Workplace Information Literacy: Cultivation Strategies for ‘Working Smarter’ in 21 st Century Libraries Zaana Howard (Australia), Anita Mirijamdotter (Sweden) & Mary M. Somerville (USA)

Zaana Howard (Australia), Anita Mirijamdotter (Sweden) & Mary M. Somerville (USA)

Outline Workplace information literacy ‘ Working Smarter’ processes Effectiveness results

Soft Systems Methodology Learning Process (after Checkland, 2000)

Framework Framework of Ideas – F, Methodology – M, Area of concern – A (after Checkland and Holwell, 1998)

Framework of Ideas Informed Learning Learn from encounters with information Participatory Action Research Learning with and for beneficiaries Systems Thinking Big picture understanding of interrelationships Soft Systems Methodology Process of learning one’s way

Informed Learning

Learn from encounters with information

Participatory Action Research

Learning with and for beneficiaries

Systems Thinking

Big picture understanding of interrelationships

Soft Systems Methodology

Process of learning one’s way

Organizational effectiveness results Amplify paraprofessional public service roles Initiate college-based librarian liaison model Co-design disciplinary research portal Co-create and evaluate course assignments Evolve learning partnerships in learning commons

Amplify paraprofessional public service roles

Initiate college-based librarian liaison model

Co-design disciplinary research portal

Co-create and evaluate course assignments

Evolve learning partnerships in learning commons

Working smarter elements Informed learning: Using information to learn Participatory action research: Learning with and for beneficiaries Systems thinking: Develop holistic understanding ‘… learning our way to change’

Informed learning:

Using information to learn

Participatory action research:

Learning with and for beneficiaries

Systems thinking:

Develop holistic understanding

‘… learning our way to change’

Organizational leadership priorities Design collegial information access, exchange, and reflection environments Encourage continuous research, implementation, and evaluation culture Allocate financial and human resources to ‘incentivize’ collaborative innovation and creativity

Design collegial information access, exchange, and reflection environments

Encourage continuous research, implementation, and evaluation culture

Allocate financial and human resources to ‘incentivize’ collaborative innovation and creativity

References C. S. Bruce (2008). Informed Learning . Chicago: ACRL. P. Checkland & S. Holwell (1998). Information, Systems and Information Systems - Making Sense of the Field . Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. P. B. Checkland (2000). Soft systems methodology. Systems Research & Behavioural Science . Z. Howard & M. M. Somerville (2008). Building knowledge capabilities: An organizational learning approach. Proceedings 11 th Annual Conference on Knowledge Management, Australia. Mirijamdotter & M.M. Somerville (2009). Collaborative design: An SSM-enabled organizational learning approach. International Journal of Information Technologies and Systems Approach .

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