Role of Librarians in Teaching Information Literacy in Zimbabwean and South African Universities: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Information and communications technologies (ICTs) and the Internet have to a large extent influenced the way information is made available, published and accessed. More information is being produced too frequently and information users now require certain skills to sift through this multitude in order to identify what is appropriate for their purposes. Computer and information skills have become a necessity for all academic programmes. As libraries subscribe to databases and other peer-reviewed content (print and electronic), it is important that users are also made aware of such sources and their importance. The purpose of this study was to examine the teaching of information literacy (IL) in universities in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and the role played by librarians in creating information literate graduates. This was done by examining whether such IL programmes were prioritised, their content and how frequently they were reviewed. An electronic questionnaire was distributed to 12 university libraries in Zimbabwe and 21 in South Africa. A total of 25 questionnaires were returned. The findings revealed that IL was being taught in universities library and non-library staff, was compulsory and contributed to the term mark in some institutions. The study also revealed that 44 per cent of the total respondents indicated that the libraries were collaborating with departments and faculty in implementing IL programmes in universities. The study recommends that IL should be an integral part of the university programmes in order to promote the use of databases and to guide students on ethical issues of information use.

Students’ perceptions of librarians as teachers of information literacy at a large African university

“…IL requires effective teachers who are able to transfer their knowledge to different user groups (Lockhart, 2016). Librarians play a critical role in the provision of IL at many universities in South Africa (Mugwisi, 2015; Moyo and Mavodza, 2016; Davids and Omar, 2018; Noll and Brown, 2018) and other countries (Chang and Wu, 2012; Kanguha, 2016). As such, librarians are involved in all aspects of IL including curriculum design, liaison with academic departments, preparation for classes, classroom management and the teaching of IL content to the students (Chang and Wu, 2012; Mugwisi, 2015).…”

“…Librarians play a critical role in the provision of IL at many universities in South Africa (Mugwisi, 2015; Moyo and Mavodza, 2016; Davids and Omar, 2018; Noll and Brown, 2018) and other countries (Chang and Wu, 2012; Kanguha, 2016). As such, librarians are involved in all aspects of IL including curriculum design, liaison with academic departments, preparation for classes, classroom management and the teaching of IL content to the students (Chang and Wu, 2012; Mugwisi, 2015). Despite the expectation for librarians to teach IL, there is scant literature on the quality of teaching delivered by the librarians and the assessment mechanisms used to provide feedback on students’ learning of IL (Noll, 2017).…”

Analysing information literacy practices at selected academic libraries in Zimbabwe

“…The SCECSAL Report (Institute of Development Studies and Information Training and Outreach Centre for Africa 2010) and Mugwisi (2015) highlighted that the IL programme was adopted by Zimbabwe library professionals in the early 2000s. However, there is very little that is known about the IL programme being part of the curriculum, despite the fact that most academic librarians were trained and equipped through the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) training.…”

Challenges faced by libraries in a democratic South Africa

“…Mugwisi (2015: 38) reaffirms that “poor internet connectivity” in a rural community is an obstacle for youth to access the Internet.…”