by Ann Kaste
Quick Summary
A two-phase research project is currently underway to evaluate how well Minnesota students are prepared for the fast paced media and information environment they enter after high school.
Funded by a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant through the Minnesota Department of Education and the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and a state allocation to the Multicounty Multitype Library Systems, this study seeks to understand the media and information literacy skills of Minnesota students entering post secondary environments.
Phase 1: Faculty Perspectives
In Fall 2025, a team of Minnesota librarians* partnered with Wilder Research to survey and interview faculty members across the state who teach first-year post secondary students. Survey questions were guided by the ITEM Standards. With nearly 45% of faculty identifying significant weaknesses in how students evaluate source credibility, professors are increasingly reallocating class time to teach foundational skills like information synthesis and AI navigation. The faculty attributed these weaknesses to inconsistent academic preparation in Kā€“12 settings, which has left students without the media literacy skills that they need before leaving high school.
These findings are mirrored by data and research from the State Library Servicesā€™ 2024ā€“25 School Library Status Report. Currently, Minnesota ranks 46th nationally in school library staffing. Over 250,000 students in the state lack access to a licensed school library media specialist, leaving many without the dedicated instruction needed to master digital citizenship and technology innovation before reaching college.
The findings and policy recommendations were shared with the Education Finance Committee on Library Legislative Day by representatives from Wilder and MLA/ITEM and can be viewed in the Policy Brief and Full Report.
Phase 2
While Phase 1 focused on faculty observations, in Phase 2 the team will conduct a direct assessment of student media literacy skills to evaluate their ability to navigate the modern media landscape. This data will be instrumental in determining next steps to ensure every Minnesota student is ready to make informed judgements about the media, news, and information they create and consume. We will share the full results of the Phase 2 student assessment as they become available.
*Thank you to the Study Team Members:
- Ashley Dress, SELS Librarian for School Media Centers
- Casey Duevel, Department Chairperson and Reference Coordinator / Reference Librarian at Minnesota State University, Mankato
- Mariya Gyendina, Assessment Librarian University of Minnesota Twin Cities
- Johnna Horton, Executive Director at PALS
- Ann Kaste, Outreach and Instruction Librarian, Minitex
- Jenna Pomraning, State School Librarian, Minnesota Department of Education
- Lacey Rotier, Assistant Professor and School Library Media Specialist Program Coordinator Master's of Library and Information Science Program St. Catherine University.
- Stephanie Sparrow, Assistant Librarian, Sciences, Agriculture, and Engineering, University of Minnesota Duluth
- Jenny Turner, Teaching & Learning Coordinator, Graduate Faculty Librarian
