The purpose of the Project for Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (SAILS) has been to develop an instrument for programmatic level assessment of information literacy skills that is valid and thus credible to university administrators and other academic personnel. This survey is a tool to measure information literacy that:

• Is standardized
• Contains itmes not specificto a particular institution or library
• Is easily administered
• Has been proven valid and reliable
• Assesses at institutional level
• Provides for both external and internal benchmarking

Miami University Libraries will be administering the survey from September 6, 2003 until October, 17, 2003. It’s possible we will continue in the second semester.

Miami University libraries needs to gather 200-500 students over the age of 18 to participate in the SAILS project. We’ve decided to target those classes which have received bibliographic instruction. We would also like a wide spectrum of representation from as many disciplines and levels (first year through senior) as possible. We need you to ask have your students participate by taking the test in one of the following three ways: :

• Allow class time for their students to take the test. The survey takes approximately 15 – 20 minutes. We realize that this may be unrealistic for some classes, especially for 50 minute classes. You also may not wish the class to take the survey directly after your bibliographic session. However, if this is the option you use, you would need to read a paragraph (provided by the SAILS group) of simple directions to the class and provide the class with the url to the survey.


• Encourage the students to come to one of the open labs in the Kamm room in King Library. As an incentive, you could give your students extra credit for participating. We can verify attendance for you.. Provision also can be made for those students who are under 18 to also receive extra credit, even though they cannot contribute to the survey’s data collection.

Open labs will be held at the following times:

Tuesday	September 23	3:30-5:30
Wednesday	October 1	3:00 -5:00
Monday	October 6	5:00-7:00
Tuesday	October 7	5:00 -7:00

• Allow students to take the test on their own, through a web address you will provide in class. This is the least desirable method, as the originators of the survey, Kent State, would like to have the survey environment more closely monitored.

Students will be given a url, read and accept or reject the survey. A random selection of 45 questions from a selecton of about 145 will be assembled for them to answer. At the completion of the survey, they will be asked to fill out an entry form for a drawing for prizes.

For more information contact:
Cindy Mader | maderc@lib.muohio.edu | 529-7203
Andy Farler | farlerac@lib.muohio.edu | 529-2884