THE WHAT, WHO, AND WHY OF INFORMATION LITERACY:

THEORY, BENEFITS, OBSTACLES AND PROGRAMS

Presented By: Leslie Naden, Nathan Filbert & Mike

Lang as

InfoTeric

InfoTeric:[in’fӧ-ter’ik] adj pertaining to esoteric, understood by only the select few who have special knowledge, of which the knowledge is information

While the knowledge of IL is understood by few it can be attained

by all; it is a specialized skill for everyone.

Today we will discuss

The nature and importance of information: what it is, how it works, and what it means to be “Information Literate.”

The benefits of IL across the public/community, academic and, workplace landscapes.

The main obstacles faced by librarians in implementing IL programs, strategies for overcoming those obstacles, and a few examples of IL programs.

INFORMATION &

INFORMATION LITERACY

Nature & Importance

What is Information?

Information…“… is what our world runs on: the blood, the fuel, the vital

principle..” – James Gleick, author of The Information

“…is a far more fundamental quality in the universe than matter or energy…”

– Vlatko Vedral, physicist“…can be whatever an individual finds ‘informing.’”

– Brenda Dervin, information scientist“…is any stimuli we recognize in our environment”

– George Miller, communication scientist

“…is too vast a concept to define and examine” – Toni Weller, library and information scientist

“In short, there is as yet no single, widely accepted definition for the concept of

information” – Donald Case, library and information scientist

INFORMATION AS PROCESS

SemanticallyHuman capacity to perceive, organize and differentiate

themselves and their surround into survivable

comprehensible patterns, parts and symbolic wholes

INFORMATION IS: whatever is distinguishable and perceptible emerging in any situation, stimulating subject and context interactively and

formatively-TEAM INFOTERIC-

IN-FORMATION

Technically

Information as the negative of Entropy in Communications TheoryH = -∑p(x) log p(x)

-Claude Shannon-

①҉⓭

❿≡∩£

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“Within our reality everything exists through an interconnected web of relationships and the building

blocks of this web are bits of information. We process, synthesize, and observe this information in order to

construct the reality around us. As information spontaneously emerges from the emptiness we take

this into account to update our view of reality.” – Vlatko Vedral, theoretical physicist

Article 19.“Everyone has the right to … seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

-The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948

NECESSITY AND COMPONENTS OF INFORMATION LITERACY

BASIC HUMAN RIGHT BECAUSE NECESSARY FOR SURVIVAL

IL AS META-LITERACY

BASIC

VISUAL

MEDIA

TECHNOLOGICAL

RESEARCH / LIBRARY

INFORMATION LITERACY

Information literacy refers to the competencies, skills and relations necessary for a human to survive and

learn in an information-based global society. Information literacy includes the ability to identify

one’s needs; to locate, evaluate, organize and utilize the information needed; and the capability to

effectively implement, create and communicate the new knowledge that arises from one’s relationship with

the information generated.”

IL LANDSCAPES

“The communicative space through which people develop identities and form relationships based on

shared practices and ways of doing and saying things”

Result from human interaction

Constantly evolving

(Lloyd, 2010, p. 9-10).

IL LANDSCAPES IDENTIFIED

Public Library Landscape

Academic Library/Higher Education Landscape

Workplace Landscape(Lloyd, 2010)

PUBLIC/COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE

Information Literacy lies at the core of lifelong learning. It empowers people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use and create information effectively to achieve their personal, social, occupational and educational goals. (The Alexandria Proclamation on Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning, 2006)

PRAGUE DECLARATION

“Information literacy

is a prerequisite for participating effectively in the Information Society, and is part of the basic human right of life long learning

in conjunction with access to essential information and effective use of information and communication technologies, plays a leading role in reducing the inequities within and among countries and peoples, and in promoting tolerance and mutual understanding through information use in multicultural and multilingual contexts

is a concern to all sectors of society and should be tailored by each to its specific needs and context”

(Towards an Information Literate Society, 2003).

“Information literacyis crucial to the competitive advantage of individuals, enterprises (especially small and medium enterprises), regions and nations

provides the key to effective access, use and creation of content to support economic development, education, health and human services, and all other aspects of contemporary societies

extends beyond current technologies to encompass learning, critical thinking and interpretative skills across professional boundaries and empowers individuals and communities.”(The Alexandria Proclamation on Information Literacy and

Lifelong Learning, 2006)

ALEXANDRIA PROCLAMATION

IL & QUALITY OF LIFE

2009 study examined the link between internet connectedness, IL and perceived quality of life.

Conducted interviews to determine participants’ internet connectedness, level of IL and perceived quality of life.

People who had a high level of internet connectivity but low IL did not rank their quality of life higher than those with lower levels of connectivity.

However, the participants who ranked high in information literacy ranked their perceived quality of life higher than those with lower levels of IL (Leung, 2009).

ACADEMIC LANDSCAPEProject Information LiteracyIt's Complicated: What Students

Say About Research and Writing Assignments

ACRL IL STANDARDS“The information literate student:determines the nature and extent of the information needed.accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.individually or as a member of a group, uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally”(Association of College and Research Libraries, 2000).

WORKPLACE LANDSCAPE

“The skills students gain in college have a significant impact on costs and productivity in the workplace”

(Travis, 2011, p. 19)

34% of employers having difficulty filling “mission critical” positions, citing

applicants “weak workplace skills.”

Including:• critical thinking• flexibility • collaboration

(Manpower Group, 2011)

WORKPLACE EFFICIENCY

A study by Outsell magazine estimates that the average worker spent 9.5 hours a week obtaining, reviewing and analyzing information (Oman, 2001)

US Department of the Navy estimates that the average worker spends 150 hours a year looking for information (Bennett, 2001, p. 1 cited in Breivik 2005, p 23).

“We typically can only find half of the information we need to do our jobs and spend up to 30 percent of our time looking for the other half “Don Cohen, Ford Executive (Cohen, 1998, p. 21 cited in Breivik 2005, p 23).

IL NEEDS AND THE ROLE OF LIBRARIANS AND IL PROGRAMS

The information landscape is vast and constantly changing

Assumptions of adequate literacy abound (Badke, 2011)

Librarians and their institutions have a responsibility to create programs to

foster information literacy in their constituancies

OBSTACLES TO SUCCESSFUL IL PROGRAMS

Despite increasing support, obstacles to IL programs persist (Badke, 2005).

Problems occur on a variety of levels Librarian and Faculty/Administration collaboration

Lack of respect, lack of understanding of available resources (Badke, 2005)

Inadequate staffing (Badke, 2011) Diversity of needs (Lange et al., 2011) Lack of data on non-academic IL needs (Weiner,

2011)

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES: METHODS AND MENTALITIES

Faculty/Administration collaboration strategies Fostering understanding and creating common

goals (Badke, 2005; Maitaouthong et al., 2012) Student outreach

Maintaining accessible hours, promoting library services (Lange et al., 2011).

Building relationships (Maitaouthong et al., 2012) Preparing for diversity (Lange et al., 2011)

TYPES OF IL PROGRAMS “One-shot” instruction

Workshops (Lange et al., 2011)

Full or embedded IL courses (Howard, 2012; Badke, 2005).

Writing tutors trained as library IL tutors (Cannon & Jarson, 2009)

IN CONCLUSION…

IL is a basic human right Information exists as an emergent process IL refers to our ability to access, organize and utilize

the information we need toward purposes that sustain us

IL is beneficial across all landscapes created through human interaction

Librarians and their institutions need to cooperate to create IL programs tailored to the needs of their communities.

Successful IL programs equip students with the tools necessary to excel in their own field, as well as others.

Over the course of your lifetime, the more you learn and thereby come to know, but especially the sooner you master and adopt proficient learning skills, habits and attitudes – finding out how, from where, from whom and when to search for and retrieve the information that you need to know, but have not yet learned – the more information literate you thereby become. Your competency in applying and utilizing those skills, habits and attitudes will enable you to make sounder and timelier decisions to cope with your personal and family health and welfare, education, job-related, citizenship and other challenges

-Forest Woody Horton, JR. for UNESCO

Questions?

Forming Initial chaos turned to order quickly Early activity set pace for rest of project

Storming Common ground found early Weekly meetings key to progress

Norming Rotation of responsibilities Small group size = Strong sense of accountability

Performing Each performance unique, but fruitful We have learned that the unfamiliar online learning

environment is an effective and personal way to collaborate, if each member is willing to communicate and work together.

REFERENCESAssociation of College and Research Libraries. (2000). Information Literacy Competency

Standards for Higher Education Retrieved September 9, 2012, from http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/standards/standards.pdf

Badke, W. (2011). Remedial Information Literacy?. Online (Weston, Conn.), 35(2), 51-53.

Badke, W. B. (2005). Can't Get No Respect: Helping Faculty to Understand the Educational Power of Information Literacy.Reference Librarian, (89/90), 63-80

Breivik, P. S. (2005). 21st Century Learning and Information Literacy. Change, 37(2), 20–27. doi:10.3200/CHNG.37.2.21-27

Cannon, K., & Jarson, J. (2009). Information Literacy and Writing Tutor Training at a Liberal Arts College. Communications In Information Literacy, 3(1), 45-57

Case, D. O. (2006). Looking for information: a survey of research on information seeking, needs, and behavior (2nd ed.). Bingley, UK: Emerald Group.

Dervin, B. (1977). Useful theory for librarianship: communication, not information. Drexel Library Quarterly, 13(3), 16–32.

REFERENCESFerguson, B. (n.d.). Information Literacy A Primer for Teachers, Librarians, and other Informed People. FreBook. Retrieved from http://bibliotech.us/pdfs/InfoLit.pdf

Freeman, W. J. (2000). A neurobiological interpretation of semiotics: meaning, representation, and information. Information Sciences, 124, 93–102.

Gleick, J. (2011). The Information: A history, a theory, a flood. New York: Pantheon.

Horton, Jr., F. W. (2008). Understanding Information literacy: a primer. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved from chrome://epubreader/content/reader.xul?id=1

Howard, H. (2012). Looking to the future: Developing an academic skills strategy to ensure information literacy thrives in a changing higher education world. Journal Of Information Literacy, 6(1), 71-81.

It’s Complicated: What Students Say About Research and Writing Assignments. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqMEonllU1g&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Lange, J., Canuel, R., & Fitzgibbons, M. (2011). Tailoring information literacy instruction and library services for continuing education. Journal of Information Literacy, 5(2), 66-80.

REFERENCESLloyd, A. (2010). Information Literacy Landscapes: Information literacy in education, workplace, and everyday contexts. Oxford, UK: Chandos Publishing.

Maitaouthong, T., Tuamsuk, K., & Tachamanee, Y. (2012). The roles of university libraries in supporting the integration of information literacy in the course instruction.

Malaysian Journal Of Library & Information Science, 17(1), 51-64.

Manpower Group. (2011). 2011 Talent Shortage Survey Results. Retrieved September 14, 2012, from http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/MAN/2085524860x0x469531/7f71c882-c104-449b-

9642-af56b66c1e6d/2011_Talent_Shortage_Survey_US.pdf

Oman, J. (June 2001). Information Literacy in the Workplace. Information Outlook, 5(6) 33-43.

Shannon, C. (1948). A Mathematical Theory of Communication. The Bell System Technical Journal, 27, 379–423, 623–656.

The Alexandria Proclamation on Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning. (2006). Retrieved September 17, 2012, from http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.phpURL_ID=20891&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION

=201.html

REFERENCESThe Prague Declaration: Towards an Information Literate Society. (2003). Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/PragueDeclaration.pdf

Travis, T. (2011) From the Classroom to the Boardroom: The Impact of Information Literacy Instruction on Workplace Research Skills. Education Libraries, 34(2), 19-31.

United Nations. (1948, December 10). Universal declaration of human rights. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/2007/hrphotos/declaration%20_eng.pdf

Vedral, V. (2010). Decoding reality: the universe as quantum information. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Weiner, S. (2011). Information literacy and the Workforce: A Review. Education Libraries, 34(2), 7-14

Weller, T. (2007). Information history: its importance, relevance and future. Aslib Proceedings, 59(4), 437–448. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00012530710817627

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