Many professions use specialist language to describe key areas of their work. This specialist language or vocabulary helps with professional shorthand, it is useful in transferring information in succinct ways. Different professions use a variety of language, sometimes it may make sense to outsiders, but often has to be ‘translated’ as taken out of context it can be very confusing. Information literacy – is just such a term, coined and used within library and information science. As with many areas, my views are developing and changing with time, experience and reading. I’ve included some references at the end of this post to articles I’ve read and that are making me think differently about information literacy practice.
Information literacy is widely used in the library and information sector. Based on the principles of information seeking behaviour, discussed in the 1980s (Wilson, 1981; Kuhlthau, 1986). Information literacy loosely encapsulates the process individuals go through to find information; from identifying an information need, searching, and identifying the relevant information and then using it within their work or context. The terminology itself is not without debate – the use of ‘literacy’ can be viewed as classing those with little or limited skills as illiterate. There’s also the debate about how we ‘class’ it, as we explore and understand the process that moves information literacy from a static set of skills to an evolving and transitioning practice that is context specific.
Within UK Higher Education – information literacy is the focus of research and debate amongst academic librarians or subject librarians as they seek to develop the most effective ways of supporting their users to develop their information literacy practice and transfer their skills into their future work. Models and definitions of information literacy have been created by a number of different organisations (here are a few, but this is not an exhaustive list):
- CILIP definition of information literacy 2018
- The SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy; core model for Higher Education (2011)
- ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (2015)
- ANCIL: A New Curriculum for Information Literacy (2011)
- The Information Literacy Group of CILIP have a wealth of information, guidance and resources available on their site.
Various researchers have explored the use of these models and definitions. Today, however, there is a growing appreciation that these English-language models and tools are focused on a Western experience and doesn’t reflect the wealth and breadth of information literacy practice across the world. Organisations have sought to update and adapt these models and frameworks based on growing technological changes (looking at media, digital and visual literacy), as well as growing interest in holistic and community knowledge creation (Hicks and Lloyd, 2016; Roberts, 2021). I might argue that key to information literacy practice are the critical skills to question the information, data or knowledge presented, compare with other sources, and synthesise into relevant knowledge for the context it’s needed in.
From my point of view as an academic librarian, information literacy theory and models are useful to understand the fundamental principles of information seeking behaviour. However, I recognise that the students I work with have a range of knowledge, skills and expertise from their lives that I need to support them to translate into our specific academic context. Someone can have excellent skills and abilities to find bargains, learn about their football team or study elsewhere, but coming into the sometimes-traditional landscape of academia and trying to find information for assessment can be a very different experience. I believe it is important to work with the student, to build from their experience and help them transition to using the databases we rely on for academic information. In an age of Google, misinformation, and information overload, it is perhaps even more important that we discuss these skills and principles of information literacy practice to help our community find truth and build their knowledge of the world around them. I agree with the idea that information is constructed within a social setting, we’re influenced by the people around us. Sometimes it’s even more difficult to challenge those we respect, with differing views. However, if we can navigate, find and understand the information it is easier to enter into discussions and work with people to explore the ideas and information around us.
Lessons learnt:
• It’s library specific language, that isn’t widely understood outside the sector.
• Information literacy is context specific and a reflection of the whole person and the environment and community they exist within.
Useful links:
Information Literacy Group: definitions and models
References:
Hicks, A., & Lloyd, A. (2016). It takes a community to build a framework: Information literacy within intercultural settings. Journal of Information Science, 42(3), 334–343. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165551516630219
Kuhlthau, C. C. (1986). Inside the Search Process: Information Seeking from the User’s Perspective. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 42, 361–371.
Reyes, B. M., Hicks, A., & Maxson, B. K. (2018). Information Literacy Practices of Spanish-Speaking Graduate Students at the University of Kansas, Portal, 18(3), 595–615.
Roberts, L. (2021). “This Is Just What We Do”: PhD Students on Becoming Scholars in a Community of Practice. Communications in Information Literacy, 15(1), 75–94. https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2021.15.1.4
Wilson, T. D. (1981). On user studies and information needs. Journal of Documentation, 37(1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb026702
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