Information literacy: what you need to know

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Information literacy what you need to know

• Debbi Boden, and Jane Secker
• CILIP South East Sussex Sub Branch
• GoodBetterBest
• are we as good as we think we are?

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Structure of session

• What is Information Literacy?
• How is it relevant in different sectors of the
  Library world
• What are the current issues?
• How to reach everyone
• Group discussion
• Conclusions

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What do we mean by information literacy?

• CILIP definition
• Information literacy is knowing when and why you
  need information, where to find it, and how to
  evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical
  manner.

http//www.cilip.org.uk/professionalguidance/infor
mationliteracy/definition/
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What do we mean by information literacy?

• In groups of three
• Discuss what information literacy means to you
• Is it a term you are familiar with / comfortable
  with?
• Be prepared to feedback to the rest of the group

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What is Information Literacy?

• Information literacy teaching began in UK in
  1970s
• Has been known as
• library orientation
• bibliographic instruction
• user education
• information skills training

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Information Literacy is of our time

• Digital technology is changing everything
• Web 2.0 technologies (blogs, wikis, social
  software) mean this is the age of the amateur
  everyone can contribute
• However
• It is as absurd to try and solve the problems of
  education by giving people access to information
  as it would be to solve the housing problem by
  giving people access to bricks
• (Diana Laurillard, THES, 2002)

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Information Literacy and schools

• Prescriptive nature of curricula assessment
  criteria
• No time for reflective practice
• Evidence required to demonstrate educational
  benefit
• IL part of the national curriculum - DfES
• Cultural shift

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Information Literacy and FE

• Similar issues to schools prescriptive nature
  of the curriculum
• Lack of resources
• Open source VLE - Moodle

9
Information Literacy and HE

• The term probably most familiar to librarians in
  HE
• Many librarians have been teaching information
  skills for many years
• SCONUL 7 pillars an important model

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Information literacy in public libraries

• Libraries and the Peoples Network the
  technology in place but is the support?
• Silver surfers classes
• IT / IL distinction
• Digital citizenship
• Staff development POP-i

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Information literacy in the commercial sector

• A lot of companies concerned at graduate skills
• Need to ensure their staff have information
  literacy skills linked to Knowledge Management
• Unilever doing a lot of work in this area but
  there are others

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Some current issues

• Are librarians qualified to teach? What skills do
  we need?
• Is there a line between IL and academia who
  should teach information literacy?
• How to you distinguish between IL and IT skills
  and should you?
• How do we tackle the digital divide?
• What impact does Web 2.0 and other new
  technologies have on information literacy?

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How to reach everybody?

• Online tutorials, either in VLEs or on the web
• Inquiry based learning, research modules
• Librarians as facilitators or partners
• Are the skills required to be a good facilitator
  different?
• Do we need to be strategic in our approach?
• Possible drivers?

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Discussion

• If librarians are going to teach, what skills do
  they need?
• What should library schools be teaching new
  graduates?
• Is this just a HE issue?
• What role is there teaching IL for librarians in
  other sectors?

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The Alexandra Proclamation Nov 2005

• Information Literacy lies at the core of
  lifelong learning
• Life long learning enables individuals,
  communities and nations to attain their goals and
  to take advantage of emerging opportunities in
  the evolving global environment for shared
  benefit. It assists them and their institutions
  to meet technological, economic and social
  challenges, to redress disadvantage and to
  advance the well being of all.

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• Jonathan Douglas
• Information Literacy is more than a library or
  education issue. It is crucial to issues of
  economic development, health, citizenship and
  quality of life.

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Contact details

• Debbi Boden d.boden_at_imperial.ac.uk
• Jane Secker j.secker_at_lse.ac.uk
• LILAC 2006 website http//www.cilip.org.uk/specia
  linterestgroups/bysubject/informationliteracy/lila
  c/lilac2006
• CILIP CSG-IL Group website http//www.cilip.org.u
  k/specialinterestgroups/bysubject/informationliter
  acy

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What to find out more?

• Date for your diaries!
• LILAC 2007
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• 26th-28th March 2007
• More information at
• http//www.cilip.org.uk/specialinterestgroups/bysu
  bject/informationliteracy/lilac/lilac2007