Academic librarians must adopt information literacy as a priority and accept the responsibility of assisting re-entry women - and other nontraditional students - in acquiring information literacy skills. To assist librarians in this task, this article will examine why women decide to enroll in college, highlight specific educational participation barriers they might experience, and suggest how academic librarians can help re-entry women develop library technical skills and research strategies. An information area for re-entry women inside the library might include fliers on counseling opportunities, workshops, discussion/support groups and the like both on campus and in the community. A videotape about the library and other university services (e.g., child care facilities, career counseling office) would be a good resource for re-entry women students to check out and view at home. Librarians can help build collaborative learning opportunities by introducing new re-entry students to successful senior re-entry students in a bibliographic instruction class. Alumni who were former re-entry students themselves might be good resources; ask them how the library can better serve such students. Although challenging, working with female re-entry students is a rewarding experience. A basic understanding of participation motivators and barriers is helpful when designing instructional programs for this rapidly increasing student group. Effective librarians establish a climate of mutual trust by creating opportunities for learning in a comfortable, nonthreatening atmosphere. Because re-entry women students have varied levels of information literacy skills, academic librarians should consider implementing special programs to address their needs.