2. Is frequent use of the library associated with greater gains in information literacy?
What does the library contribute to other desired outcomes of college?
3. Finally, how does student use of library resources affect their engagement with
effective educational practices? That is, are students who frequent the library
more likely to report increased contact with faculty members inside and outside
the classroom? Are they more likely to talk with peers about substantive topics
such as social, political, and economic issues?
Serious conversations with other students may be an indicator of the extent to which
a college’s general education program animates lively discussions beyond the classroom
and initiates debates on new topics. Moreover, the more engaged students are in these
and other educationally purposeful activities, the more likely they are to engage fully
in productive activities after college, including civic participation and so on.