The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and Academic Programming for Future Bound College Students: A Case Study of Academic Library Outreach

This case study centers on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as a topical anchor for information literacy instruction at a private Catholic university. The study describes the curricular goals and programming for two instructional programs designed by academic librarians for pre-college students. Both programs are components of larger partnerships with campus and community groups. Since the academic literature reviewed on the topic reveals that most scholarship is about how libraries and librarianship can embody or promote the SDGs, the value of a study detailing academic library partnerships with pre-college communities is in showing how the SDGs can inform information literacy pedagogy. Connecting information literacy instruction to the SDGs presents a set of ideas and ideals shared by people all over the world and provides a sense of connection to worldwide events. The chapter reveals how teaching around the SDGs is scalable, allowing librarians to present at a depth and scope appropriate to the age and skill set of their students. The librarians provide suggestions for other institutions that might want to adopt these activities. By using the SDGs as an instructional anchor, librarians hope to inculcate this core value in future college students, who will be tomorrow’s global citizens.