While there is much discussion today about information literacy, proper implementation of it within university campuses is still a struggle, often due to the fact that librarians and teaching faculty have different "cultures" that create different priorities. Librarians focus more on process and faculty more on content, though the two are not mutually exclusive. Past attempts by librarians to collaborate with faculty to produce information literate students have had limited success. A bolder plan-to imbed information literacy credit courses within existing departments-shows promise to avoid cultural conflict while creating a proper climate for collaboration.
Despite the many information literacy programs on higher education campuses, the literature of information literacy and the concept of information literacy as a viable academic subject remain hidden to most professors and academic administrators. Information literacy is invisible to academia because it is misunderstood, academic administrators have not put it on their institutions' agendas, the literature of information literacy remains in the library silo, there is a false belief that information literacy is acquired only by experience, there is a false assumption that technological ability is the same as information literacy, faculty culture makes information literacy less significant than other educational pursuits, faculty have a limited perception of the ability of librarians. and accrediting bodies have not yet advanced information literacy to a viable position in higher education. The new information age demands that these barriers be overcome and information literacy take a prominent place within the academic experience.
Purpose – The purpose of this article is to consider the current barriers to situating in the disciplines and to offer a possible strategy for so doing. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews current challenges facing librarians who seek to situate information literacy in the disciplines and offers and practical model for those wishing to do so. Phenomenographic evidence from disciplinary faculty focus groups is presented in the context of the model put forward. Findings – Disciplinary faculty do not have generic conceptions of information literacy but rather understand information-related behaviors as part of embodied disciplinary practice. Practical implications – Librarians dissatisfied with traditional forms of generic information literacy instruction marketing will find a method by which to place ownership on information literacy in the hands of disciplinary faculty. Originality/value – The article offers a unique analysis of the challenges facing current information literacy specialists and a new approach for integrating information literacy in the disciplines.
Purpose: While the need for comprehensive information literacy in today’s society is becoming increasingly apparent, and initiatives abound within local, regional, national and international educational venues, there is evidence that information literacy within higher education today is failing to meet its dual intentions of becoming credible within the academic community and pervasive within university programs. The goal of this paper is to present a more rigorous approach to information literacy as a credit-bearing discipline. Approach: Following a literature review, the paper will propose an educational rationale for information literacy as a discipline. Practical Implications: If a proper educational rationale can be determined for information literacy, this can become the basis for actual information literacy credit programming within institutions of higher education. Originality/Value: While the idea of information literacy as a liberal art or a discipline is not new, this paper is the most comprehensive attempt to date to provide a rationale for information literacy as a credit-bearing discipline.
Despite the many information literacy programs on higher education campuses, the literature of information literacy and the concept of information literacy as a viable academic subject remain hidden to most professors and academic administrators. Information literacy is invisible to academia because it is misunderstood, academic administrators have not put it on their institutions' agendas, the literature of information literacy remains in the library silo, there is a false belief that information literacy is acquired only by experience, there is a false assumption that technological ability is the same as information literacy, faculty culture makes information literacy less significant than other educational pursuits, faculty have a limited perception of the ability of librarians. and accrediting bodies have not yet advanced information literacy to a viable position in higher education. The new information age demands that these barriers be overcome and information literacy take a prominent place within the academic experience.
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