Information literacy needs in graduate-level health sciences education.

Purpose: To determine whether incorporating information literacy education through workshops led by library faculty improves students' information literacy skills.

Methods: A series of information literacy initiatives were incorporated into the curriculum of a physician assistant program. Initiatives included two library workshops, class instruction, and a research paper. Assessment included subjective and objective measures of students' information literacy skills and research competencies.

Results: Students' ratings of their skills were significantly higher on the postmeasure (t37 = 2.85, P = .007). The objective measures of these skills revealed an increase from 25% to 65% of the class scoring above 70% correct. Class assignments also revealed an improvement from 10% of the class citing and referencing material correctly at the beginning of the initiative to 80% at the end of the initiative.

Conclusion: Engaging academic library faculty and providing students with guided instruction has a significant positive effect on objective as well as subjective measures of students' skills.