Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning: Policy Issues, the Workplace, Health and Public Libraries

Citation

Stacey von Winckelmann (2015), "Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning: Policy Issues, the Workplace, Health and Public Libraries", Library Management, Vol. 36 No. 6/7, pp. 544-546. https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-06-2015-0041

John Crawford and Christine Irving have created a resource grounded in recent information literacy research from Scotland, the USA, Australia, and the UK. The research considers the education sector, government agencies, health management, and the workplace. Specifically, results from the Scottish Information Literacy Project, which began in 2004 and concluded in 2010, which draw attention to the importance of studying information literacy inside and outside higher education.

The initial objective of the project described in the text, Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning: Policy Issues, the Workplace, Health and Public Libraries, describes the views and research of both authors and a few fellow information professionals. The project that spurred the creation of this book was intended to last only a year; however, it evolved into a much grander undertaking. Their initial objective was to create a framework for information literacy connecting secondary and tertiary education in Scotland. During Crawford and Irving’s research, in which they interacted with partners outside the library world, they realized the scope of their project was not comprehensive enough and thus, expanded their focus outside of higher education to include the workplace, health management, public libraries, and information literacy policy development. A large concentrate of the book is placed on the informational needs of the average person within their personal and professional lives.

Crawford and Irving have extensive backgrounds in libraries and have actively participated in information literacy professional organizations and groups. They have created a well-written expansive work that reports on information literacy research in a significant number of areas.

The text is divided into three parts and includes a list of abbreviations, appendices, an index, and reference list. Part one offers a historical context of information literacy policy, provides a definition of information literacy, and includes a description of research projects focussed on information literacy in different areas of the world. This first section ends by addressing the need for continued information literacy research focussed on the early years of a child’s life.

Part two expounds upon specific areas where the development of information literacy skills directly impact a person’s life. This section addresses the importance of information literacy skills within the workplace, makes the case for improving a person’s health information research, and focusses on the role of the public library as an agent for information empowerment. Additionally, a case study conducted at the Scottish Government Library is included; this study assessed the information literacy skills of government employees through the use of library resources and instruction. The section concludes by exploring the need for more evaluation and assessment methods in regard to information literacy. It also addresses how the impact of these activities can be assessed. Recommendations for best practice in the area of information literacy assessment round out this second section.

The last section summarizes issues regarding information literacy policy and research. Crawford discusses the continued need for shifting the concept of information literacy away from libraries and into mainstream society where it can gain more traction and garner interest from diverse organizations. A call for the creation of national information literacy policies is given; in addition, the authors call for more and efficient ways of presenting and sharing professional content.

This book is an excellent resource for practitioners within the field of education, libraries, and health; it is also beneficial for employers, health managers, and policy makers who are interested in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the impact information literacy skills can have on society. I’m impressed with the expansive focus of the book and the amount of research that was reported. The authors persuasively made the case for the need for increased instruction of information literacy skills inside and outside higher education. While the text was focussed on research within the UK, the issues discussed and recommendations made are applicable to any country that relies on the internet for information.