Information Literacy between Theory and Practice: Experiences of the Finnish University Libraries

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Information Literacy between Theory and Practice
Experiences of the Finnish University Libraries

• Kaisa Sinikara,
• Director of Information and Library Services
• University of Helsinki, Finland
• Kaisa.Sinikara_at_helsinki.fi

Ljubljana, Slovenia 19.10.2006
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Content

• Some facts and figures
• Finnish university librariesnetwork
• University of Helsinki
• Information Literacy Finnish academic libraries
• Information Literacy as a part of strategies
• Integration into the Bologna process
• Collaboration is essential
• Assessing IL skills
• Promoting IL
• Conclusion

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University Libraries network in Finland

• 21 universities
• Number of students 214 000 staff 39 000
• Libraries
• Administrative units 46 main libraries 23,
  branch libraries 168
• library staff 1 350
• Library visits 9,7 mill.
• Library total costs/frame org.s total costs 3,8
  
• User training
• Teaching hours 8 200 participants 47 000

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University Libraries network in Finland (2)

• A strategy of the Council of Finnish University
  Libraries 2003 2006, 2007-2012
• Linnea2 Consortium (Voyager the library system)
• FinELib Consortium (Nat. Electr. Library),
  Metalib/Ex Libris portal and SFX
• Better access to the collections (collection
  mapping)
• E-publishing and Open Access
• Information Literacy joint develoment
• Developing new financing models
• Increasing national and international networking
  and collaboration

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University of Helsinki

• Established in Turku in 1640
• Transferred to Helsinki in 1828
• 11 faculties on four campuses, 20 localities
  throughout Finland
• Degree students 38 000
• Teachers,researchers 3 700
• Other staff 2 800
• 4 300 degrees (2005), of which about 400
  doctorates

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Libraries at the University of Helsinki

• Helsinki University Library was established in
  1640 1.8.2006 The National Library of Finland
• University of Helsinki Libraries development
• 1990 more than 150 separate libraries
• 1995 strategic planning of HU libraries began
• 2000, 2004 International Assessments
• 2006 Three campus libraries with new buildings,
  Undergraduate Library Alexandria LRC, five
  faculty libraries, Coordination Unit
• 2010 one library organisation or five campus
  libraries Coordination Unit (decision in 2007)

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LIBRARIES ON THE FOUR CAMPUSES 2006
Meilahti Campus Faculty of Medicine students
2 000 staff 1 500 HUCH 10 000 National Library
of Health Sciences
ViikkiCampus Faculties of Agriculture and
Forestry, Biosciences,Pharmacy and Veterinary
Medicine students 5 300, staff 2 500 Viikki
Science Library
City Centre Campus Faculties of Theology,Law,
Arts, Behavioural Sciences,and Social
Sciences students 22 000, staff 3
000 HUL/National LibraryUndergraduate
Libraryfive faculty libraries
Kumpula Campus Faculty of Science students 6
000, staff 1 000 Kumpula Science Library
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Information Literacy Finnish academic libraries

• A long tradition of library instruction but
  varied ways and different objectives, not
  coordinated
• Past 10 years
• Learner-centred problem-based learning model
• FinELib 1998- / E-library increasing fast (2005
  HU 12 000 e-journals, 300 databases, 100 000
  e-books more than 50 from acquisition budget)
• New demands on the libraries

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IL as a part of the strategies the national level

• The Ministry of Education the Dev. Plan for
  Education and Research 2003-2008
• Libraries contributing the development of
  teaching and study methods and for their part to
  ensure that graduates have good information
  literacy
• A strategy of the Council of Finnish University
  Libraries 2003 2006 (new 2007-2012)
• Right timing and good marketing needed
• A shared vision important

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Curriculum Plan for Information Literacy a Joint
Virtual University Project of the Finnish
University Libraries 2004-2006

• The project coordinator the University of
  Helsinki
• http//www.helsinki.fi/infolukutaito/english/index
  .htm
• The aim of libraries
• to inform decision makers at all levels and
• to integrate IL into academic studies and
• to test the implementation of IL with different
  projects
• A framework Information Literacy Compentency
  Standards / ALA 2000
• Learner-centred point-of-view What kind of
  skills the students need?

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IL as a part of the strategies the University
level

• Univ. of Helsinki, the Strategic Plan for
  2004-2006, 2007-2009
• More e-resources
• Good competencies
• More integration of library with teaching and
  research
• HU Virtual University Strategy 2003-2006
• Information Literacy for students and staff
• HU Library Information Services strategy
  2004-2006
• Information Literacy for all

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Integration into the Bologna process

• New degrees at the Finnish universities 1.8.2005-
• Recommendation for universities for including IL
  compentency in the new degree structures
• drawn up by the steering group of the national IL
  project and
• shared with the coordinators of the Bologna
  process in the universities in June 2004
• A survey 2005 libraries reported usefulness of
  the recommendation
• The joint website has given visibility at the
  national and international level

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(No Transcript)
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Collaboration is essential

• Libraries networks on the national level
• A network of specialists (29 representing 20
  universities) being mediators between the local
  university level and the national level
• Seminars and conferences (pedagogy, e-learning,
  branding of the courses etc.)
• The website

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Collaboration is essential (2)

• Collaboration on the university level
• Faculties and teachers, IT department libraries
  (HU ICT driving licence) teaching the students
• The teachers IL education
• International networks and collaboration
• NordINFOLIT
• EnIL
• others

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Assessing IL skills

• Assessing the quality of all academic skills
  (background)
• The national Il project has has launched a joint
  question bank 2005-2006
• Questions are divided into four categories
• Defining the topic
• Selecting information topics
• Information retrieval planning and executing
  information searches
• Evaluating and using information (sources)
• Questions are divided also into three levels
• New students Basics in IL
• BA level IL in intermediate level studies
• MA level IL in advanced level studies
• Creative Commons Attribution

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Assessing IL skills (2)

• Assessment give information how IL can be better
  taught
• The test can be used for the measurement of the
  baseline level in order to direct students most
  proper teaching groups
• Feedback important
• Updating
• Responsibility to update the question bank shared
  by the IL specialists
• Responsibility to update the software the
  Finnish Virtual University
• The question bank in use 200612.

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How to promote IL?

• Libraries should play an active role
• Good collaboration with the teachers and
  administration and IT departments
• Key persons and leaders of the universities
• The Ministry responsible for education and
  research
• The Parliament members
• European university and library networks and
  organisations

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Research and training

• Research in Information Literacy - important for
  the development of IL
• Competences of the librarians are changing in
  different disciplines, pedagogical skills, social
  skills, communicative skills, marketing skills,
  ICT skills more important than they used to be.
• The map of core competences in 2010 in university
  library network (by the Council of Finnish
  Univ.Libraries 2005)
• http//www.lib.helsinki.fi/english/libraries/cfu.h
  tm

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Conclusions

• Information Literacy is not only know-how related
  to education or libraries, but is a part both of
  the academic work and of the civics of an
  information society.
• We must also notice that the stresses, methods,
  and focuses of information literacy change over
  time.
• An ability to accept constant change in the data
  environment and a readiness for constant
  schooling belongs to such know-how.

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Thank you for your attention!

• Kaisa Sinikara
• kaisa.sinikara_at_helsinki.fi
• University of Helsinki
• Finland
• IL-website
• http//www.helsinki.fi/infolukutaito
• UH Libraries
• http//www.helsinki.fi/kirjastot/eng