Information literacy policies and planning in Ibero-America: Perspectives from an international digital survey

We gratefully acknowledge the participation of the experts consulted in the study and their invaluable contribution: Paola Ascensión. Librarian. Pontificia Universidad Católica (Peru) Carlos A. Ávila Araujo. Assistant Professor. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG (Brazil) Regina Baptista Belluzzo. Lecturer. UNESP – Marília (Brazil) Aida Bedón. Assessor. Escuela Politécnica del Ejército (Ecuador) Andoni Calderón. Librarian. Biblioteca de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain) Ma. Gladys Ceretta. Lecturer. Escuela Universitaria de Bibliotecología y Ciencias Afines, Universidad de la República (Uruguay) José de J. Cortés. Senior Lecturer. Universidad Autónonoma de Ciudad Juárez (Mexico) Ana A. Chiesa. Librarian. Instituto Pío XII (Argentina) Mercedes Fernández. Lecturer. Centro Nacional de Información de Ciencias Médicas/Infomed (Cuba) Francisco J. García Marco. Professor. Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain) Sandra García Rivadulla. Research Librarian. Towers Watson / Universidad de la República (Uruguay) Álvaro Gascue Quiñones. Lecturer. Universidad de la República (Uruguay) José A. Gómez. Professor. Universidad de Murcia (Spain) Ma. del Carmen Ladrón de Guevara. Senior Lecturer. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina) Jesús Lau. Senior Lecturer. Universidad Veracruzana (Mexico) Judith Licea. Senior Lecturer. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Mexico) Gloria Marciales. Senior Lecturer. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia) Berenice Mears. Lecturer. Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (Mexico) Grizly Meneses. Assistant Professor. Departamento Ciencias de la Información, Universidad Central (Cuba) Alice Miranda. Lecturer. Universidad de Costa Rica (Costa Rica) Eva Ortoll. Senior Lecturer. Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Spain) Cristóbal Pasadas. Research Librarian. Universidad de Granada (Spain) Analia Povolo. Lecturer. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (Argentina) Nelva Quevedo. Research Librarian. Universidad de Lima (Peru) Ada Rengifo. Research Librarian. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Peru) Ana María Reusch. Lecturer. Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso (Chile) Liuris Rodríguez. Lecturer. Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas (Cuba) Lourdes Rovalo. Librarian. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Mexico) Dora Sales. Senior Lecturer. Universidad Jaume I, Castellón (Spain) Gerardo Sánchez. Librarian. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Mexico) Marlery Sánchez. Lecturer. Centro Nacional de Biopreparados (Cuba) Juan Carlos Sierra. Lecturer. Universidad de La Salle – Bogotá (Colombia) Blanca Estela Solís Valdespino. Lecturer. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Mexico) Marines Santana Justo Smith. Lecturer. UNESP – Marília (Brazil) Lourdes Tiscareño. Lecturer. Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (Mexico) Alejandro Uribe. Lecturer. Universidad de Antioquia (Colombia) Ma. Segunda Varela. Lecturer. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (Argentina) Aurora de la Vega. Research Librarian. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Peru) Marcela Verde. Assistant Professor. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina)An analysis of the state of the policies and plans on information literacy in Ibero-America is presented, based on the results of a survey carried out on 42 librarians and academics from 13 different countries, specialized in the development of information skills. The data were gathered from a detailed questionnaire survey conducted during the years 2012–2013. The information was collected through open questions, which were later codified and standardized to allow quantitative analysis. In the results and discussion, the information literacy planning landscape in Ibero-America is presented in its most general and abstract aspects – the national policies – its visibility in the institutional strategic plans, and its deployment through specific programmes and actions. Widespread progress can be appreciated, as a large number of the institutions to which the invited experts belong have achieved the implementation of systematic programmes (42.9%), and with the rest, except in one case, involved in preparatory actions, pilot projects and activities of transition from the more traditional users’ training activities. Recommendations are offered on the inclusion of information literacy within the national policies for improved digital and media literacy, on its deployment in higher education institutions, and on the need for a truly interdisciplinary effort to articulate the field, looking for an effective and efficient integration of the current and diverse approaches and actions.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain) for funding granted for this work within the framework of the competitive project Investigación y Desarrollo sobre Competencias Informacionales en la Enseñanza Superior (EDU2011- 29290)

Exploring the information seeking behavior of Greek graduate students : A case study set in the University of Macedonia

This paper describes a survey designed to determine the information seeking behavior of graduate students at the University of Macedonia (UoM). The survey is a continuation of a previous one undertaken in the Faculties of Philosophy and Engineering at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh). This paper primarily presents results from the UoM survey, but also makes comparisons with the findings from the earlier survey at AUTh. The 254 UoM students responding tend to use the simplest information search techniques with no critical variations between different disciplines. Their information seeking behavior seems to be influenced by their search experience, computer and web experience, perceived ability and frequency of use of e-sources, and not by specific personal characteristics or attendance at library instruction programs. Graduate students of both universities similar information seeking preferences, with the UoM students using more sophisticated techniques, such as Boolean search and truncation, more often than the AUTh students

Copyright Literacy in Spanish Library and Information Sciences (LIS) students

Copyright literacy in Spanish Library and Information Sciences (LIS) students was studied using a web survey as part of a multinational research project. The study focused on their knowledge, opinions and experiences with various aspects of copyright and intellectual property legislation and training. Results show that Spanish students are familiar with copyright and related laws at the national level, as well as with Creative Commons Licenses. However, most of respondents were very unfamiliar with topics related to the protection of rights in the digital environment and international copyright issues. Therefore, there is a need to increase information and knowledge of copyright issues in the LIS curricula, since copyright issues are already, and will continue to be in the future, a relevant part of information professionals' expertise

Reflections on Running a critLIS Reading Group

In this chapter we offer our reflections, developed through a collaborative autoethnography, on our experience of running a face-to-face Critical Librarianship and Information Studies (critLIS) reading group in an Information School (iSchool) in the United Kingdom (UK)

Management education in Latin America and the Caribbean.

This paper examines some issues relating to the development in Latin America and the Caribbean of the managerial expertise that underpins the modernisation of library and information services. It reports on part of a joint IFLA/FID project, principally funded by the UNESCO Participation Programme, and reviews results from two surveys: Schools of Librarianship and Information Sciences in the region provided data on the priorities they attach to elements of their management curriculum, and teaching methods; and employers commented on their awareness of modern management techniques, their management development needs and approaches, and their perceptions of the management education available. The results of the two surveys are compared and considered, and some proposals are made for addressing issues. Whilst the Schools appear to be meeting the employers key requirements, there is still some degree of mismatch between employers expectations and Schools priorities, but the Schools are open to change and a constructive dialogue is advocated. It is also suggested that more attention should be given to staff development and the provision of supporting continuing education programmes to raise the level of management knowledge and expertise. Iinternational organisations should consider encouraging the production and exchange of teaching materials. A major challenge for the Schools will be to overcome the traditionally rigid disciplinary boundaries within Universities to collaborate on new course developments

Spreading the message: teaching music librarianship by distance learning

A course in music librarianship has been offered at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for many years. However, it is only since 2008 that the course has been offered online. The move from a traditional classroom environment to an online one raises several pedagogical and practical issues, some of which are discussed in the present article. The technology used to deliver courses online from the University of Illinois is also examined, and some information is also provided about the use of online course management software to deliver music librarianship courses at the University of Aberystwyth (UK). An increase in the number of courses offered online in this way will,one hopes, lead to greater course enrolment by students.published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewe

The role of associations of information and library education in teaching and research: recent and potential developments in Britain and Europe.

This paper considers the development of associations of Schools of Librarianship and Information Sciences, illustrated by recent experiences in Britain and Europe, and examines their potential future contribution. It discusses in general terms the need for the Schools to establish a vehicle for collective action, and notes the origins of BAILER: the British Association for Information and Library Education and Research, and of EUCLID: the European Association for Library and Information Education and Research. It reviews the potential for associations of Schools to play a part in staff development, in student development, and in developing the discipline and its standing. It describes the activities of BAILER and EUCLID in facilitating information exchanges between member Schools, and in supporting international conferences. It discusses the potential and actual use of Information and Communications Technologies in the work of the associations, and briefly considers other operational issues such as membership involvement and financial support

Copyright literacy and LIS education: analysis of its inclusion in the curricula of master's degree programs

The close relationship between copyright laws and the development of library activities has become more intense and complex in recent years due to the impact of the digital setting. For this reason, librarians must have adequate knowledge about copyright, whether it be to carry out their own functions and tasks, or to help co-workers and users as efficiently as possible. The aim of the present paper is to determine the type of copyright instruction offered, plus its focus and depth, to students of master's programs in library and information studies at today's outstanding universities in this field. The results show that very few LIS programs provide the minimal training required for professionals to be copyright literate. Very few courses are dedicated specifically to copyright issues, as these subjects are usually studied in an excessively generic and superficial manner within broader courses dedicated to information policy, information ethics, or legal issues regarding information. If we also bear in mind that most of these courses are elective, not required, the conclusion is that very few LIS graduates attain the minimal instruction required. The best results are obtained by US and Canadian universities accredited by the American Library Association (ALA), since copyright issues are included in the list of core competences required to achieve accreditation. The solution to this problem may lie in two complementary approaches. One would be to follow the ALA model and the IFLA recommendation and include copyright contents in the LIS curricula worldwide, and the other would be to provide institutional support for those professionals interested in obtaining the required training

Special Libraries, December 1970

Volume 61, Issue 10https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_sl_1970/1009/thumbnail.jp