Information Culture and CETYS University WASC Accreditation: the Library as Stakeholder

Abstract

This paper analyzes CETYS (Center for Technical and Higher Education) University’s information culture experiences from the empirical perspective of the librarians. The goal is to analyze the development of information culture (IC) as well as the actions that have been undertaken and the proposals that are yet to be considered to consolidate IC. CETYS is immersed in an educational evolution and has succeeded in meeting the high standards of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC, USA). The institution viewed IC as an element that ought to distinguish and characterize graduates of any academic program that the university offers. IC is considered a seminal element to train professionals to understand their information needs, how to search, evaluate, and use information. The study of the IC outcome is assessed here, relying on the institutional plans and reports for five of the eight objectives where the librarians were involved. These achievements have enabled faculty, students, and librarians to prepare themselves for a cultural change around information.