Teaching Information Literacy in Public Libraries

1
Teaching Information Literacy in Public Libraries

• Heidi Julien, University of Alberta
• Presentation to Beyond Boundaries
• November 23, 2007

2
What is information literacy?

• The information literate person knows how to
• Determine the extent of information needed
• Access the needed information effectively and
  efficiently
• Evaluate information and its sources critically
• Incorporate selected information into ones
  knowledge base
• Use information effectively to accomplish a
  specific purpose
• Understand the economic, legal, and social issues
  surrounding the use of information, and access
  and use information ethically and legally

3
Information literacy training is NOT

• Bibliographic instruction
• Library or subject-focused
• Library literacy
• IT skills training or computer literacy

4
Why teach information literacy in public
libraries?

• Information literacy is important
• Increasing complexity of information
  environmentin academia, in the workplace, in
  everyday life
• Information is pervasive, and increasingly
  unfiltered (especially the on the web)
• IL forms the basis for lifelong learning
• IL is central to the real digital divide
• IL is critical in economic community
  development
• IL is central to active effective citizenship
• IL is a basic human right, to allow access to
  government information consumer health
  information

5
What are outcomes of information literacy?

• Better informed citizenry
• In school and academic contexts, better grades
  program completion rates
• Increased confidence about accessing and using
  information
• Increased confidence in ability and willingness
  of library staff to help
• Retrieval of superior information for workplace
  personal decision-making
• IL competence is becoming recognized as an
  economic imperative for the 21st century

6
Who should teach information literacy skills?

• Information literacy development is a shared
  responsibility
• Parents
• Teachers
• Librarians the experts!

7
Whats happening in Canadian public libraries?

• Study of Canadian public libraries done in 2004,
  using a national survey, interviews of library
  staff and patrons, and observations of patrons

8
National Survey Results

• IL training not a priority in public libraries,
  though survey respondents strongly agree that
  this is a legitimate role for the public library
• A minority of public libraries are assuming major
  responsibility for development of IL skills among
  Canadians
• Need for more resources to assume more
  responsibility
• dedicated funding
• trained staff
• training space

9
How are the public Internet access computers used?

• primarily as communication tools (email, bulletin
  boards, forums, chat rooms, dating services,
  instant messaging)
• to view or listen to an online news source
• entertainment uses were also important (accessing
  information about entertainment, or entertainment
  products such as games or music videos)
• at some libraries, visiting foreign language web
  sites (including ethnic community discussion
  forums) was also a popular use

10
Dedicated teaching classroom
11
Teaching space
12
Teaching classroom
13
Public Internet access area
14
Public Internet access area
15
The Physical Space

• patrons are not encouraged by the physical
  surroundings to inhabit the physical space in
  which those computers are located
• uncomfortable stools, or no seating at all is
  common, and little privacy is afforded
• one library had installed privacy screens on the
  computer monitors
• two sites had dedicated space for training
  purposes

16
Who are the Internet users in public libraries?

• more men than women
• most appear to be under 35 years of age
• in the large urban centers, patrons represented a
  diversity of ethnicities and visible minorities
  were proportionally over-represented
• residents, visitors, and travelers

17
Are patrons confident in their skills when using
the Internet?

• majority feel very confident
• some feel somewhat confident
• very few feel not confident

18
Do patrons believe they are information literate?

• most say yes they have the skills they need to
  access the information they want
• some are ambivalent
• few say no

19
What skills do patrons claim to have mastered?

• evaluation
• searching
• web design
• tendency to equate IT literacy with information
  literacy

20
What skills still need development?

• keyboarding
• database searching
• patience
• learning a wider variety of sources
• learning specific software packages

21
Where have patrons developed their current skill
set?

• most are self-taught
• some get training in a school setting
• some get training in a university or college
  setting
• some learn from family members or friends
• very few get workplace training
• very few mention the public library as a source
  of training

22
How do users experience being information
literate?

• some patrons report feeling nothing special
  about being information literate
• comments
• Doesnt boost my self-esteem
• Part of everyday life like brushing your teeth
• Its just another tool used around the home
• For my age group its probably pretty normalIve
  just grown up with it
• I dont feel very proud or anything like that

23
How do users experience being information
literate?

• some report positive feelings
• comments
• Its a lot nicer than not
• I think Im in control
• Im just not easily coercedI have a pretty
  good idea to watch out and be aware
• Confident
• Really pleased
• Really proud
• Its a sense of empowerment
• Its exclusive
• You are informed

24
Where would participants like to get more
training?

• about half of patrons who were asked would like
  to take further training
• most would prefer to take such training in a
  school, university or community college setting
• only when prompted, did patrons say that the
  library might offer useful training

25
What kind of training is helpful?

• Hands-on (active learning)
• Offered within a coherent and logical program (so
  people who need to start at the beginning may do
  so)
• Offered by instructors who have
• Training skills
• Resources
• Interest

26
What is the role for Canadas public libraries in
training citizens in information literacy skills?

• There is considerable need
• Citizens outside a postsecondary context have few
  training opportunities
• Experience using computers may develop
  confidence, but not IL skills
• IL skills are fundamental to successful
  information seeking and use in our digital
  society (for citizenship, personal
  decision-making)
• IL skills increase sense of community, of
  self-efficacy

27
Conclusions

• Currently most public libraries play a very small
  role
• There is ample potential, but resources are a
  significant barrier
• Libraries and patrons may need convincing

28
Questions for you

• Do you agree that public libraries have a role to
  play in developing citizens IL skills?
• What are you doing to develop your patrons
  information literacy skills?
• What would you like to be doing?
• What helps and supports do you need?
• Where can you go for help and support?

29
The basics

• Partner with others (schools, parents, community
  groups)
• Be flexible
• Some patrons may need to learn to use a mouse
• Some patrons may be ready to learn sophisticated
  database searching skills
• Learn more about how to teach well
• Evaluate the outcomes of your training

30
Top 10 tips for teaching well

• Find out what your patrons need or want (do not
  assume)
• Plan ahead
• What will you do? How? When? What resources do
  you need?
• Keep it simple (dont try to squeeze too much
  into one session)
• Focus on concepts, transferable skills
• Keep it active (involve learners)
• Remember people learn in diverse ways
• Make your examples relevant to learners
• Evaluate learner outcomes
• Keep developing your training skills
• Have fun!

31
Acknowledgments

• The library patrons and staff who participated in
  my study
• Research Assistants
• Claire Banton
• Reegan Breu
• Cameron Hoffman
• Sarah Polkinghorne
• Ina Smith
• Michelle Whitehead
• Funding by Social Sciences Humanities Research
  Council of Canada, SRG 410-2003-004