Meeting The Challenge Of Teaching Information Literacy

Reale's book is a valuable springboard for reflection that will help academic librarians understand the complexity of the challenges they face and then forge a path forward.

While the profession has generated many books on information literacy, none to date have validated exactly why it is so difficult to teach. In her new book, Reale posits that examining and reflecting on the reality of those factors is what will enable practitioners to meet the challenge of their important mandate. Using the same warm and conversational tone as in her previous works, she uses personal anecdotes to lay out the key reasons that teaching information literacy is so challenging, from the limited amount of time given to instructors and lack of collaboration with faculty to one’s own anxieties about the work; examines how these factors are related and where librarians fit in; validates readers’ struggles and frustrations through an honest discussion of the emotional labor of librarianship, including “imposter syndrome,” stress, and burnout; offers a variety of approaches, strategies, and topics of focus that will assist readers in their daily practice; looks at how a vibrant community of practice can foster positive change both personally and institutionally; and presents “Points to Ponder” at the end of each chapter that encourage readers to self-reflect and then transform personal insights into action.

Traditionally, academic librarians have delivered “beck and call” service to educators both in and out of the classroom. However, far from being merely auxiliary to the learning cycle, academic librarians are educators in their own right. If the primary challenge before them is to change how they’re perceived within their institutions, Reale proposes, the key lies in becoming a proactive teacher and collaborator. Offering strategies applicable to many different areas, this book shows how the academic librarian can be an educator in both structured and unstructured spaces on campuses. Blending practice-based evidence with a warm approach, Reale discusses the changing perception of academic librarians, how they are seen and how they see themselves;shows how academic librarians can and should assert their rightful place in the learning cycle;looks at how to match teaching goals with academic librarians’ mission;advocates for the indispensable roles the academic librarian should play, including co-collaborator, one-on-one research consultant, expert-at-large in non-structured spaces such as the dorm or student lounge, and embedded librarian in the classroom; offers talking points for self-advocacy, looking at the many ways academic librarians are making a difference; andexplores activities and programming for engagement and learning. This book will empower and validate academic librarians by demonstrating their indispensable roles as educators.

Mapping Information Landscapes presents the first in-depth study of the educational implications of the idea of information literacy as ‘the capacity to map and navigate an information landscape’. Written by a leading researcher in the field, it investigates how teachers and learners can use mapping in developing their ability to make informed judgements about information, in specific places and times. Central to the argument is the notion that the geographical and information landscapes are indivisible, and the techniques we use to navigate each are essentially the same. The book presents a history of mapping as a means of representing the world, ranging from the work of medieval mapmakers to the 21st century. Concept and mind mapping are explored, and finally, the notion of discursive mapping: the dialogic process, regardless of whether a graphical map is an outcome. The theoretical framework of the book weaves together the work of authors including Annemaree Lloyd, Christine Bruce, practice theorists such as Theodore Schatzki and the critical geography of David Harvey, an author whose work has not previously been applied to the study of information literacy. The book concludes that keeping information landscapes sustainable and navigable requires attention to how equipment is used to map and organise those landscapes. How we collectively think about and solve problems in the present time inscribes maps and positions them as resources in whatever landscapes we will draw on in the future. Information literacy educators, whether in libraries, other HE courses, high schools or the workplace, will benefit by learning about how mapping – implicitly and explicitly – can be used as a method of teaching IL. The book will also be useful reading for academics and researchers of information literacy and students of library and information science.

Beyond merely helping students find answers to questions, information literacy instruction ought to ignite within students a spirit of inquiry: a discerning curiosity that will spur them to dig deeper when conducting research.

Why do we teach information literacy? This book argues that the main purpose of information literacy teaching in higher education is to enhance student learning. With the impact of new technologies, a proliferation of information sources and a change in the student demography, information literacy has become increasingly important in academia. Also, students that know how to learn have a better chance of adapting their learning strategies to the demands of higher education, and thus completing their degree. The authors discuss the various aspects of how academic integrity and information literacy are linked to learning, and provide examples on how our theories can be put into practice. The book also provides insight on the normative side of higher education, namely academic formation and the personal development process of students. The cognitive aspects of the transition to higher education, including learning strategies and critical thinking, are explored; and finally the book asks how information literacy teaching in higher education might be improved to help students meet contemporary challenges. Presents critical thinking and learning strategies as a basic foundation for information literacy Covers information literacy as a way into deep learning/higher order thinking Provides self-regulation, motivation, and self-respect as tools in learning Emphasizes the interdependence of learning, academic integrity, critical thinking, and information literacy A practical guide to teaching information literacy based on an increased focus on the learning process, an essential for Information literacy graduate students and higher education teaching staff in relevant fields

"This book will help librarians plan for staffing, skills, and processes that will lead to effective, online information literacy instruction"--