Librarian-Psychologist Partnership: A librarian Anne Marie Casey (at left) and a Psychologist Lana Ivanitskaya (at right), along with several of their CMU colleagues, have spent over five years designing an interactive online Research Readiness Self-Assessment (RRSA). It measures Information Age competencies-ability to find and evaluate digital information, understanding of plagiarism, reliance on general search engines for most academic searches, etc. RRSA is geared toward research done by consumers who must find and critically evaluate secondary source information. Research Readiness Self-Assessment (RRSA): The RRSA was created in order to assess and provide feedback based on a skill core that is essential to critical thinking and lifelong learning in a variety of subject areas. Many information literacy assessments only measure knowledge and skills, either self-reported or objective. A comprehensive RRSA tool measures and provides feedback not only on objective skills and knowledge but also on beliefs that are strongly related to information literacy. Presently, an interdisciplinary version (RRSA-lib) and a Health Professions version (RRSA-hp) are available. Their questions have been evaluated for validity and reliability. International versions of RRSA were designed to gather data in Canada, India, China, and Taiwan. Over 3,000 learners from multiple educational institutions have completed RRSA since 2001. Partner Profiles: Lana Ivanitskaya, Ph.D. is an Industrial and Organizational Psychologist trained in the design and implementation of skill and knowledge assessments. She is an Associate Professor, Doctor of Health Administration Program, Department of Health Sciences in the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions at Central Michigan University (CMU). Prior to her faculty appointment, she directed the Center for Adult Learning in the College of Extended Learning at CMU. Lana earned her Master's Degree in Education from Moscow State Pedagogical University in 1994, M. A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from CMU in 1997 and Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from CMU in 1999. Anne Marie Casey has been Associate Dean of Libraries at Central Michigan University (CMU) since July 2002. Prior to this, she worked for three years as Director of Off-Campus Library Services (OCLS) at CMU and earlier as an off-campus librarian for OCLS for seven and one half years, serving CMU students in the western, southern and Mid Atlantic regions of the U.S., as well as those in Canada and Mexico. In addition, she served as coordinator for the 6th (1993) and 7th (1995) Off-Campus Library Services Conferences and has assisted in the coordination of more recent conferences. Before coming to Central Michigan University, Anne Marie worked for National University Library from 1987-1991, the Springfield (MA) City Library from 1985-1987, and the Dupre Library at the University of Southwestern Louisiana from 1982-1985. Anne Marie received an A.M.L.S. from the University of Michigan in 1981, an M.A. in Medieval Studies from the Catholic University of America in 1979, and a B.A. in Classics and Irish Studies from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 1977. She has been active in the Distance Learning Section of ACRL since 1993 and has held several committee appointments and served as Secretary in 1995-96 and Chair in 2001-2002. She has been active in the Michigan Library Association since 2002 and is currently an elected member of the Board of Directors as well as Sponsorship Chair for the 2007 MLA Conference. Selected Publications: Beehr, T. A., Ivanitskaya, L., Hansen, C. P., Erofeev, D., & Gudanowski, D. M. (2001). Evaluation of 360 degree feedback ratings: Relationships with each other and with performance and selection predictors. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 22(7), 775-788. Burich, N. J., Casey, A. M., Devlin, F. A., & Ivanitskaya, L. (2006). Project management and institutional collaboration in libraries. Technical Services Quarterly, 24(1), 17-36. Ivanitskaya, L., Laus, R., & Casey, A. M. Research Readiness Self-Assessment: Assessing students' research skills and attitudes. In The Eleventh Off-Campus Library Services Conference Proceedings: Scottsdale, Arizona, May 5 -7, 2004, edited by Patrick B. Mahoney. Mount Pleasant, MI: Central Michigan University, 2004, 125-136. Re-printed in Journal of Library Administration: Ivanitskaya, L., Laus, R., & Casey, A. M. (2004). Research Readiness Self-Assessment: Assessing Students' Research Skills and Attitudes. Journal of Library Administration, 41(1/2), 167-183. Ivanitskaya, L., O'Boyle, I., & Casey, A. M. (2006). Health information literacy and competencies of Information Age students: Results from the interactive online Research Readiness Self-Assessment (RRSA). Journal of Medical Internet Research, 8(2):e6. URL: http://www.jmir.org/2006/2/e6/ Weblinks: JMIR publication: http://www.jmir.org/2006/2/e6/ Research highlights: http://www.chp.cmich.edu/hsc/docs/pulse-page13.pdf (.pdf) RRSA, interdisciplinary version: http://ocls.cmich.edu/cgi-bin/rrsahp.cgi/ RRSA, health version: http://ocls.cmich.edu/cgi-bin/rrsalib.cgi/ Contact Information: Lana Ivanitskaya Faculty School of Health Sciences Health Professions 1205 (989) 774-1639 ivani1sv@cmich.edu Anne Marie Casey Assoc Dean/Libraries Libraries - Dean's Office Park Library 407c (989) 774-6421 casey1am@cmich.edu

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Dr. Lana Jackman
Sharon Weiner
Co-Chairs, National Forum on Information Literacy