January Member Highlight: INFOhio- Supporting Ohio’s Students Through Digital Resources and Information Literacy

This month we highlight INFOhio, one of our valued members. INFOhio’s work is grounded in the belief that access to quality resources and strong information skills matters for every student. They are always looking for ways to collaborate, share practices, and learn from libraries of all types across Ohio. As part of this effort, INFOhio covers the OhioNet membership dues for all K12 libraries in Ohio. We connected with INFOhio Director Erica Clay to learn more about the great work INFOhio is doing.

Q: Can you tell us about INFOhio and Ohio’s K12 school libraries?  

A: INFOhio is Ohio’s PreK-12 digital library, serving students, educators, and families across the state. Our vision is that each Ohio PreK-12 student has high-quality learning resources for a successful education and future.  

We provide high-quality digital resources at no cost to Ohio’s schools. There are nearly 1.7 million PreK-12 students in Ohio, in all types of schools—including more than 600 public districts, and hundreds more community schools, private schools, parochial or religious schools, and career centers, and even home schools—and all of them can use the digital resources from INFOhio.

We also partner closely with Ohio’s Information Technology Centers (ITCs) to support professional learning, implementation, and local outreach for an affordable school library platform. Ohio’s school libraries are rich with books and other learning materials that help students learn to read, foster a love of reading, and support student development of knowledge across the curriculum and at all grade levels. Ohio’s school libraries are helping Ohio’s students learn and prepare for life beyond high school—whether that leads to enlistment, enrollment, or employment—and in supporting the ITCs, we get to play a role in that too.

Additionally, INFOhio collaborates with statewide partners — like OhioNet! — to strengthen Ohio’s library community. Ohio libraries of all types have robust support agencies and professional organizations they can turn to for professional learning, collaboration, shared purchasing, advocacy, and peer support. We work closely with OELMA, the professional and advocacy organization for school libraries and librarians. We also partner with OhioLINK, OPLIN, and the State Library of Ohio—as Libraries Connect Ohio—to provide digital resources that support Ohioans at all stages of life and learning. 

Q: What exciting new things are happening at INFOhio? 

A: One of INFOhio’s most recent initiatives is the continued development of the Information Literacy Hub. The Hub supports educators as they help students ask strong questions, evaluate sources, use information responsibly, and navigate information environments influenced by emerging technologies, including AI. 

The Hub brings together ready-to-use lessons, frameworks, professional learning materials, and collaborative spaces designed for classroom teachers, school librarians, and instructional leaders. While created with K–12 educators in mind, many of the strategies and approaches translate well across library settings. 

The resources in the hub were curated by Ohio educators, and several collections in the hub were curated by the Source Sleuths. The Source Sleuth project emerged from ILEAD Ohio, which is a multi-type library professional development program that OhioNet supports. 

The Information Literacy Hub also connects users to professional learning communities hosted in INFOhio’s Open Space platform. These communities allow educators and library professionals to connect, share ideas, and learn from one another. The INFOhio Community is open to any Ohio educator or library professional interested in INFOhio resources, and participants may also create their own groups to collaborate around shared interests. Support is always available through INFOhio’s helpdesk.

Another area of growth is INFOhio’s Integration Partner (IPartner) program. The IPartner program connects INFOhio with staff from education agencies across Ohio — including public and academic libraries — who want to deepen their understanding of INFOhio’s digital content and tools and help others use them effectively in PreK–12 learning. 

IPartners extend INFOhio’s reach by sharing updates, delivering trainings, and incorporating INFOhio resources into professional learning. In return, they receive professional development opportunities, early access to updates, and connection to a statewide community of INFOhio trainers. The program is open year-round and reflects INFOhio’s commitment to collaboration across Ohio’s education and library communities. 

Q: What OhioNet benefits would you most recommend K12 members check out?  

A: First, we want every Ohio school librarian to make sure they’ve signed up for their OhioNet account so they’ll be ready for action! Once you’ve got that done, you’ll be able to leverage the valuable benefits OhioNet provides for K–12 libraries including: 

• Discounts on resources and services, which are especially important in today’s budget environment  
• Webinars that offer contact hours, helping school library staff meet licensure requirements while staying current on trends and best practices 
• Opportunities for cross-library collaboration, allowing K–12 librarians to learn from academic and public library colleagues — and share what works in schools  

INFOhio values OhioNet’s role in bringing together library professionals across sectors and supporting professional growth!