An elephant in the room?

Despite its recognised role in education, lifelong learning and active citizenship, the term information literacy (IL) is rarely used in the context of public libraries. At a time when public libraries are operating in an environment of financial austerity and are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the value of their role in UK society, this paper presents the findings of a small-scale research project examining the narratives surrounding public libraries and IL. Through a qualitative text analysis, a picture is built up of the roles of public libraries as presented by government, professional organisations and charitable organisations. This analysis shows that IL is not a concept explicitly associated with public libraries; that the government’s focus is on public libraries’ role in delivering digital inclusion while at the same time depicting a largely passive role for libraries and diminished role for professional library staff; and that while current library advocacy supports this digital role, it does not effectively address the deeper need for transferrable information skills. Based on this analysis, this paper recommends greater collaboration between academic research, higher education, and the public library sector, with a view to fostering a better understanding of IL and its potential to create a wider, more educationally-focussed role for public libraries and their staff.

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Redeploying public librarians to the front-lines: prioritizing digital inclusion

Library Review ◽

10.1108/lr-02-2016-0015 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 65 (6/7) ◽

pp. 370-385 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Siobhan A. Stevenson ◽

Caleb Domsy

Keyword(s):

Customer Service ◽

Formal Education ◽

Public Libraries ◽

Public Library ◽

Digital Inclusion ◽

Front Line ◽

Content Type ◽

The Public ◽

Public Librarians ◽

Public Librarian

Purpose This paper aims to draw attention to the quiet, if inadvertent, disappearance of the front-line public librarian, as libraries make difficult organizational choices in the struggle to survive the relentless pressures to cut costs on one side while supporting a market ethos of customer service on the other. Design/methodology/approach Informed by the preliminary findings of a pan-Canadian study of labour in large urban public libraries and a review of professional and academic literatures dealing with contemporary service trends, four models/proposals [(1) participative, (2) community-led, (3) managerial/leadership and (4) digital inclusion] are critically reviewed with respect to their positioning of the front-line professional librarian. Findings The paper concludes with an argument in favor of one of these proposals because it supports the relevance of public librarians in service to their communities while remaining true to the democratic aspirations of this vital public service within our increasingly complex information societies. Research limitations/implications The implication of this work is that by drawing our attention to the contradictions inherent within contemporary and popular library initiatives, the disconnect between formal education and professional practice is highlighted, thus providing a foundation for new empirical research into the changing nature of waged work (professional and non-professional) in public libraries. Practical implications Failure to situate the professional public librarian strategically and unambiguously within the rapidly evolving roles of the public library has implications for LIS educators, employers and, as significantly, current and future students. Social implications Despite the high rates of connectivity among Western nations and the increasing sophistication of their populations, the digital divide persists among a growing urban and rural underclass. Building, maintaining and promoting a strong and accessible municipal information infrastructure, one could argue, is what public librarianship is all about. Originality/value This paper’s identification and critical review of the four dominant service models proposed for the present public library represents the first time that these literatures have been assembled together and critically interrogated for their implications for the work of public librarians. Given the importance of the question “what is the future role of the public library”, a critical analysis of the key contenders is a necessary exercise, as is shifting the subject of the conversation away from the customer and onto the professional public librarian.

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Implementation of information literacy programmes in public libraries

Library Hi Tech News ◽

10.1108/lhtn-09-2015-0063 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 17-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

George Kingori ◽

Dorothy Njiraine ◽

Stephen Maina

Keyword(s):

Information Literacy ◽

Public Libraries ◽

Public Library ◽

Information Resources ◽

National Library ◽

Content Type ◽

The Public ◽

Qualitative Approaches ◽

Major Player

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the implementation of information literacy programmes in the public libraries in Kenya as demonstrated through a case study of the major public library in the country – Kenya National Library Service (KNLS). Design/methodology/approach The use of a case study research design made it possible to establish in-depth personal views, opinions and attitudes of the various respondents through face-to-face interviews and questionnaires. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to collect data from the respondents. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used, and data were analyzed. Findings Major findings of this study indicated that the majority of users at the KNLS relied heavily on the print information materials, while some users, especially researchers, utilized the Internet for their academic work or research. The findings indicated that information literacy should be embedded in the information literacy programmes in all public libraries. Research limitations/implications The study was confined to the KNLS. A much wider scope could be untenable, necessitating such limitation. Practical implications As KNLS is the national library charged with the responsibility of providing public library services, it is a major player in terms of policies and guidelines. The study will encourage users in public libraries to appreciate the importance of information resources and also sensitize public library administrators to support information literacy programmes. Social implications The study will enable the educational administrators to develop and plan relevant instructional models related to information literacy, critical thinking and independent learning. The challenges and solutions experienced at the KNLS can be applied in other public libraries in Kenya. Originality/value The study identified the various gaps and challenges that exists in implementation of information literacy programmes in public libraries. Major recommendations of this study are: users should be provided with training on use of information resources; library staff should be provided with methodology skills to make them effective trainers; and public libraries should partner with other stakeholders to provide information literacy programmes. In addition, adequate funding for physical, material and human resources should be provided to facilitate the implementation of information literacy programmes in the public libraries in Kenya.

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Practices of community representatives in exploiting information channels for citizen democratic engagement

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science ◽

10.1177/0961000618769966 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 51 (4) ◽

pp. 950-961 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hazel Hall ◽

Peter Cruickshank ◽

Bruce Ryan

Keyword(s):

Information Literacy ◽

Public Library ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

The Public ◽

Democratic Engagement ◽

Primary Means ◽

Information Skills ◽

Information Channels ◽

Council Work

The purpose of the research was to investigate the practices of elected, yet unpaid, community councillors in Scotland as they exploit information channels for democratic engagement with citizens. Its focus is both novel and significant in that it considers the information literacy of a group that has not been studied before: volunteer representatives active in hyperlocal government. The primary means of data collection was semi-structured interviews of one hour in length with 19 community councillors. Research design and data analysis were informed by the SCONUL 7-Pillar Model of Information Literacy, and by Activity Theory. The main finding of the analysis is that community councillors engage with a range of information sources and tools in their work, the most important of which derives from local authorities. Three recommendations emerge from the analysis. These relate to: (1) information literacy training; (2) valuing information skills; and (3) the role of the public library service in supporting community council work.

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Changes in Customer Behavior

Advances in Library and Information Science - E-Reference Context and Discoverability in Libraries ◽

10.4018/978-1-61350-308-9.ch020 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 230-236

Author(s):

R. Wright Rix

Keyword(s):

Information Literacy ◽

Public Libraries ◽

Information Access ◽

Public Library ◽

The Internet ◽

Research Information ◽

The Public ◽

The Past ◽

Customer Preferences ◽

Online Tools

Today’s library customers exhibit a decreasing tendency to regard the public library as the primary local repository of research information. The rise of the Internet is at the root of this and many other changes that have taken place in public libraries during the past twenty years. Customer preferences have shifted away from print tools in favor of the simplest available online tools. A pervasive user expectation is that information access should be free, easy, and immediate. Information literacy issues continue to occupy a growing portion of librarians’ time. As customer needs and expectations evolve, so must the library’s services and products.

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How do public librarians constitute information literacy?

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science ◽

10.1177/0961000617726126 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 51 (2) ◽

pp. 473-487 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Andrew Demasson ◽

Helen Partridge ◽

Christine Bruce

Keyword(s):

Information Literacy ◽

Public Libraries ◽

Public Library ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Social World ◽

The Public ◽

The Social ◽

Phenomenographic Study ◽

Public Librarians ◽

New Evidence

The public library has historically been entrusted with the design and delivery of services and programmes aimed at supporting the information literacy needs of the community-at-large. However, despite that central role little research has been devoted to understanding the ways in which public librarians, the conduit between the programme and the public, constitute the very concept (information literacy) they are delivering. This study has sought to redress that inequity by way of a phenomenographic study into the ways in which public librarians constitute information literacy. Data was collected via 20 semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with public librarians working in Queensland, Australia. The study revealed that the respondents constituted information literacy in four ways, as: intellectual process, technical skills, navigating the social world and gaining the desired result. Those findings and the attending study will help to provide a new evidence base that assists in the design and delivery of activities supporting future information literacy endeavors in the nation’s public libraries.

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Information literacy instruction in public libraries

Journal of Information Literacy ◽

10.11645/14.2.2680 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 71

Author(s):

Miriam Louise Matteson ◽

Beate Gersch

Keyword(s):

Information Literacy ◽

Information Needs ◽

Public Libraries ◽

Academic Library ◽

Public Library ◽

Effective Instruction ◽

Situational Factors ◽

Instructional Interactions ◽

The Public ◽

Public Librarians

Extending from existing research on how public libraries offer information literacy (IL) instruction through classes or programs, the purpose of this research was to explore how public librarians provide IL instruction through individual interactions with patrons. US public librarians recorded their impressions of instructional interactions over a five-day period using an online diary instrument. Key findings were that public librarians incorporate a range of IL concepts in their interactions with patrons, across a wide variety of expressed information needs, with most of the instruction directed toward helping patrons plan their information tasks, access information, and judge information. Secondary themes showed that although librarians believed strongly in the value and importance of providing instruction, individual and situational factors presented barriers to effective instruction. This research contributes to an understanding of how IL instruction in public library settings differs from school and academic library settings and raises some questions around the need for instructional resources focused more specifically around the needs of the public library to facilitate effective instruction.

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A comparative study of public libraries’ contribution to digital inclusion in Korea and the United States

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science ◽

10.1177/0961000616668571 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 51 (1) ◽

pp. 59-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Younghee Noh

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Digital Literacy ◽

Information Technologies ◽

Public Libraries ◽

Public Library ◽

The United States ◽

Digital Inclusion ◽

Related Services ◽

The Public ◽

Systems Perspective

This research was designed to measure the level of contribution public libraries in Korea have made to digital inclusion in their communities. To that end, the study compared the degree of contribution to digital inclusion by Korean libraries with that by US libraries. Specifically, the following domains of digital inclusion were assessed: (1) information technologies and infrastructures that can be utilized by the users, as well as (2) digital literacy campaigns and programs that promoted digital integration (helping people to use technologies and library programs and know about other resources and events provided by libraries). Public libraries in Korea were surveyed using a questionnaire developed by the Institute of Museum and Library Service in the United States – FY2011 Public Library Survey, revised for the Korean context. From a systems perspective, Korean public library computers and Internet infrastructure surpassed those of their counterparts in the United States in terms of quality but the diversity of technologies, equipment, and technology-related services and the proportion of technology-related services provided were higher in the United States. In terms of educational content, libraries in both countries informed the public about diverse subjects but US libraries offered more, and more diverse, services than Korean. Library staff were responsible for running programs in the United States, whereas these were provided through collaboration with external organizations in Korea.

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The Role of the Public Library in Developing Canadians’ Information Literacy Skills

Proceedings of the Annual Conference of CAIS / Actes du congrès annuel de l'ACSI ◽

10.29173/cais327 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Heidi Julien ◽

Reegan Breu

Keyword(s):

Information Literacy ◽

National Survey ◽

Potential Role ◽

Public Libraries ◽

Public Library ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

The Public ◽

Information Literacy Skills ◽

Public Librarians

This paper reports on a national survey of information literacy (IL) instruction in urban and rural public libraries, and public librarians’ attitudes towards these services. The survey is the first phase of a study exploring the actual and potential role of Canadian public libraries in developing the public’s IL skills.Cette étude présente un sondage national sur les programmes de connaissances informationnelles (CI) dans les bibliothèques publiques urbaines et rurales et les attitudes des bibliothécaires envers ces services. Le sondage constitue la première étape d’une étude exploratoire sur le rôle réel et potentiel des bibliothèques publiques canadiennes dans le développement des connaissances informationnelles (CI) du public.

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Rural Public Libraries and Digital Inclusion: Issues and Challenges

Information Technology and Libraries ◽

10.6017/ital.v33i1.5141 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 6 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Brian Real ◽

John Carlo Bertot ◽

Paul T. Jaeger

Keyword(s):

Customer Service ◽

Public Libraries ◽

Public Library ◽

Digital Inclusion ◽

Technological Infrastructure ◽

The Public ◽

Technology Service ◽

Rural Libraries ◽

Funding Mechanisms ◽

Library Technology

Rural public libraries have been relatively understudied when compared to public libraries as a whole. Data are available to show that rural libraries lag behind their urban and suburban counterparts in technology service offerings, but the full meaning and impact of such disparities is unclear. The authors combine data from the Public Library Technology and Access Study with data from smaller studies to provide greater insight to these issues. By filtering these data through the Digital Inclusion framework, it becomes clear that disparities between rural and non-rural libraries are not merely a problem of weaker technological infrastructure. Instead, rural libraries cannot reach their full customer service potential because of lower staffing (but not lower staff dedication) and funding mechanisms that rely primarily on local monies. The authors suggest possible solutions to these disparities, while also discussing the barriers that must be overcome before such solutions can be implemented.

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