 |
 |
Andrew hi, Not sure if you are receiving lots of replies off-list but I thought I’d step forward here, and try to tease out some of the issues you outline. The first point I’d like to make is that within public libraries Information Literacy, in a practical sense, is ubiquitous. But, as you rightly suspect, IL is not well known formally in a theoretical sense. An interesting way to look at this is to understand IL within a learning environment where the literacy is driven specifically to support more effective learning e.g. in a higher education setting. Within a public library environment IL can also be used to support learning but it is more crucially driven by other agenda such as social inclusion, democratic empowerment and digital citizenship. There is then a ‘common ground’ or an overlap that exists where the use of IL supports learning (it’s a kind of Boolean thing!). Of course confusion then arises because the notion of a literacy implies that a set of ‘competencies’ (I’m avoiding the word skills) needs to be acquired or learned; so we are learning to learn. In public libraries there has been a significant effort placed on developing a technological infrastructure - the rolling out of the Peoples Network, this has tended to focus attention on keyboards and monitors – the tools rather than the job – but I think this is okay as it is now evolving to a mature model that will call into play information literacies. On a policy level within public libraries the key document that determines direction is the MLA’s Framework for the Future this clearly alludes to an Information Literacy and perhaps tucks it neatly under the Digital Citizenship heading. There is however a tension here with the actual methodology used to assess performance within public libraries which is essentially quantitative and output based whereas the types of activities undertaken within pls that chime in well with IL are qualitative and outcome based. Strategically the pls are ‘facing the wrong way’. There is a lot of debate now on the extension of ‘Impact Measures’ the introduction of these would more accurately portray current public library provision. (see recent postings on the public library list) Anyway, Andrew, apologies for going on – I’m happy to support your efforts in whatever way I can. I would suggest that some type of applied research into the whole area might be a good starting point. It’s a worthy cause which I believe is at the core of our profession. Regards Ronan O'Beirne Principal Libraries Officer; Information. Libraries, Archives and Information Service Arts, Heritage and Leisure Department City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Central Library, Prince's Way BRADFORD, BD1 1NN