Role of Librarians in Teaching and Training in Ili: Information Literacy Instruction - Term Paper Example

ROLE OF LIBRARIANS IN TEACHING AND TRAINING IN ILI: INFORMATION LITERACY INSTRUCTION STUDENT NAME PROFESSORS NAME COURSE TITLE DATE Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Role of ILI Librarians in Teaching and Training 4 Librarians Fitting With Other Activities and Trainers 6 ILI Organizations and Institutions Trainers 8 Conclusion 10 References 11 Introduction Students, scholars and the public require information in order to further their knowledge in various aspects of life. It is common knowledge that ‘information is power’ and whoever possesses it has the ability to change their lives for the better (Dais-Kahl & Hensley, 2013). Librarians and other library staff must have the necessary knowledge to instruct and educate library users on how to access information effectively, meaningfully and independently. Time management is critical to library users, as they need to find important information in a short time; the failure to know what they need would greatly hamper the outcome in their studies. Information literacy as a concept developed by scholars encompasses ‘knowing when and why one needs information, where the information is found, how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner’ (Grassian & Kaplowitz, 2001). Information literacy emphasizes the complexity and multiplicity of skills and strategies involved in finding and using information. It is important that a librarian have extraneous knowledge, that above a student that one can be able to instruct and train the library users. This is on how to use, interpret and understand the information. Currently, technology has greatly advanced both library users and librarians forced to adapt and grow in a ‘weird world’. This contrasted to the pre-20th Century idea of accessing information mainly through books and print media. Accessing information is global in nature and one can access it through computers, mobile devise with instantaneous information retrieval. The learner bombarded with information, which is numerous, and bulky instantly desires to find a way to sort it out, analyze, and use the appropriate information. It is on this premise that this paper will highlight the roles of librarians in a changing global information platform, the role of the librarians in teaching in training, how they fit in other activities, Internet Librarian International (ILI) and other institution trainers. Role of ILI Librarians in Teaching and Training An essential tool in students learning is information literacy. Information literacy is a concept whose ability is to access, evaluate, organize and utilize information obtained from different sources. However, the American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy has defined information literacy as information that a literate person can be able to recognize when the information needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information (American Library Association’s Prudential Committee on Information Literacy, 1989). It is important for learning institutions to integrate information literacy in instructional programs, as it is an added advantage in a knowledge-based society. The global trend towards accessing information through the internet and other media has increasingly led to the evolution of the roles of a librarian. One is no longer required to sit behind a desk and hand out a piece of card to a leaner to find a book amongst rows and rows of shelves of books. One need only accesses a database find the book or read online literature about the information sought. It is material that information competence must be used by integrating ‘library literacy, technological literacy’ ethics, media literacy, commuter literacy and communication skills’. This premised on the need by students to sift through mass information accessed from databases and the internet to retrieve reliable and relevant information. The role of ILI librarian is to fulfill the purpose of helping a student, find, retrieve, analyze and use the information. The steps towards finding information are to train or instruct on how the information is accessible, the relevant materials that needed and where found. The ILI librarian role is to ensure that the information exists for a learner. Retrieving information includes downloading materials, writing short notes, explanatory notes and the available in materials that relate to the same information. Analyzing the retrieved information involves amalgamating all the information and understanding how the information relates to the problem information. The use of the information is fusing it with the problem and getting the desired answers. Having a role as a librarian implies the ability of a person to teach information literacy skills, to enable a student, be a lifelong learner and become critical thinkers especially in higher educations. The internet necessitates a trend in the change of issuing library instructions since it is a new technology and therefore in dispensing their role as trainers, they must have the necessary skills to train and teach. The role of an ILI librarian is to provoke a desire amongst information users the desire to understand, quench their thirst of knowledge, and induce reasoned activity, engagement with learners and ability to concentrate. The librarians must ensure that information is up to date or updated daily, add materials as soon as they are available and provide other sources of referencing. The information available must capture the attention of readers and information users. ILI librarians must through computer literacy mentor and assist users in the web and library databases. There is perception that internet librarians have computer literacy skills to ensure the information users have a limitless warehouse of information at their disposal whenever they need it. A librarian expected to have troubleshooting skills that is necessary to assist information users to interpret information, how one can get out of problematic situations. It is important to allude to the perceived roles of a librarian that is collaborating with the other disciplines in and instructions to design instructional programs. A librarian also has to play the role of a consultant and capable of evaluating information (American Library Association, 2001). The ILI librarian must also develop and formulate information policies, create access tools, selecting, organizing information, and introducing relevant and new information for effective use. Librarians must act as mentors in the learning process encouraging information users in decision that relate to scholarly communications. Librarians are also require to create online instructional material that is aimed at different users of information that can be easily accessed by those seeking answers to their problems, research or essays. Librarians Fitting With Other Activities and Trainers To take an effective role, librarians ought to understand learners and the provision of information resources contributes to their learning. An active laboratory for students and faculty to explore, investigate and retrieve information whenever found both locally or virtually. Information literacy is a ‘survival skill in the information age’ and librarians must lead in developing and delivering strategies to ensure that the true meaning of information literacy is achievable (Donaldson, 2000). The library is important in the support of all forms of literacy’s that is basic reading, writing , deepen the literacy skills needed for one to survive and thrive in this digital age. It is important to highlight that the role of the library in advancing digital or computer literacy is usually invincible but recognition is important especially from other education stakeholders. In order for librarians to fulfill their obligation in giving information , they need cooperation from institutions to address any shortcomings in the dispensation of their duties as librarians. Librarians premised on the principle of ‘free and equal access to information’ must engage the public in the dissemination of such information. Empowering the society as part of their activities needs imparting knowledge to community. They must accept that technology is not only used by students, scholars but by other members of the public in accessing information. This involves instructional training, awareness programs and conferences as part of their activities in educating the public. Librarian need to work with technological experts skilled in technology and complement them since they are unaware of how to teach and successfully instruct the learners. In the quest to maintain literacy, the level of competency achieved by the librarians and other trainers must meet the individual learning goals. This is through practicing effective training techniques, encouraging learners to work independently and assess the immediate needs and the relevant information and activities. ILI Organizations and Institutions Trainers The ILI organizations aim at regulating, informing and advocating for best internet practices in relation to the access of information given by librarians not only in the internet, but also in databases and websites. Human interaction has taken root in the internet and it is an s increasing source of information, for not only learners but trainers, librarians and scholars. The focus by ILI is on the end use of the information is it; relevant, reliable, credible and important to a user of information (Davis-Khal & Hensley, 2013). It recognizes the fact that practical steps need to be undertaken, to improve the access of information not only from libraries in institutions but to the public. Librarians work in a service-oriented organization and their roles encompass ensuring that the service is of high quality. This focuses on continuous improvement, efficacy and excellence in providing information. The librarians play a significant role towards the ‘success of their institutions and active partners in information literacy and lifelong learning’. It is an expectation by information users that librarians are well-trained professionals equipped with managerial skills in the anticipation, identification, and analyzing user’s organizational skills. They are equipped with knowledge expertise, the knowledge of disparate information sources, access and integrate the information. The trainers and institutions expect that they are familiar with research methods, ability to evaluate information and retrieve it, add value to the information. Trainers also expect that librarians are able to preserve, conserve, edit and publish materials. The role of librarians is to; effectively communicate information, ideas and skills to trainers who are still new in this field. It is the expectation of trainers that librarians are competent in acting as a repository of information not only marinating a quiet environment but also the success and development of careers. In working with other trainers, scholarly information needs to be available to information users. In playing their role in disseminating information, they must understand issues of ‘copyrights, fair use, author’s rights, open access, citation metrics, publication options, digital preservation and institutional repository development’. Librarians to dispense their roles must constantly refresh themselves depending on new technology, teaching skills and the improvement of services. There is a liaison that information literacy and scholarly communication taught both formally and informal must focus on the changing nature of scholarship and the art in the digital world. The ILI organizations have created a threshold that librarians must attain to ensure that there is literacy competency. A librarian must be able to understand and apply the fundamental instructional principles in the development of training materials and information within the databases and the internet (Grassian & Kaplowitz, 2001). The information created must meet the goals of a particular curriculum and demonstrates that ability of an information user to; choose, and evaluate the software used for instruction, the training resources and websites. A librarian must be dynamic capable of adapting to the changes in technology as well as create materials that reflect any changes that occur in a curriculum. The librarian must also be in consonance and aware of best practices that inform online training and access of information. Conclusion Information literacy as a tool is important since it enables information users to effectively find, analyze, sort and use information is a way that advances knowledge and enhances learning. A librarian uniquely tasked to ensure that the information accessed is quality, relevant, up-to-date, with no errors and complete. The growth of internet as a major information hub has a lot of information hence making it difficult for users to sort out relevant information and it is therefore the duty of a librarian to ensure that it is reliable. The actual , perceived and expected roles of an ILI are numerous and it requires working hand in hand with other players such as tutors, content builders and the institution to come up with the ideal information. Information literacy gained through proper instruction and training of learners and therefore ILI librarians ought to be teachers and trainers in their own rights. This is to improve the quality of education, understanding of information and the molding of a learner into an independent self-reliant researcher. ‘Information is power’ and with proper training it can transform the society. References American Library Association. (2001). ACRL best practices initiative: Characteristics of programs of information literacy that illustrate best practices. Working edition. Retrieved September 26, 2013 from http:// www.ala.org/acrl/nili/criteria.html American Library Association's Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. (2009). Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final report. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/whitepapers/presidential.html. Davis-Kahl, S. & Hensley, M. eds. (2013). Common Ground at the Nexus of Information Literacy and Scholarly Communication. Chicago, IL: Association of College and Research Libraries. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/files/publications/booksanddi gitalresources/digital/commonground_oa.pdf. Donaldson, K. A. (2000). Library research success: Designing an online tutorial to teach information literacy skills to first-year students. The Internet and Higher Education. 2 (4), 237-251. Grassian, Esther & Joan R. Kaplowitz. Information Literacy Instruction: Theory and Practice. NY: Neal-Schuman, 2001 pp. 13-24. Read More

The role of ILI librarian is to fulfill the purpose of helping a student, find, retrieve, analyze and use the information. The steps towards finding information are to train or instruct on how the information is accessible, the relevant materials that needed and where found. The ILI librarian role is to ensure that the information exists for a learner. Retrieving information includes downloading materials, writing short notes, explanatory notes and the available in materials that relate to the same information.

Analyzing the retrieved information involves amalgamating all the information and understanding how the information relates to the problem information. The use of the information is fusing it with the problem and getting the desired answers. Having a role as a librarian implies the ability of a person to teach information literacy skills, to enable a student, be a lifelong learner and become critical thinkers especially in higher educations. The internet necessitates a trend in the change of issuing library instructions since it is a new technology and therefore in dispensing their role as trainers, they must have the necessary skills to train and teach.

The role of an ILI librarian is to provoke a desire amongst information users the desire to understand, quench their thirst of knowledge, and induce reasoned activity, engagement with learners and ability to concentrate. The librarians must ensure that information is up to date or updated daily, add materials as soon as they are available and provide other sources of referencing. The information available must capture the attention of readers and information users. ILI librarians must through computer literacy mentor and assist users in the web and library databases.

There is perception that internet librarians have computer literacy skills to ensure the information users have a limitless warehouse of information at their disposal whenever they need it. A librarian expected to have troubleshooting skills that is necessary to assist information users to interpret information, how one can get out of problematic situations. It is important to allude to the perceived roles of a librarian that is collaborating with the other disciplines in and instructions to design instructional programs.

A librarian also has to play the role of a consultant and capable of evaluating information (American Library Association, 2001). The ILI librarian must also develop and formulate information policies, create access tools, selecting, organizing information, and introducing relevant and new information for effective use. Librarians must act as mentors in the learning process encouraging information users in decision that relate to scholarly communications. Librarians are also require to create online instructional material that is aimed at different users of information that can be easily accessed by those seeking answers to their problems, research or essays.

Librarians Fitting With Other Activities and Trainers To take an effective role, librarians ought to understand learners and the provision of information resources contributes to their learning. An active laboratory for students and faculty to explore, investigate and retrieve information whenever found both locally or virtually. Information literacy is a ‘survival skill in the information age’ and librarians must lead in developing and delivering strategies to ensure that the true meaning of information literacy is achievable (Donaldson, 2000).

The library is important in the support of all forms of literacy’s that is basic reading, writing , deepen the literacy skills needed for one to survive and thrive in this digital age. It is important to highlight that the role of the library in advancing digital or computer literacy is usually invincible but recognition is important especially from other education stakeholders. In order for librarians to fulfill their obligation in giving information , they need cooperation from institutions to address any shortcomings in the dispensation of their duties as librarians.

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