Information literacy then and now The information literacy

Information literacy — then and now The information literacy movement & American libraries Patricia Davitt Maughan The Teaching Library University of California, Berkeley U. S. A. 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Agenda • Information Literacy movement in the U. S. • Convergence with concept of the “Teaching Library” • The Teaching Library @ University of California, Berkeley • Recent developments in Information Literacy 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Information literacy — 1974 – Proposal to the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science Paul G. Zurkowski — Information Industry Association – National goal of “information literacy” within a decade 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Information literacy — 1974 • “Information literates” – people “trained in the application of information resources to their work … who have learned techniques and skills for utilizing a wide range of information tools as well as primary sources in molding information solutions to their problems. ” Paul G. Zurkowski Information Industry Association 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

A Nation at Risk — 1983 • U. S. National Commission on Excellence in Education report • A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform – largely ignored the roles of libraries 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

The Boyer Report — 1987 • College: The Undergraduate Experience in America – “the quality of a college is measured by resources for learning on the campus and the extent to which students become independent, self-directed learners. ” 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Response to 1980’s educational reform reports • No mention of emerging information technology • In response, Columbia University and U of Colorado brought together leaders in higher education and librarianship for a summit meeting • Question — how can meaningful educational reform occur without consideration of the emerging “Information Society” where future generations of students will live? 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Information literacy — 1987 • American Library Association (ALA) Presidential Committee on Information Literacy • charge — – to define information literacy – to determine “its importance to student performance, lifelong learning, and active citizenship. ” 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Information literacy — 1989 • ALA Presidential Committee on Information Literacy Final Report • the information literate person — – able to recognize when information is needed – able to recognize what information is needed to address a given issue – able to locate, evaluate and effectively use the needed information 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Information literacy — 1989 • ALA Presidential Committee on Information Literacy Final Report • new model of learning — based on information resources • • active & integrated, not passive & fragmented develop critical thinking on the part of students commitment beyond the library by schools & colleges to “integrate the concept of information literacy into their learning programs. ” 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

National Forum on Information Literacy • focus — to promote “individual empowerment” within the Information Society • broad based membership – 75 national & international organizations • adopted ALA’s definition of Information Literacy • meets 3 times per year in Washington, D. C. 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

National Forum on Information Literacy 2 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Tompkins — evolution of “The Teaching Library” • American universities – preeminent in research – undistinguished for the quality of undergraduate teaching & learning • American university libraries – preeminent in building research collections – largely unsuccessful in their support of undergraduate teaching & learning 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

“The Teaching Library” — 1990 • Tompkins, Philip, “New Structures for Teaching Libraries, ” Library Administration and Management 4 (Spring 1990), pp. 77 -81 • envisions a new role for the university library. . . a technology intensive library of the future, which has come to be called “the teaching library” 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Tompkins — “The Teaching Library” • 1960 s and 1970 s institutional response to the growing complexity of research libraries on U. S. campuses – the separate undergraduate library – core collection of books and journals – librarians dedicated to teaching their use 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Tompkins — “The Teaching Library” • 1990 s — some U. S. libraries afforded the chance to plan for expansion – to conceptualize a new type of library 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Tompkins — defining “The Teaching Library” • “… an environment that will empower users to create a distinct learning culture with new roles for faculty, computer professionals, librarians and students … a facility that will continue — via computer courseware, information software, and print products — the learning that is formally initiated in the lecture hall. ” Philip Tompkins — Deputy University Librarian University of Southern California 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Tompkins — Teaching Library goals - 1 • unique facility to train students & faculty to acquire information • the core — large numbers of interactive workstations • humanizing the use of technologies 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Tompkins — Teaching Library goals - 2 • campus center & retreat – encouraging group learning & study • combines traditional information with emerging learning & information technologies • provides collections & technology for collaboration – print, electronic, graphics, animation, sound & video 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Tompkins — Teaching Library goals - 3 • gateway to more extensive library services and collections • locally • regionally • nationally • internationally • staff oriented toward supporting & enhancing technology-intensive learning – comfortable with innovation – teachers & trainers 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

The Teaching Library University of California, Berkeley (UCB) • “… to bridge the gap between the classroom and the Library’s information resources” • Teaching Library mission — – to ensure that all graduates of the University are thoroughly familiar with the information resources and tools in their respective fields of study – prepared to conduct a search for information resources in any field of study 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

UC Berkeley Teaching Library Program • focus — humanities & social sciences • customized in-class presentations – teaching resources & strategies appropriate to particular courses • • drop-in workshops Faculty Seminar series self-help leaflets web design 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Instruction page 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Faculty Seminar page 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Faculty Technology Program — 1998 — • co-taught by Teaching Library, Information Technology Program & Office of Media Services staff • teaching technology – web page design • courseware • digital imaging • participation doubled in 3 years • progress — slow, incremental – spring 2000 attendance est. 38 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

UC Berkeley Teaching Library Organization — 15. 5 FTE 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

UC Berkeley Teaching Library Organization • Program coordinators – teach faculty & students how to use a wide range of information resources – collaborate with selectors, faculty & campus student support units 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

UC Berkeley Teaching Library Organization • Program coordinators – integrate library & information literacy instruction into appropriate points within the undergraduate curriculum – design & provide course-integrated & drop-in instruction sessions – publicize the instructional program 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

UC Berkeley Teaching Library Statistics 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

UC Berkeley Teaching Library Organization • User research coordinator – designs programs to better understand library users & focus library services on known user needs – helps to identify user needs – describes library users’ levels of information literacy and computer competency 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

UC Berkeley Teaching Library Organization • Teaching Library User Research Program • Ongoing survey of Information Literacy Competencies Survey of graduating seniors (1994 — ) • pre- and post- testing in 2 -hour course-integrated instruction sessions • fold what we learn back into the re-design of library instruction programs 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

UC Berkeley Teaching Library Organization • Teaching Library User Research Program • Survey of Faculty & Graduate Student Library Use and Satisfaction (1997) – Collections and Services • SERVQUAL Survey of Faculty and Graduate Students (Fall 2000) • Strategic Planning Focus Groups • Statewide Resource for Focus Groups – instruction • moderating 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

UC Berkeley Teaching Library Organization • California Heritage Project — 1 – K-12 outreach effort – teacher training in Oakland & San Francisco public schools – basic training in use of classroom computers • MS word, web pages (Netscape Composer), Internet searching, saving images & editing with Photoshop 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

UC Berkeley Teaching Library Organization • California Heritage Project — 2 – training in use of primary resources to teach history & social sciences • California Heritage databases of historical images, Library of Congress American Memory Collection, National Archives – training in historical analysis • synthesizing, interpretive & evaluative skills training 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

UC Berkeley Teaching Library – CA Heritage Projects 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Information Literacy — recent developments • 1996/1997 — California Association of Research Libraries – Statement of Principles for Information Literacy criteria – revised existing WASC accreditation standards – recommended institutional information literacy assessment plans • 1997 — Association of College & Research Libraries – formed the Institute for Information Literacy 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

IIL Organization 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Information Literacy — recent developments • 1998 — American Libraries Association – updated 1989 Presidential Commission on Information Literacy Report • 2000 — American Libraries Association/Association of College & Research Libraries (ALA/ACRL) – approved revised draft of Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education – Middle American States Commission on Higher Education distributed as resources for evaluators – formally endorsed by American Association of Higher Education (AAHE) 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards higher order skills lower order skills • Information literacy 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

What’s needed to undertake information literacy training by the Library? – Strong commitment from the institution – strong commitment from library administration – proficiency in teaching, technology & assessment among library staff – a faculty who will partner with librarians and other information handling professionals 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Challenge for the 21 st Century • Instructional librarians must develop rhetorical & political skills – to persuade faculty & administrators that there is a coherent set of intellectual skills in information seeking that can be taught and evaluated – can be dovetailed with the larger goals of the institution 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Implications for Teaching Librarians • • teaching faculty development outreach/advocacy assessment 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki

Endnote • “… information literacy must be seen as a concept inextricably connected to the improvement of the undergraduate curriculum — and not just the “hobbyhorse” of librarians … information literacy — when it is narrowly conceived — will continue to be viewed. . . as a peripheral activity unless it is an integral component of the teaching and learning process. Broadly construed, information literacy should be seen as a strategy for improving a student’s ability to learn how to learn. ” Howard L. Simmons The Challenge and Practice of Academic Accreditation 1 September 2000 Inno 2000 — Helsinki