Title: Information Literacy between Theory and Practice: Experiences of the Finnish University Libraries
1Information 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
2Content
- 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
3University 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
4University 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
5University 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
6Libraries 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)
7LIBRARIES 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
8Information 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
9IL 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
10Curriculum 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?
11IL 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
12Integration 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
13(No Transcript)
14Collaboration 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
15Collaboration 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
16Assessing 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
17Assessing 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.
18How 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
19Research 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
20Conclusions
- 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.
21Thank 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