Examining Information Literacy In Academic Libraries

In the 21st century, information literacy emerges as the cornerstone of educational development. Despite its paramount significance, a stark reality persists — students often traverse the corridors of academia without acquiring essential information literacy skills. This deficiency is exacerbated by a shortage of faculty training, leaving academic libraries to shoulder the responsibility of cultivating information-savvy individuals. Examining Information Literacy in Academic Libraries delves into the core challenges and solutions surrounding this critical educational imperative. This book illuminates the role of academic libraries as bastions of information literacy instruction. The capacity of students and information consumers to seek, evaluate, and utilize information is paramount for informed decision-making ethically and legally. Regardless of whether or not students were brought up in the digital age, many lack the fundamental information literacy skills required for higher education. This deficiency manifests in academic malpractices, such as plagiarism, which compromise the integrity of educational institutions. Moreover, this imperative work contends that the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is not a distant concept but a present reality. The recent global upheaval caused by the Coronavirus pandemic accelerated the adoption of new technologies, necessitating a swift reassessment of our collective ability to navigate this everchanging digital and information landscape. Focusing on media literacy, data literacy, and digital literacy, with information literacy as the overarching domain, this book serves as a beacon for educators, librarians, and policymakers.

It’s not hyperbole to conclude that in today’s world, information literacy is essential for survival and success; and also that, if left unchecked, the social consequences of widespread misinformation and information illiteracy will only continue to grow more dire. Thus its study must be at the core of every education. But while many books have been written on information literacy, this text is the first to examine information literacy from a cross-national, cross-cultural, and cross-institutional perspective. From this book, readers will learn about information literacy in a wide variety of contexts, including academic and school libraries, public libraries, special libraries, and archives, through research and literature that has previously been siloed in specialized publications; come to understand why information literacy is not just an issue of information and technology, but also a broader community and societal issue; get an historical overview of advertising, propaganda, disinformation, misinformation, and illiteracy; gain knowledge of both applied strategies for working with individuals and for addressing the issues in community contexts; find methods for combating urgent societal ills caused and exacerbated by misinformation; and get tools and techniques for advocacy, activism, and self-reflection throughout one’s career.

"Provides a snapshot of the current state of critical information literacy as it is enacted and understood by academic librarians"--

Research 2.0 and the Future of Information Literacy examines possible congruencies between information literacy and Research 2.0, because the work of today’s researcher mobilizes a number of literacies. From among the various types of relevant literacies, at least three types of literacies can be mentioned in this relation: information literacy, scientific literacy and academic literacy. This book addresses these literacies in the light of the changing research landscape. Broad contexts of the researcher’s abilities, as adaptive and innovative thinking, problem solving skills, self-management and design mindset are also examined. Computational thinking and the computational paradigm in a number of fields of research are taken into consideration, as well. Researchers differ to non-researchers when populating social media, which means that these two different groups require different literacies. The relationship between information literacy and information is approached in a new way. Among the multitude of issues, we introduce a new interface between information literacy and Research 2.0. It encompasses the issues of research data management and data literacy, which represent also a challenge both for the academic library and for the communities of researchers. Similarly, the questions of new metrics of scientific output are addressed in the book. Summarizes the most important and up-to date approaches towards Research 2.0, including researchers’ skills and abilities, the data-intensive paradigm of scientific research, open science, not forgetting about factors that inhibit a wider uptake of Research 2.0 Discusses the nature of information literacy in the light of its definitions, declarations and related frameworks and by outlining the new literacies context, reading and writing, the cultural context, and the turns of library and information science Numerous literacies, other than information literacy, its relationship to information overload and personal information management are also subject of the book Theoretical and practical perspectives are given to enable the understanding of the transformations of information literacy and its relationship to Research 2.0

Information literacy has been identified as a necessary skill for life, work and citizenship - as well as for academic study - for all of us living in today's information society. This international collection brings together practitioner and research papers from all sectors of information work. It includes case studies and good practice guides, including how librarians and information workers can facilitate information literacy from pre-school children to established researchers, digital literacy and information literacy for citizens.

This book provides an overview of approaches to assist researchers and practitioners to explore ways of undertaking research in the information literacy field. The first chapter provides an introductory overview of research by Dr Kirsty Williamson (author of Research Methods for Students, Academics and Professionals: Information Management and Systems) and this sets the scene for the rest of the chapters where each author explores the key aspects of a specific method and explains how it may be applied in practice. The methods covered include those representing qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. Both a chapter on the topical evidence-based practice approach, and another critiquing it, are also included. The final chapter points the way towards potential new directions for the burgeoning field. Renowned information literacy researcher Dr Christine Bruce affirms the usefulness of the book: New researchers and early career professionals will appreciate the clarity of the introductions provided' to each of the methods covered.

Today’s learners communicate, create, and share information using a range of information technologies such as social media, blogs, microblogs, wikis, mobile devices and apps, virtual worlds, and MOOCs. In Metaliteracy, respected information literacy experts Mackey and Jacobson present a comprehensive structure for information literacy theory that builds on decades of practice while recognizing the knowledge required for an expansive and interactive information environment. The concept of metaliteracy expands the scope of traditional information skills (determine, access, locate, understand, produce, and use information) to include the collaborative production and sharing of information in participatory digital environments (collaborate, produce, and share) prevalent in today’s world. Combining theory and case studies, the authors Show why media literacy, visual literacy, digital literacy, and a host of other specific literacies are critical for informed citizens in the twenty-first centuryOffer a framework for engaging in today’s information environments as active, selfreflective, and critical contributors to these collaborative spacesConnect metaliteracy to such topics as metadata, the Semantic Web, metacognition, open education, distance learning, and digital storytellingThis cutting-edge approach to information literacy will help your students grasp an understanding of the critical thinking and reflection required to engage in technology spaces as savvy producers, collaborators, and sharers.

This book examines the various types of literacy that are important in the Digital Age of rapid technological change and proliferating information resources in a variety of formats. According to the American Library Association (www.ala.org), “information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. Information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning and is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. Information literacy is an umbrella term that includes a variety of specific competencies: cultural literacy, library literacy, computer literacy, network literacy, and media literacy. Each topic addressed in the book includes contextual background information, basic concepts, a resource list, exercises and activities to reinforce the important learning concepts addressed in each chapter. Based on content, resources, assignments, and exercises developed for an academic information literacy course In addition to scholarly content on particular topics, each chapter will include practical applications and activities related to information literacy concepts