Sunday, April 17, 2016

3 articles: public libraries and IL in Kenya; Faculty perceptions in Spain; IL for distance learning

Kingori, G., Njiraine, D. and Maina, S. (2016). Implementation of Information Literacy Programmes in Public Libraries. Library Hi Tech News, 33 (2). http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/LHTN-09-2015-0063 (priced) "The aim of this study was to examine the implementation of information literacy programmes in the public libraries in Kenya as demonstrated through a case study of the major public library in the country - Kenya National Library Service.  .... Major findings of this study indicated that the majority of users at the Kenya National Library Service library relied heavily on the print information materials while some users especially researchers utilized the internet for their academic work or research. The findings indicated that information literacy should be embedded in the information literacy programmes in all public libraries. ... The study will encourage users in public libraries to appreciate the importance of information resources and also sensitize public library administrators to support information literacy programmes."

Pinto, M. (2016). Assessing disciplinary differences in faculty perceptions of information literacy competencies. Aslib Journal of Information Management, 68 (2), 227 - 247. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/AJIM-05-2015-0079 (priced) "Uncovering faculty members’ conceptions of Information Literacy (IL), as well as exploring their perceptions with regard to the importance given to a previously defined set of core IL competences grouped into four categories: searching, evaluation, processing and communication and dissemination. Ascertaining the possible differences among the five knowledge branches (arts and humanities, sciences, social and legal sciences, health sciences, and technical disciplines); and understanding the importance granted to a set of learning improvement initiatives by the faculty. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach - The survey was completed by a set of faculty members from the University of Granada (Spain).  ... Results suggest that more than half of the surveyed faculty have what the authors define as an Academic Concept of IL."

Reichart, B. and Elvidge, C. (2015). Information Literacy in the Changing Landscape of Distance Learning: The Collaborative Design of a Flexible, Digital, Asynchronous Course. Pennsylvania Libraries: Research & Practice, 3 (2), 144 - 155. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/z3yenb7 (open access) "This paper offers a case study of the collaborative development of an information literacy course for students enrolled in an online, proprietary college. This credit-bearing course was created in accordance with ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education as well as the newly adopted Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. The course treats information literacy as a meta-competency that encourages students to explore a variety of research tools, from social media to scholarly journals, and to develop critical thinking and research skills. In order to incorporate current best practices in information literacy pedagogy into the course itself, institutional factors needed to be addressed; these factors are reviewed here. This paper also explores implications for the future of the course, including assessment, the need to constantly adapt to the changing needs of students, and the ever-changing digital environment."
Photo by Sheila Webber: butterfly and blossom (1) April 2016

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