SCHOOL

PART I
The information literacy workshop for Ferndale High School was scheduled just prior to the beginning of the teacher school year. The chair of the Ferndale English department and I co-planned and presented a daylong workshop with the FHS library media specialists facilitating.
The members of the planning team determined that since information literacy touched all areas of the curriculum they would like to include members from all academic departments in the initial on-site workshop. The workshop was attended by the two LMS, all members of the English department, two student teachers in the English department, and the chairs of the science, social studies, math, and foreign language departments.
Ferndale had indicated they would plan to integrate information literacy into the I-Search paper required of all ninth grade English students. The grant allowed for curriculum pay for all participants and covered the cost of meals and clerical time for preparation of materials. All high school committee members had been adamant that the on-site workshops needed to be practical rather than theoretical and the planning and delivery of the workshop reflected that request. Participants were asked to read "The Big6: Not Just for Kids!" before the workshop.
The activities for the day were divided into three parts. The morning focused on an activity and discussion of the Big6, followed by a handson session in the computer lab, where teachers had a chance to explore various Internet databases available in the media center. In the afternoon, participants broke up into groups; the English teachers began to revise the I-Search assignment to integrate information literacy, and other participants worked in pairs or individually to plan research assignments and further investigate information resources in the new media center.
Ninth grade English teachers decided to develop a "mini research" assignment prior to the second semester I-Search project; to create and post Big6(TM) posters in each English classroom; to develop a graphic organizer for extracting information from sources; and to develop a method for students to reflect on the research process and product. English teachers requested two follow-up half-day workshops for teachers involved in the project to continue planning.
The two additional half-day working sessions were planned for the ninth grade English teachers in October. The English department chair and the LMS facilitated the workshops. Grant money was used to pay for substitutes for the teachers and to cover the cost of refreshments and clerical work related to the workshop.

PART II
In preparation for the October workshops the ninth grade English teachers developed a research assignment around Richard Wright's Black Boy. During the first afternoon the teachers outlined an assignment for which students would work in groups to research and present information related to aspects of African-American life from 1900 to 1930. The teachers brainstormed a list of possible topics and drafted templates for a research guide, notetaking forms, and a rubric for evaluating the product and the research process.
The following morning teachers met in the media center to locate Internet sites that would provide information on the topics. The media specialist brought reference books for teachers to examine. After noting potential sources the teachers and media specialist revised their research guide to reflect their findings and adjusted the topic list. At the end of the second day teachers expressed amazement at the amount of information available on the Internet; a sense of accomplishment at their success in finding information; and anticipation to work with students on the planned project.

NORTHWESTERN HIGH SCHOOL
Two half-day workshops were planned and presented by the Northwestern High School science LMS and a member of the science department. All members of the science department attended and the principal and assistant principal were present for portions of the workshops, which were held after the school day in the fall. Grant money covered curriculum pay for attendees, refreshments, and clerical support for work related to the workshop. Activities included becoming familiar with the "search" in research, exploring Northwestern's electronic and print resources, and designing classroom applications integrating information literacy into the science curriculum.

PART I
During the first afternoon teachers worked in pairs to complete a data sheet on "Information Literacy for Science" that required them to use both print and electronic resources available in the science library. They used the information they gathered to create a collage. The media specialist then identified each of the six steps the teachers had completed, making the connection to the Big6(TM) information skills.

PART II
During the second workshop, teachers were given time to work together to develop research assignments integrated into the science curriculum. These ranged from the traditional research paper to creating a travel brochure for travel to a planet. The media specialist and science teacher who led the workshops created a packet of all research assignments for each participant. Teachers commented on the value of the workshops for "making the curriculum connection to information," "emphasizing the skills of synthesis and evaluation," and allowing time for "exploring the resources of the Northwestern High School Library." The media specialist plans to develop similar workshops for other academic departments.
The planning committee met in December to share reports on progress. They discussed ways to assess the project and its impact on student achievement. Plans for follow-up workshops for spring and summer were discussed. Committee members began to discuss the possibilities for replicating the project with other schools.

CONCLUSIONS TO DATE
Administrative support for a project of this type is critical. The deputy superintendent of Ferndale Public Schools and the principal of Northwestern High School served on the planning committee. Their insights and support for the project were instrumental in its success. Their presence reinforced for the teachers and media specialists the importance of information literacy in the high school curriculum and its value to a learning community. Wellversed in both Michigan and national content area standards, the administrators could see the relationship of information literacy standards to core curricular areas. Both administrators indicated their support by being prepared to provide some level of funding should grant money not become available.
Members of the planning committee and participants in the workshops were clear that, although theory would serve as a foundation for the work, they were interested in moving quickly to practical application. While it was helpful to hold the initial workshop at a university site where individuals from various schools could interact, the hands-on workshops are most effective when held at the individual high schools. Participants were eager to apply what they learned to their own situation and to have the opportunity to work with the resources their students would use.
When presented with the opportunity for staff development in methods for integrating information literacy into the curriculum, teachers are often skeptical, but when presented with practical information and the time to investigate possibilities they are eager to learn more. Teachers were quick to see this was not just another "add-on," but that information literacy is part of national and state standards for each curriculum area and can be integrated into the existing curriculum.
Providing released time or curriculum pay for participants allows the time for exploration and planning and also reinforces the value administrators place on the importance of information literacy within the high school curriculum.
To be most effective, planning teams should include an administrator, a library media specialist, and a classroom teacher. Administrative support coupled with the library media specialist's knowledge of information resources and the research process and the classroom teacher's knowledge of curriculum can create a strong partnership for information literacy.
High school teachers are anxious to learn more about information literacy and methods for improving research assignments for their classes. Seventeen Ferndale High School teachers attended a workshop two days before the opening of school, unaware until they All science teachers at Northwestern High School signed up for the after-school workshops when it was anticipated that half that number would be interested.
Allowing adequate time for exploring both print and electronic resources available in the media center is essential. Teachers are often unaware of avaiable resources, may be unsure of how to use technology to access information, and often have little or no experience or opportunity to plan research with their colleagues.
Instructional partnerships between university libraries and high schools can be successful when both partners are given the time and resources for developing collaborative projects with practical application.
ADDED MATERIAL
Janet Nichols (ab6956@wayne.edu) is a former high school library media specialist who is now Instruction/Information Librarian at the David Adamany Undergraduate Library at Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich.

REFERENCES
American Association of School Librarians and Association for Educational Communications and Technology. Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. Chicago, Ill.: American Library Association, 1998.
Eisenberg, Mike, and Spitzer, Kathy. "The Big6: Not Just for Kids!" The Big6(TM) Newsletter, January/February 1998.
"Information Power." Videocassette. Produced by Wayne State University Television, 6 minutes, 1998.