scholarly journals Information literacy as an advocacy tool by Indonesian school libraries: an APISI study

2021 ◽  
pp. 158-169
Author(s):  
Hanna George

This paper is a longer version and further elucidation of the version written for IFLA Conference entitled The role of national associations in advocating for school libraries: The case of Indonesia” by the author and Diljit Singh. It will outline in more detail APISI’s study on information literacy. APISI is one of the nationally recognized library associations in Indonesia that has actively promoted information literacy as an advocacy tool. This paper will discuss APISI’s history, program and activities. It describes the sequential development of events and studies of information literacy conducted over the years highlighting the importance of school libraries in Indonesia and the significant role that school librarians play in information literacy, independent learning and responsible citizenship. The goal of APISI is to formulate a long term advocacy strategy to benefit school communities and all school library stakeholders.

Author(s):  
Carol C. Kuhlthau

Across the globe, school libraries play an essential role in preparing students for living and working in the 21st century through information literacy. The Rutgers University Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL) promotes this initiative in information literacy through research on the impact of school libraries on student learning, research symposia for international scholars, and training institutes for school librarians and teachers. Our research shows that guided inquiry is a dynamic, innovative way of developing information literacy through the school library. Guided inquiry is carefully planned, closely supervised, targeted intervention of an instructional team of school librarians and teachers that leads students through the research process toward independent learning. Guided inquiry develops research skills and subject knowledge as well as fostering cooperative learning, motivation, reading comprehension, language development and social skills that underlie competency for our young people in the 21st century.


Author(s):  
Dana Dukic

The Web 2.0 thinking and accompanying technologies opened a new direction of development for libraries. Among different Web 2.0 applications wikis are particularly attractive for school librarians. Wikis are read-write web pages that are easy to use, accommodate other Web 2.0 features and are widely applicable for a number of purposes. A Wiki space named LibraryZone is a good example of using wiki in elementary school library. LibraryZone is used for information literacy instructions, conducting a collaborative project, for story writing and as a discussion space. 


Author(s):  
Marianna Edit Pataki

The digital era challenges the school library which loses connection with generation Z who speaks a different digital language to all other generations. The underfinanced school libraries with little or no budget for new acquisitions are no longer information centers, the least “information authorities” for youngsters. We need the secret elixir to convert the museum-like school libraries into creative learning spaces. In times of budget cut our creativity enables us to welcome various forms of the digital language Generation Z is a native speaker of.  By implementing simple social media like activities into our library programs we might fill the old collections with a new vibe. The objectives of the presentation             The audience will get an insight into the possibilities and the threats Hungarian school libraries are facing with. Instead of mourning over the gloomy reality the presentation aims to focus on creative possibilities which can help school librarians to give the students a 21st century-like experience within difficult circumstances. Creative school librarians might be inspired by a collection of activities where usual social media behavior is implemented into information literacy training classes. Participants will learn             Library instruction together with improving information literacy and reading promotion are parts of the core curriculum in Hungary. School librarians are entitled to create programs that help students to become acquainted with the library spaces, get to know the collection and to find relevant information in order to create new content. However, the outdated collections of school libraries overshadow these promising possibilities. It is a challenge to motivate students - who never lived without the internet and being deprived of their smartphone is a major threat in their life - to use the library collection of 50 to 10 years old books joyfully.             Whether we agree or not, with the definition of the selfie: as the beginning of the end of intelligent civilization, we have to admit that selfies play an important role in our lives.  By encouraging students to take selfies in the library space, immediately adds a positive emotional impact on their library visit in. Selfies help to become acquainted with the library spaces especially if a group tries to reconstruct where the selfies had been taken.             The social media presence is manifested in the endless circle of likes, dislikes, and comments. If we urge students to browse the selves and select random books to like or dislike we give them the opportunity to have a say in the collection. The student’s choice might mirror the current state of mind of the society. If the selected items are on display, other visitors are also motivated to reflect on them, fostering a certain discussion over the library collection.             Reading promotion is a hard mission when the books teenagers like to read are not available at our school libraries. We can overcome this difficulty by encouraging students to present their favorite book’s trailer. The complexity of transforming a reading experience into a video or a visual presentation strengthens cognitive skills effectively. Book trailers are creative and are in line with the media consumption tendency of Generation Z whose focus moves from written resources to video content.             These simple examples show that budget cuts must not discourage librarians! On the contrary, we have to find creative ways to provide students with a 21st century-like library experience at a 20th-century school library setting. We cannot change the environment but we can update the school library programs by welcoming the digital language of Generation Z students into our routine. If we learn and apply their language, we might win them over in the end. About the author             Teacher Librarian and Art Teacher at a Spanish-Hungarian bilingual high school (2004-). Board member of the Hungarian SLA (2016-). Experienced in creating a school library program, planning curriculum and embracing creativity in the school library. Speaker at international conferences, IFLA WLIC 2017, Detroit 2017. Participant in several international projects from Zaragoza to New York and San Diego.


Author(s):  
Lesley S. J. Farmer

International guidelines for school libraries and school librarians exist. However, the role of professional library associations in school librarian education has been largely overlooked. This exploratory study examines the role of professional library associations in Brazil, Honduras, Nepal, and the United States (specifically California) relative to school librarian pre-service education and in-service professional development. The associations are analyzed in light of communities of practice and the contingency theory of socialization. The findings demonstrate how professional library associations provide culturally relevant professional development that melds professional expertise and socialization.


2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Gayle Bogel

A review of: Todd, Ross J. “Student Learning Through Ohio School Libraries: A Summary of the Ohio Research Study.” Ohio Educational Library Media Association 15 Dec. 2003. Ohio Educational Library Media Association (OELMA), 2004. 15 Nov. 2006 http://www.oelma.org/StudentLearning/documents/OELMAResearchStudy8page.pdf. Objective – This study explored links between school libraries and student learning outcomes that were defined in a multidimensional context, using data provided by the students themselves. The researchers examined learning outcomes that reached beyond the existing correlations of school library services and standardized test scores. Insight was provided into the interactions between students and school libraries that affect student learning. An overarching goal of the study was to establish ongoing dialogue to focus on evidence based practices that may lead to continuous improvement in school library services and to provide the basis for further research. Design – Web based survey. Subjects – Participants were 13,123 students in grades 3-12 and 879 faculty at 39 schools across the state. Setting – Ohio Public school libraries. Methods – Thirty-nine effective school libraries, staffed by credentialed school librarians, were chosen through a judgment sampling process, using criteria based on Ohio Guidelines for Effective School Library Media Programs. The guidelines are aligned to academic content standards, assessments, resources, and professional development. Two web based surveys were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data from students and faculty: The Impacts on Learning Survey, composed of Likert scale responses to 48 statements and an open-ended critical incident question for students. The Perceptions of Learning Impacts Survey was a similar survey for faculty. Survey questions were based on Dervin’s theory of information seeking that advances the idea of ‘helps’ as the constructive process of bridging gaps in information use that lead to new knowledge or making sense (sense-making) in relation to a perceived information need (Todd and Kuhlthau). The term ‘helps’ includes both inputs (help that the school library provides in engaging students in learning) and outputs (learning outcomes of academic achievement and active agency in the learning process). The survey statements included a combination of conclusions based on selections from school library research studies, and the Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning from the American Association of School Librarians’ Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. The two surveys were used to triangulate multiple sources of data to illustrate the “helps” provided by the school library to student learning. Students were also given the opportunity to describe “helps” in their own words in an open-ended critical incident question. Main results – The data showed that the selected effective school libraries were perceived as providing ‘helps’ in dynamic ways that appeared to have a transformative effect on student learning. School libraries and librarians were viewed as having an active role in the learning process. Of the students surveyed, 99.4 % believed that school libraries helped them become better learners. The results were grouped into seven blocks of ‘help’ concepts that frame the contributions of the school library and the school librarian to student learning (Table 1). The study noted that perceptions of the effect of school libraries are strongest for elementary students, and perceptions of the effect decrease as students move through middle and high school. Comments from students indicate that mastery of information skills that lead to independent learning may contribute to the perception that the library is not as strong a ‘help’ in later school years. In ranking the mean scores of the block concepts, the effective school library ranked strongest as a resource agent and technical agent, to support student research and projects with both print and non-print resources. The qualitative data further clarified student perceptions that the library contributed to individualized learning, knowledge construction, and academic achievement. Instructional interventions that benefited from contributions by the librarian included conducting research effectively; identifying key ideas; analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information; and developing personal conclusions. In comparing student and faculty data, there was consistency in the perception of value in the top three conceptual groups of “helps”: libraries as resource agents, as agents for information literacy development, and as agents for knowledge construction. Conclusion – The data analysis illustrated that school libraries were actively involved in student learning and were perceived as important factors in student learning and achievement by both students and faculty. Consistency throughout the sample showed perceptions of multiple effects of school libraries in facilitating student learning for building knowledge. Student comments and survey results showed that students perceived the library as providing strong support for reading for curriculum and informational needs and as less helpful with regard to individual reading for pleasure or personal pursuits. The study speculates that perhaps the emphasis on academics and test-oriented schooling may leave students little time to pursue independent reading interests during school hours. The study identified factors for effective school libraries: informational, transformational, and formational elements. These factors may be used as building blocks for shaping practices that help effective school libraries bring about student achievement. Informational: Resources, technological infrastructure, and reading resources. Transformational: Information literacy, technological literacy, and reading engagement. Formational: Knowledge creation, use, production, dissemination, values, and reading literacy. The visual model of the factors for effective practice and their relationship to student outcomes will be of particular help to practitioners. (Todd and Kuhlthau 23)


Author(s):  
Annie Tam ◽  
Samson Choi ◽  
Anica Tkalcevic ◽  
Zvjezdana Dukic ◽  
Joy Xiaobing Zheng

The study explores library programs in primary and secondary schools in Croatia and Hong Kong. The aim is to find what library programs the school libraries in Croatia and Hong Kong run in their schools, how these programs affect students’ learning and what are similarities and differences between school libraries in Croatia and Hong Kong. The study findings show that school libraries on both locations run programs to support students’ reading and to enhance their information literacy and research skills. School library programs in Croatia and Hong Kong include some similar components but also differ in some respects in approach and content. School librarians in Croatia involve wider community engagement while school librarians in Hong Kong apply technology for collection development and library instruction. Library programs in schools in both locations transcend the school walls and reach beyond the school curriculum as well.


Author(s):  
Iwu-James Juliana ◽  
Roland Izuagbe ◽  
Victoria Itsekor ◽  
Michael Opeoluwa Fagbohun ◽  
Aderonke Asaolu ◽  
...  

Libraries provide the platform on which successful education systems are built through the provision of access to information. The ability to provide equal and nondiscriminatory access to library resources and services is the hallmark of modern librarianship. School libraries must be prepared to serve children with specific disabilities, such as visually impaired students who will need special types of technology and other specialized services. This preparation is even more important with the push for inclusion and the corresponding increase in children with disabilities attending regular (vs. specialized) schools and utilizing the school library resources. Thus, this chapter examines the role of school libraries in empowering visually impaired children with lifelong information literacy skills as a part of inclusive education.


Author(s):  
Ana Lúcia Terra

Starting with a rereading of the information literacy theories, we characterized the development of this concept, distinguish it and relate it with associated terms. After this theoretical framing, we focused on the role of the information literacy in the school context. We present our study based in the analyses of information behaviour, reading habits and information practices of students in Vila do Conde municipal area, using the school library collections and technological resources, considering also the location, access and use of information. We do a brief general view over this group of school libraries in this municipal area, but we focused our analysis of the research universe in three schools of 1st level, one E.B. 2,3 and another secondary school, using an inquiry by a questionnaire. To better contextualise our study we also make the characterization and framing of each school library in its surroundings (city, rural and piscatorial) in order to allow a comparative analysis of the results.


Author(s):  
Anthony Tilke

Focusing on a recently-published pedagogical statement about the role of school libraries and librarians for specific inquiry-focused curricula, this paper looks at how school librarians used the documentation in individual situations. Experiences and perceptions of individual librarians resulted in analysis of specific uses of the document: informing school leadership teams, contribution to developing school library and librarian roles and documentation, including jobs descriptions, and aiding preparation for school evaluation by the curriculum organization concerned.


2022 ◽  
pp. 271-280
Author(s):  
Alice A. Bamigbola

The 21st century is a knowledge age where the only currency is knowledge; thus, to function in it, possession of 21st century skills is germane. The required skills are critical thinking, problem-solving, analytical, mathematical, communication and cooperative, leadership, and technical skills. In the same vein, 21st century libraries are evolving to instill the 21st century skills into learners through makerspace. Makerspace is an avenue for creating, making, tinkering, and inventing by trial and error based on the interest of the learners. This study, therefore, examines makerspace, school library and makerspace, the role of school librarians in makerspace, implementing makerspace in school library, challenges of hosting makerspace in school libraries in Nigeria, and recommendations.


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