scholarly journals Information literacy instruction in public libraries

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Miriam Louise Matteson ◽  
Beate Gersch
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Effective Instruction ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Instructional Interactions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Librarians

Extending from existing research on how public libraries offer information literacy (IL) instruction through classes or programs, the purpose of this research was to explore how public librarians provide IL instruction through individual interactions with patrons. US public librarians recorded their impressions of instructional interactions over a five-day period using an online diary instrument. Key findings were that public librarians incorporate a range of IL concepts in their interactions with patrons, across a wide variety of expressed information needs, with most of the instruction directed toward helping patrons plan their information tasks, access information, and judge information. Secondary themes showed that although librarians believed strongly in the value and importance of providing instruction, individual and situational factors presented barriers to effective instruction. This research contributes to an understanding of how IL instruction in public library settings differs from school and academic library settings and raises some questions around the need for instructional resources focused more specifically around the needs of the public library to facilitate effective instruction.

scholarly journals How do public librarians constitute information literacy?

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 473-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Demasson ◽  
Helen Partridge ◽  
Christine Bruce
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Social World ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Phenomenographic Study ◽  
Public Librarians ◽  
New Evidence

The public library has historically been entrusted with the design and delivery of services and programmes aimed at supporting the information literacy needs of the community-at-large. However, despite that central role little research has been devoted to understanding the ways in which public librarians, the conduit between the programme and the public, constitute the very concept (information literacy) they are delivering. This study has sought to redress that inequity by way of a phenomenographic study into the ways in which public librarians constitute information literacy. Data was collected via 20 semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with public librarians working in Queensland, Australia. The study revealed that the respondents constituted information literacy in four ways, as: intellectual process, technical skills, navigating the social world and gaining the desired result. Those findings and the attending study will help to provide a new evidence base that assists in the design and delivery of activities supporting future information literacy endeavors in the nation’s public libraries.

The Role of the Public Library in Developing Canadians’ Information Literacy Skills

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Julien ◽  
Reegan Breu
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
The Public ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
Public Librarians

This paper reports on a national survey of information literacy (IL) instruction in urban and rural public libraries, and public librarians’ attitudes towards these services. The survey is the first phase of a study exploring the actual and potential role of Canadian public libraries in developing the public’s IL skills.Cette étude présente un sondage national sur les programmes de connaissances informationnelles (CI) dans les bibliothèques publiques urbaines et rurales et les attitudes des bibliothécaires envers ces services. Le sondage constitue la première étape d’une étude exploratoire sur le rôle réel et potentiel des bibliothèques publiques canadiennes dans le développement des connaissances informationnelles (CI) du public. 

Influence of Information Literacy Competencies on Users of the Saulsville Public Library, South Africa

Mousaion ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rexwhite Tega Enakrire ◽  
Isaac Mpho Mothiba
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Information Discovery ◽  
Information Literacy Competencies

Information literacy competencies indicate the ability of an individual to apply a certain search strategy of information discovery, to understand its design, to value judgement, and to use it in various contents and contexts. The influence of information literacy competencies plays an important role in enabling information users to meet their information needs and prepares them for lifelong learning. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of information literacy competencies of users in the Saulsville public library, South Africa. The rationale was a lack of awareness and the inability of the users to find their information needs based on the task and decision at hand. The descriptive survey design adopted for this study made use of a questionnaire to collect data from 1 120 registered members of the Saulsville library. Of the 1 120 registered users being the population for the study, the authors purposively used 10 per cent (112 members) of the population as sample size. The findings revealed that users of the Saulsville public library had limited awareness and competencies of information literacy. The users were exposed to some form of library orientation and the use of library resources during their visit to the library. The findings further indicated that the users’ information literacy competencies were affirmed through the quality of information obtained and the satisfaction of library services rendered by library staff. The study recommends the acquisition of new technologies that could enhance users’ interactive information literacy training in public libraries and formal education settings.  

Immaterial labour, public librarians, and third-generation public libraries

2016 ◽  
Vol 117 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 186-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siobhan A Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Future ◽  
Public Librarians ◽  
Policy Arena ◽  
Blind Spots

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to draw attention to one specific upper-level government policy document in which a discourse of perpetual innovation and customer service is promoted, and the kinds of questions such discursive interventions raise for the future of work in public libraries; and second, to demonstrate the explanatory potential of the concept of immaterial labour for questions relating to emerging labour processes in libraries. The concepts of “prosumer” and Web 2.0 are included as discursive resources of relevance to any discussion of immaterial labour. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents a critical discourse analysis of a public policy visioning document for public libraries in Ontario, Canada, with reflections on related literatures. Findings – The concept of immaterial labour provides an additional analytic tool suitable for questions of relevance to public librarians and library scholars. Within the government text under review which deals specifically with the future of the public library to 2020, the identity of the public librarian is alarmingly absent. Conversely, the library patron as a producer and consumer is privileged. Research limitations/implications – Failure to attend to the broader policy arena within which the public library resides creates dangerous blind spots for public library professionals, educators and researchers. Practical implications – This paper demonstrates the value of a discourse analysis for uncovering the ideological dimensions of policy documents, while simultaneously modelling the method using the kind of policy text commonly produced in governments around the world. Social implications – This paper shows how failure to attend to the broader policy arena within which the public library resides creates dangerous blind spots for the public library community. Originality/value – This paper contextualizes the immaterial and volunteer labour of the public library user as producer/consumer in the context of the future of the frontline professional and waged librarian.

Fulfilling information needs by classifying complex patron needs

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles R. Senteio ◽  
Kaitlin E. Montague ◽  
Stacy Brody ◽  
Kristen B. Matteucci
Keyword(s):  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Classification Model ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Complex Information ◽  
Public Librarians ◽  
Search And Selection

Purpose This paper aims to describe how public librarians can better address complex information needs. First, librarians should classify the degree of complexity of the need by using Warner’s classification model; then they can use Popper’s three world theory to anticipate and respond to complex information needs by following specific steps. Design/methodology/approach After examining the information science literature, appropriate models were selected to support public librarians. Our information science scholarship, coupled with our practical experience, informed our search and selection. Findings This paper details specific steps that public librarians can take to anticipate and respond to individual information needs. Doing so is imperative as the information needs of the public continue to become increasingly complex. Originality/value This paper improves information practice because it offers specific steps to aid public librarians to anticipate and respond to complex information needs. It draws upon an existing model and theoretical framework. This paper also highlights selected examples of how public librarians across the USA have anticipated information needs, and developed partnerships with organizations external to the public library to address complex information needs.

Increasing or decreasing reading trend: an overview of the current status of the public libraries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Rafi ◽  
Khurshid Ahmad ◽  
Zheng Jian Ming
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Neolithic Period ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Government

PurposeAs the human race moved from the Paleolithic to the current phases of the Neolithic period, the learning process developed from inscriptions on stones to clay tablets, from papyrus to papers and, ultimately, to digital technology. From ancient times to the present, public libraries have become open universities that are more democratic in the provision of educational and information services and the preservation of cultural heritage, regardless of gender and belief. This study attempts to understand reading trends and the use of citizens’ resources in public libraries in the age of technology as an open university.Design/methodology/approachThe data for this study on regular visitors, permanent library members, and information on the library inventory was collected from each public library administration through personal visits and interviews. In addition, data on regional population and literacy rates were collected from the Government of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Bureau of Statistics. The authors used descriptive statistics to analyze data for comparative studies.FindingsThe results show that daily visitors, regular library members and their use of library resources are decreasing compared to the literacy rate in each district. It was also concluded that, due to a lack of education and training in the area of information and digital literacy, the accessed database resources are not used properly. Moreover, each densely populated district relies on a single public library to meet general education and information needs.Practical implicationsThe results of this study will help the government expand the network of public libraries at the union council level with competent working staff to increase general motivation to improve reading and resource usage trends. Given the current literacy and population growth in each district, the law on the public library can also be amended and implemented to support the existing library system better and create more libraries in the public interest.Originality/valueThis study was conducted for the first time to determine the current state of public libraries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to help public library authorities improve their existing public library service status based on the results.

Redeploying public librarians to the front-lines: prioritizing digital inclusion

2016 ◽  
Vol 65 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 370-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siobhan A. Stevenson ◽  
Caleb Domsy
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Librarians ◽  
Public Librarian

Purpose This paper aims to draw attention to the quiet, if inadvertent, disappearance of the front-line public librarian, as libraries make difficult organizational choices in the struggle to survive the relentless pressures to cut costs on one side while supporting a market ethos of customer service on the other. Design/methodology/approach Informed by the preliminary findings of a pan-Canadian study of labour in large urban public libraries and a review of professional and academic literatures dealing with contemporary service trends, four models/proposals [(1) participative, (2) community-led, (3) managerial/leadership and (4) digital inclusion] are critically reviewed with respect to their positioning of the front-line professional librarian. Findings The paper concludes with an argument in favor of one of these proposals because it supports the relevance of public librarians in service to their communities while remaining true to the democratic aspirations of this vital public service within our increasingly complex information societies. Research limitations/implications The implication of this work is that by drawing our attention to the contradictions inherent within contemporary and popular library initiatives, the disconnect between formal education and professional practice is highlighted, thus providing a foundation for new empirical research into the changing nature of waged work (professional and non-professional) in public libraries. Practical implications Failure to situate the professional public librarian strategically and unambiguously within the rapidly evolving roles of the public library has implications for LIS educators, employers and, as significantly, current and future students. Social implications Despite the high rates of connectivity among Western nations and the increasing sophistication of their populations, the digital divide persists among a growing urban and rural underclass. Building, maintaining and promoting a strong and accessible municipal information infrastructure, one could argue, is what public librarianship is all about. Originality/value This paper’s identification and critical review of the four dominant service models proposed for the present public library represents the first time that these literatures have been assembled together and critically interrogated for their implications for the work of public librarians. Given the importance of the question “what is the future role of the public library”, a critical analysis of the key contenders is a necessary exercise, as is shifting the subject of the conversation away from the customer and onto the professional public librarian.

Implementation of information literacy programmes in public libraries

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Kingori ◽  
Dorothy Njiraine ◽  
Stephen Maina
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
National Library ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Major Player

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the implementation of information literacy programmes in the public libraries in Kenya as demonstrated through a case study of the major public library in the country – Kenya National Library Service (KNLS). Design/methodology/approach The use of a case study research design made it possible to establish in-depth personal views, opinions and attitudes of the various respondents through face-to-face interviews and questionnaires. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to collect data from the respondents. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used, and data were analyzed. Findings Major findings of this study indicated that the majority of users at the KNLS relied heavily on the print information materials, while some users, especially researchers, utilized the Internet for their academic work or research. The findings indicated that information literacy should be embedded in the information literacy programmes in all public libraries. Research limitations/implications The study was confined to the KNLS. A much wider scope could be untenable, necessitating such limitation. Practical implications As KNLS is the national library charged with the responsibility of providing public library services, it is a major player in terms of policies and guidelines. The study will encourage users in public libraries to appreciate the importance of information resources and also sensitize public library administrators to support information literacy programmes. Social implications The study will enable the educational administrators to develop and plan relevant instructional models related to information literacy, critical thinking and independent learning. The challenges and solutions experienced at the KNLS can be applied in other public libraries in Kenya. Originality/value The study identified the various gaps and challenges that exists in implementation of information literacy programmes in public libraries. Major recommendations of this study are: users should be provided with training on use of information resources; library staff should be provided with methodology skills to make them effective trainers; and public libraries should partner with other stakeholders to provide information literacy programmes. In addition, adequate funding for physical, material and human resources should be provided to facilitate the implementation of information literacy programmes in the public libraries in Kenya.

scholarly journals Librarian’s Information Literacy Skills to Fulfilling Library Users' Needs A Public Library in Bogor, Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Alfia Hasanah ◽  
Margareta Aulia Rachman
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Library Science ◽  
The Public ◽  
Component Selection ◽  
Library Users ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
The City

Background of the study: literacy skills of librarianPurpose: This study aims to identify the information literacy skills of librarians in meeting the information needs a user at the public library in the city of Bogor.Method: This study used a qualitative approach with the case study method. Data were collected through observation and interview. The informants of six people selected using purposive sampling, with the criteria set librarian of Library Science education. Information literacy models used in this study are a model Empowering Eight, consisting of identification, exploration, selection, organization, creation, presentation, assessment and application information..Findings: The results showed that the information literacy librarian at the public library in the city of Bogor in meeting the information needs user already applied include a component on the identification, exploration, presentation, assessment, and application.Conclusion: There are some capabilities that cannot be applied to the maximum, including component selection, organization and creation of information.

scholarly journals An elephant in the room?

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Hackett
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Text Analysis ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Active Citizenship ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
The Public ◽  
Information Skills

Despite its recognised role in education, lifelong learning and active citizenship, the term information literacy (IL) is rarely used in the context of public libraries. At a time when public libraries are operating in an environment of financial austerity and are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the value of their role in UK society, this paper presents the findings of a small-scale research project examining the narratives surrounding public libraries and IL. Through a qualitative text analysis, a picture is built up of the roles of public libraries as presented by government, professional organisations and charitable organisations. This analysis shows that IL is not a concept explicitly associated with public libraries; that the government’s focus is on public libraries’ role in delivering digital inclusion while at the same time depicting a largely passive role for libraries and diminished role for professional library staff; and that while current library advocacy supports this digital role, it does not effectively address the deeper need for transferrable information skills. Based on this analysis, this paper recommends greater collaboration between academic research, higher education, and the public library sector, with a view to fostering a better understanding of IL and its potential to create a wider, more educationally-focussed role for public libraries and their staff.

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