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1 – 10 of over 18000
Article
Publication date: 1 April 2001

David Bawden

The concepts of ‘information literacy’ and ‘digital literacy’ are described, and reviewed, by way of a literature survey and analysis. Related concepts, including computer literacy

19782

Abstract

The concepts of ‘information literacy’ and ‘digital literacy’ are described, and reviewed, by way of a literature survey and analysis. Related concepts, including computer literacy, library literacy, network literacy, Internet literacy and hyper‐literacy are also discussed, and their relationships elucidated. After a general introduction, the paper begins with the basic concept of ‘literacy’, which is then expanded to include newer forms of literacy, more suitable for complex information environments. Some of these, for example library, media and computer literacies, are based largely on specific skills, but have some extension beyond them. They lead togeneral concepts, such as information literacy and digital literacy which are based on knowledge, perceptions and attitudes, though reliant on the simpler skills‐based literacies

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 57 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 August 2021

Tessa Withorn, Jillian Eslami, Hannah Lee, Maggie Clarke, Carolyn Caffrey, Cristina Springfield, Dana Ospina, Anthony Andora, Amalia Castañeda, Alexandra Mitchell, Joanna Messer Kimmitt, Wendolyn Vermeer and Aric Haas

This paper presents recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy, providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of…

5346

Abstract

Purpose

This paper presents recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy, providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering various library types, study populations and research contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations, reports and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2020.

Findings

The paper provides a brief description of all 440 sources and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.

Originality/value

The information may be used by librarians, researchers and anyone interested in a quick and comprehensive reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 49 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 August 2016

Sophie Bury

This paper aims to investigate faculty conceptions of information literacy (IL) in a digital information landscape by examining faculty definitions of IL in the context of…

3306

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate faculty conceptions of information literacy (IL) in a digital information landscape by examining faculty definitions of IL in the context of undergraduate education, as well as faculty perceptions of, and expectations for, undergraduate IL knowledge and abilities.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a qualitative research study with 24 semi-structured interviews of faculty in different disciplines at a large public research university in Toronto, Ontario.

Findings

Faculty view IL as fundamentally intertwined with other academic literacies and as central for the successful pursuit of much undergraduate academic research work including developing autonomous, engaged learners. Faculty place special emphasis on fostering higher-order cognitive skills, especially developing a questioning disposition and the ability to evaluate, contextualize and synthesize information sources. Faculty see considerable scope for improvement of undergraduate IL capabilities, and a large majority see a role for themselves and librarians here.

Practical implications

Findings of this and other studies align well with core elements in the new IL guidelines and frameworks for higher education both in North America and the United Kingdom. This includes highlighting a need for a strong faculty role in shaping IL in higher education in the future, a need for a holistic lens in developing multiple academic literacies, an emphasis on high-order cognitive abilities and a recognition of the importance of affective dimensions of learning IL.

Originality/value

This paper fills a gap in the literature where there is an absence of studies, especially of a qualitative nature, which explore faculty conceptions of IL. A majority of studies published focus instead on librarian conceptions and practice.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 44 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 2006

Benjamin R. Harris and Michelle S. Millet

The purpose of this paper is to critique the current wave of naming cultures in information literacy practice, the relationship between information literacy, literacy theory, and…

2255

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to critique the current wave of naming cultures in information literacy practice, the relationship between information literacy, literacy theory, and fluency theory, and suggests alternative conceptualizations for information seeking behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

After conducting literature and website reviews, a survey was posted on the Survey Monkey commercial site and librarians were invited to participate. The resulting analysis offers a synthesis of the literature and survey statistics.

Findings

Fewer programs than expected use “information fluency” as the defining factor in their library instruction programs. However, responses to the survey were useful in thinking about ways to retain a focus on information literacy theory in light of alternate naming conventions.

Research limitations/implications

With over 200 respondents, the quantitative research component is healthy though clearly not exhaustive. Future researchers may wish to focus their quantitative research on specific locations or types of libraries.

Originality/value

While a number of writers have presented practical and theoretical work related to information fluency, few authors chose to question the existence of fluency standards or the assessment of these standards. In addition, the researchers respond to concerns about linear and hierarchical constructions of literacy by offering an alternate model.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 34 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 May 2008

Stella Korobili, Aphrodite Malliari and George Christodoulou

The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes and perceptions of Greek librarians regarding information literacy programs and their preparedness for such programs.

1865

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes and perceptions of Greek librarians regarding information literacy programs and their preparedness for such programs.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was targeted at all professional and paraprofessional staff of the academic libraries in Greece and Cyprus. The instrument was a specially designed structured questionnaire which included 20 questions, in sum 67 variables.

Findings

Most libraries do not deliver information literacy programs, but some kind of library instruction. Many respondents consider that more money, more librarians and an appropriately equipped space are the best ways to improve information literacy programs. Concerning the information literacy trainers, there are those who emphasize teaching abilities and/or pedagogical experience, and those who emphasize infrastructure and funding.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the existing knowledge of information literacy skills by revealing certain issues regarding the academic libraries in Greece and Cyprus.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 October 2022

Carolyn Caffrey, Hannah Lee, Tessa Withorn, Maggie Clarke, Amalia Castañeda, Kendra Macomber, Kimberly M. Jackson, Jillian Eslami, Aric Haas, Thomas Philo, Elizabeth Galoozis, Wendolyn Vermeer, Anthony Andora and Katie Paris Kohn

This paper presents recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy. It provides an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of…

3567

Abstract

Purpose

This paper presents recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy. It provides an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering various library types, study populations and research contexts. The selected bibliography is useful to efficiently keep up with trends in library instruction for busy practitioners, library science students and those wishing to learn about information literacy in other contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

This article annotates 424 English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations, theses and reports on library instruction and information literacy published in 2021. The sources were selected from the EBSCO platform for Library, Information Science, and Technology Abstracts (LISTA), Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, and WorldCat, published in 2021 that included the terms “information literacy,” “library instruction,” or “information fluency” in the title, abstract or keywords. The sources were organized in Zotero. Annotations summarize the source, focusing on the findings or implications. Each source was categorized into one of seven pre-determined categories: K-12 Education, Children and Adolescents; Academic and Professional Programs; Everyday Life, Community, and the Workplace; Libraries and Health Information Literacy; Multiple Library Types; and Other Information Literacy Research and Theory.

Findings

The paper provides a brief description of 424 sources and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.

Originality/value

The information may be used by librarians, researchers and anyone interested as a quick and comprehensive reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy within 2021.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 50 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 November 2011

Anna Marie Johnson, Claudene Sproles and Robert Detmering

The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.

4596

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper introduces and annotates periodical articles, monographs, and audiovisual material examining library instruction and information literacy.

Findings

Information about each source is provided. The paper discusses the characteristics of current scholarship, and describes sources that contain unique scholarly contributions and quality reproductions.

Originality/value

The information in the paper may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 39 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 November 2015

Robert Detmering, Anna Marie Johnson, Claudene Sproles, Samantha McClellan and Rosalinda Hernandez Linares

This paper aims to provide an introductory overview and selected annotated bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy across all library…

5293

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide an introductory overview and selected annotated bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy across all library types.

Design/methodology/approach

It introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2014.

Findings

It provides information about each source, discusses the characteristics of current scholarship and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.

Originality/value

The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 43 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 December 2019

Margaret S. Zimmerman

Information literacy and health literacy skills are positively correlated with indicators of quality of life. Assessing these literacies, however, can be daunting – particularly…

Abstract

Purpose

Information literacy and health literacy skills are positively correlated with indicators of quality of life. Assessing these literacies, however, can be daunting – particularly with people that may not respond well to prose-based tools. The purpose of this paper is to use information horizons methodology as a metric that may be reflective of literacies.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a power analysis to insure statistical significance, a sample of 161 participants was recruited from a university population and given formal, vetted measures of information literacy and health literacy and then was asked to create an information horizons map within a health-related context. The information horizons maps were evaluated in two different ways. First, the number of sources was counted. Then, the quality of sources was factored in. Multiple regression analysis was applied to both metrics as independent variables with the other assessments as dependent variables. Anker, Reinhart, and Feeley’s model provided the conceptual framework for the study.

Findings

Information horizons mapping was not found to have a significant relationship with measures of information literacy. However, there were strong, statistically significant relationships with the measures of health literacy employed in this study.

Originality/value

Employing information horizons methodology as a means of providing a metric to assess literacies may be helpful in providing a more complete picture of a person’s abilities. While the current assessment tools have value, this method has the potential to provide important information about the health literacy of people who are not traditionally well represented by prose-based measures.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 76 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 May 2015

Peter Stordy

Digital technologies have transformed what it means to be literate and to experience literacy. Various literacies have been coined to capture this transformation including…

4467

Abstract

Purpose

Digital technologies have transformed what it means to be literate and to experience literacy. Various literacies have been coined to capture this transformation including established literacies like computer literacy, information literacy, digital literacy, media literacy and internet literacy, to newer conceptions like transliteracy, metaliteracy and multimodal literacy. The purpose of this paper is to assimilate the various conceptions of literacy and literacy types is becoming increasingly more complex. There is a need for a taxonomy of literacies that reflects more recent developments, one that more comprehensively captures the current literacy landscape and one that might have affordances in the future.

Design/methodology/approach

“Library and Information Science Abstracts” (LISA), “Education Resources Information Center” (ERIC) and “British Education Index” were searched for documents relating to digital technologies and literacy. Relevant documents were retrieved and reviewed. This was followed by selective backward and forward citation searching and a further review of relevant documents.

Findings

Based on a review of the literature, two significant dimensions of literacy were identified. These dimensions were used to create a literacy framework to enable the classification of literacies and literacy types, i.e. a taxonomy of literacies. This taxonomy was successfully applied to various prominent literacies and literacy types.

Research limitations/implications

The literacy framework was only applied to those literacies and literacy types that are directly or indirectly related to digital technologies.

Originality/value

There have been a few attempts to classify some literacy types. When conceived, these classifications comprehensively captured some aspect of the literacy landscape. However, they are now dated and there is a need for a taxonomy of literacies that meets the needs identified above. This paper proposes a taxonomy that meets these criteria.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 71 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 18000