13th Conference on Professional Information Resources

Autor: Debbi Boden, University of Worcester, United Kingdom

Fulltext

Abstract:

This year, more than any previous year, has seen the publication of various reports on in the UK which highlight the effects of the digital age on lifelong learning. Reports such as the ‘Information Behaviour of the Researcher of the Future ’ commissioned by the British Library and The JISC and the CURL/RIN report, ‘Researchers’ Use of Academic Libraries and their Services’ , highlight the importance in today’s digital society of Information Literacy (IL) and the requirement for librarians’ specialist knowledge.

Information and communications technology (ICT) is no longer the province of work; it is now a major part of our social lives and a key communication tool. The UK government has ‘committed itself to "e-enabling" every single possible government transaction' which has huge ramifications for society. Digital citizenship requires that people are information literate, without these skills people will be unable to make informed decisions and may become excluded from society. As IL is essential to digital citizenship and lifelong learning we also need librarians who can teach or facilitate the teaching of IL.This paper will give an overview of Information literacy in the UK and some of the initiatives which are taking place in Higher Education and public libraries to help ensure librarians, students, researchers and the general public have the appropriate skills required in today’s global knowledge society and at some of the opportunities that have arisen to help move the IL agenda forward.

About author:

Debbi Boden is Deputy Director of Information and Learning Services at the University of Worcester where in addition to her role as Deputy she manages the Learning and Teaching Technology Unit, Liaison Librarians and ICT team. Previously she was Faculty Team Leader at Imperial College London where she led on the projects to create the College's Online Information Literacy Programmes, Olivia, PILOT and PILS. Debbi is also Chair and founder of the CILIP CSG Information Literacy Group whose aim is to promote IL across all sectors, and who organise the LILAC conferences. Debbi has been involved in the development of LolliPop which is an online programme to teach enquiry desk staff in all sectors about IL and to help them develop the skills to transfer that knowledge into the work place. She is now involved in a project (SirlearnaLot) to help develop librarians teaching skills. Debbi is also co editor of the Information Literacy Cookbook and co author of the chapter on IL in Higher Education.

Author: Richard Hindls, rektor, The University of Economics, Czech Republic

Author: Vladimír Karen, Albertina icome Praha s.r.o., Czech Republic

Author: Ralph Catts, University of Stirling, United Kingdom

Author: Sonja Špiranec, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences - Department of Information Sciences, Croatia

Co-authors:

Ivana Hebrang-Grgić / Mihaela Banek Zorica, University of Zagreb - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences