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.  

Harnessing Indigenous Knowledge through Community Involvement in Public Libraries in South Africa

Libri ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-303
Author(s):  
Maned Mhlongo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Structured Interviews

AbstractPublic libraries exist to serve the information needs of communities, meaning their services need to be reflective of those served communities. However, the literature points to under-usage of libraries among indigenous communities in South Africa, and suggests that the perceived irrelevance of libraries could be a contributing factor. The argument made in this article is for the involvement of communities in planning and implementing services, to enhance awareness, relevance and use of libraries. Such involvement would also provide a space for communities to contribute content based on their indigenous knowledge. In this qualitative multiple case study of purposively selected provincial library services in South Africa, data were collected using semi-structured interviews with library heads. The data were coded and categorised according to themes derived from the stated research questions. The findings show a disjuncture between the interpretation and application of the concept of community involvement – a misalignment that has a negative impact on the ability of libraries to provide inclusive services. A framework for community involvement is suggested as a way of enhancing the synergy between community information needs and public library service provision. The proposed framework identifies indigenous communities, libraries and archival institutions as key stakeholders in harnessing indigenous knowledge. It is recommended that a similar study be conducted with community librarians where the nuances of communities can be unveiled, given that the current participants were heads of library services.

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 Public Libraries Stepping into the Gap?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genevieve Hart
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Literacy Education ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Disadvantaged Community ◽  
The Public ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

The paper describes an investigation of school learners' use of the two public libraries in a disadvantaged community on the outskirts of Cape Town. Over 850 school learners were interviewed using a structured questionnaire in late October 2002. The study supports claims that public libraries in South Africa are having to compensate for the shortage of school libraries and are playing a crucial role in formal education. It recommends that this reality be recognised by the libraries' governance structures, by provincial and local government authorities, and, above all, by national and provincial education authorities. Questions are, however, asked about the capacity of the public libraries for an enhanced role in information literacy education.

Exploring the Integration of Indigenous Knowledge Into Public Library Services With an Inclusive Intent Using a Critical Theory Lens

2020 ◽  
pp. 266-285
Author(s):  
Maned Mhlongo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Critical Theory ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Regulatory Frameworks ◽  
Multiple Case

Despite legislative and regulatory frameworks that have paved the way for transformation and inclusivity of public libraries in South Africa, there seems to be little or no integration of indigenous knowledge (IK). The exclusion of IK from public library services has potential to counteract efforts towards the provision of inclusive services. This chapter demonstrates how critical theory was used as a lens in a multiple case study that explored the integration of indigenous knowledge (IK) into services of public libraries in South Africa. Looking at the articulation of IK, services that are provided to ensure inclusivity, and issues that impact on IK integration in public libraries, semi-structured interviews were conducted from purposefully selected heads of provincial library services in South Africa. Thematic analysis was used. Using critical theory to frame the analysis, findings indicate understanding of aspects of IK including its oral nature. A paucity of engagement with IK as an aspect of inclusive service provision was noted.

scholarly journals Going beyond the 'library': the current work of the Scottish Information Literacy Project

2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (102) ◽  
pp. 29-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Caskie Crawford ◽  
Christine Irving
Keyword(s):  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Media Literacy ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Current Work ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Literacy Training ◽  
National Information

Reviews briefly the origins of the Scottish Information Literacy Project from its origins in 2004 as a project solely devoted to developing a National Information Literacy Framework for Scotland to the present time. The project now encompasses workplace information literacy, the skills agenda, lifeong learning and media literacy. The article concentrates on current activity: the restructuring of the first draft of the Framework to make it a genuine lifelong learning document and the pursuit of the workplace agenda, following a successful research project. This now focuses strongly on having information literacy recognised as an essential workplace skill. Work is also being undertaken with public library partners to develop information literacy training in public libraries. The policy implications of the work are reviewed.

scholarly journals How can you tell if it’s working? Recent developments in impact evaluation and their implications for information literacy practice.

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Markless ◽  
David Streatfield
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Impact Evaluation ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Literacy Practice ◽  
Programme Theory ◽  
Literacy Support ◽  
Library Impact

This paper surveys the (patchy and uneven) advances in LIS impact evaluation over the past ten years and notes the surge forward in public library impact evaluation, before looking more broadly at international and educational impact evaluation scene and noting the advance of programme-theory driven approaches. The authors then identify various trends drawn from the wider evaluation discourse that they think are likely to be relevant to information literacy (IL) practitioners, academic staff, employers and others who are concerned with impact evaluation of IL work.The trends identified are:growing clarity about the levels of evaluation expertise needed to deliver information literacy support from the perspectives of leaders of LIS education programmes, staff of academic institutions, library leaders and managers and IL practitioners,growing interest in more inclusive or democratic approaches to impact evaluationthe limitations of the simple logic model of evaluationre-purposing of existing data to meet new evaluation needscollecting and presenting stories of change as impact evaluation evidence.Implications for IL practitioners are offered in relation to each of these trends. The authors then predict that over the next ten years there will be a strong focus on whether IL interventions are having an impact in combating misinformation and disinformation; more systematic and sustained approaches to IL impact evaluation in the health and higher education sectors but less so in some school libraries and other settings. They think that the more proactive public libraries will adopt IL evaluation approaches, that workplace IL will continue to depend upon the organisational culture, and that research on information seeking in context will shed light on evaluation priorities. Finally, they hope that future IL work will be underpinned by programme theory-based evaluation. 

scholarly journals “Don’t They Know How Important It Is?”

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genevieve Hart
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Study Finding ◽  
Literacy Education ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Observation Study ◽  
Educational Role

The paper comes out of a month-long case study of information literacy education in two public libraries in a small South African town in the rural province of Mpumalanga, undertaken in October 2004. The participant observation study is the second phase of a twophase mixed methods study, which explores the capacity of public libraries in South Africa for information literacy education – in the context of the dire shortage of school libraries. The focus in the second phase is on the connections between public libraries and schools. However, the relations between the two libraries and their staff members are found to impact on these relations - with the study finding that historical context impacts significantly on library programming. The paper concentrates, however, on just two threads of enquiry: the views of teachers and principals in the seven schools of the town on the educational role of libraries as revealed in interviews; and pupils’ use of the two public libraries in seeking information for their school assignments. The study reveals a lack of cognizance of the high level demands of information-seeking in libraries among the teachers. They tend to see the library as a warehouse from which things are “fetched”. The study finds a paradox – a gulf certainly exists between the public libraries and schools but the gulf comes from shared limited conceptions of the educational role of public libraries and of information literacy. The intense gaze of the participant observation contributes a nuanced understanding of the challenges for information literacy education in South Africa.

scholarly journals Homeless Patrons Utilize the Library for More than Shelter but Public Library Services Are Not Designed with Them in Mind

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 174-175
Author(s):  
Samantha J. Kaplan
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Homeless People ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Convenience Sample

A Review of: Dowdell, L., & Liew, C. L. (2019). More than a shelter: Public libraries and the information needs of people experiencing homelessness. Library & Information Science Research, 41(4), 100984. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2019.100984 Abstract Objective – The study sought to examine the information seeking behavior of homeless patrons and how public libraries meet the needs of homeless patrons. Design – Qualitative phenomenological study. Setting – Public libraries in New Zealand. Subjects – Four homeless patrons who were current library patrons and seven public library workers (senior managers and two front line workers). Methods – Purposive convenience sample of homeless patrons and library workers to participate in face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. The study utilized Creswell's four-step data analysis spiral to produce a synthesis. Main Results – Homeless patrons utilize public libraries for far more than daytime shelter, patronizing the collections, and accessing services. The participating libraries did not have existing policies, practices, services, or staff designed for the needs and wants of homeless people, however, current offerings largely met the needs of homeless patrons. Conclusion – Homeless people use public libraries much like non-homeless patrons and public libraries could develop specialized offerings for them, though they must take care to do so in a way that does not further marginalize this group. Additional research is needed to understand why some homeless people do not utilize the libraries. 

scholarly journals Farmers’ Information Literacy and Productivity Performance of Smallholder Horticulture in a Highland Zone, Kenya

2020 ◽  
pp. 89-99
Author(s):  
Nelly Chebet Sang ◽  
Joseph Kipkorir Cheruiyot
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Organizational Skills ◽  
And Performance

The horticulture sub-sector contributes substantially to the Kenyan economy, but smallholder productivity is low. This study investigated the role of information literacy on smallholder horticultural productivity performance in a lower highland zone of Belgut Sub-county, Kericho County, Kenya. The study used descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected between January and April 2019. Smallholder horticulture farmers who previously participated in a program; NALEP, in Belgut Sub-county were purposely selected and interviewed. Data was collected from 31 respondents through face-to-face household interviews using pre-tested semi-structured interview schedules and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Descriptive statistics were utilized to document the farmers’ information sources. Associations between attributes were analyzed by running Goodman and Kruskals’ gamma and Somers’ d. Findings indicated that the smallholder horticulture farmers obtained horticultural information mostly from the public extension, but also from private companies, NGOs/FBOs, mass media, and other farmers. Farmers’ level of formal education, organizational skills, accounting, and farming skills; as indicators of information literacy, showed moderate strength of relationship with productivity and profitability (Gamma = 0.200 to 0.563) but showed mixed strength with horticultural produce quality (Gamma = 0.138 to 0.948).Somers delta showed similar patterns (Somers d = 0.089 to 0.684). When the four indicators of information literacy were amalgamated into an information literacy score, there was evidence of a moderate strength monotonic relationship between information literacy and performance as measured by the Spearman rank correlation; rs (29) = .571, P = .001.The study concludes that farmers obtain horticultural information from diverse sources. Information literacy contributes to the productivity and profitability of smallholder horticulture. Capacity building of the farmers on information literacy is recommended.

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.

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