From Past to Present

With the amazing technological advances and breakthroughs that have hit the scene, gaining access to information has never been easier!...or has it?

Information literacy is understood as a set of abilities that require one to recognise when information is needed, how information can be located, evaluated, and used effectively (ALA). Considering the countless ways in which information can now be sought, and the vast amount of information that can be found, there is an ever-present need to find relevant and reliable information.

Information literacy does not stop with graduates, but lies at the core of life long learning, where people from all walks of life are empowered to find and use information  to create new knowledge to achieve educational goals.

Role of Librarians

librarians are typically seen as the "go-to" for all your information needs, and for years this opinion has held true. However, the role of the librarian is now being challenged whereby librarians are now being considered as more than just "information guides" but as parallel to teachers. As a result, there is a growing need for instructional programmes which include that which is being taught and researched by academic institutions. These institutes are also relying more on libraries providing resources that support and supplement the curricula. Users are required to acquire skills that will help them identify various information resources and understand ways in which information can be evaluated and used in an ethically correct manner.

Information literacy Model

Questions to consider...

1. What is the difference between bibliographic instruction and information literacy?

Bibliographic Instruction – user education whereby the goal is to teach users how to search, evaluate and use information.

Information Literacy – a set of skills which involves recognising when information is needed, where and how to locate information, accurately evaluating information, and effectively using information to create new knowledge.

2. What factors have led to evolution of teaching librarians?

The role of librarians should constantly be evolving to accommodate for the ever changing times we are living in. One of those changes is the need for co-operation between academic faculties and librarianship. In the late 1970's, teaching libraries became part of a number of academic institutes with the idea of promoting life-long learning that would be of a benefit beyond life at an academic institute. Lbraries also became centres for teaching and learning whereby librarians began evaluating students for their instructional programmes and created spaces for information and collaborative learning. With the availability of digital material, the need for providing IT support became pertinent, whereby librarians would assist users to quickly and easily acquire  the information they require.