About Us

People of all ages need to develop their own systems for navigating and managing the information-rich environment of today's world. Those who have the ability to find, evaluate, and use information effectively achieve greater success. They enjoy increased access to basic services, job opportunities, academic achievement, and a richer quality of life. Like good reading skills, information literacy is a natural fit--and a vital service--for libraries of all types.

In December 2003, representatives of multitype libraries formed a team to develop tools to assist librarians in their information literacy role.  This Library Services and Technology Act grant project developed a model for "the ultimate pathfinder" and  a template for pathfinders from that model.  A series of "train the trainer" workshops showed librarians how to use the template to create their own pathfinders and then how to translate those pathfinders into short "classes" for their patrons, to model and practice information literacy skills.

The Pathfinder Project website was developed to share the pathfinders created from the template, provide a web-based template for creating new pathfinders, and a toolkit to assist in the creation of pathfinders.

The Pathfinder Project Team:

Karen Burns, Southwest Iowa Library Service Area--Project Coordinator
Ann Coulter, Southwestern Community College
Deanna Etherington, Area Education Agency 13
Roy Kenagy, Central Iowa Library Service Area
Bonnie McKewon, Northwest Library Service Area
David Netz, Dordt College
Beth Marie Quanbeck, Central Iowa Library Service Area
Carole Stanger, Atlantic Public Library
Gwen Vos, Dordt College
Marilyn Weber, Area Education Agency 13

THE Pathfinder Project
Funded in part by Library Services and Technology Act money administered through the State Library of Iowa
About Us  ¦  Pathfinders  ¦  Create a Pathfinder  ¦  Tool Kit  ¦  Submit a Pathfinder