This document discusses information literacy among Latino students. It notes that by 2020, Latinos will make up 25% of the American workforce and double their attendance in U.S. schools. While Latinos represent the largest minority group in colleges, they have the lowest graduation rates, which may be linked to information literacy skills. The document defines information literacy and discusses how Latino students tend to underuse libraries compared to other groups. It recommends further research on Latino communities and perceptions of libraries, as well as focusing on information literacy instruction for all students, especially in their first year of college.

1. Information Literacy and Latino Students
Lucero Gonzalez
Why Latinos?
By 2020 it is estimated that Latinos will
make up 25% of the American workforce
growth and will double their attendance in
U.S. schools (Haras, 2011).
If Latinos are the largest enrolling minority
group in college across the United States
but still have the lowest graduation rate
could information literacy have something
to do with this issue?
If this population will make such a large
portion of our society in the next few years,
we must make sure we are adequately
preparing them for success.
This issue not only affects students in
higher education who have not been
adequately prepared but also in personal
lives and workspaces. The students in the
Haras article reflect common educational
experiences of not only Latinos but also
other minority groups across the United
States (2007).
What is Information Literacy?
-An educational concept which includes the ability to recognize
an information need, define a research topic, locate and access
relevant materials, and manage and ethically use the information
–(American Association of School Librarians 2007.)
-“The set of skills to find, retrieve, analyze and use information”
-Association of College & Research Libraries
Pipeline?
Study presented in Haras article found that K-12 library use
correlated with research skills in college undergraduate
freshman (Haras). 1 in 4 students had never done research
before coming to college.
Latinos are thought to underuse the public library
incomparison to other members of the population (Haras,
2007) and Flores and Pachon (2008) found that Latinos born to
immigrant parents only visited the public library less than once
a year.
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Sources:
-Flores, E., & Pachon, H. (2008). Latinos and public library perceptions. Los Angeles, CA:Tomás Rivera Public Policy Institute.
-Smalley, Topsy N. "College Success: High School Librarians Make the Difference." The Journal of Academic Librarianship 30.3 (2004): 193-98.
-Lee, Hur-Li. "Information Structures and Undergraduate Students." The Journal of Academic Librarianship 34.3 (2008): 211-219.
-Haras, Catherine. "Information Behaviors of Latinos Attending High School in East Los Angeles." Library and Information Science Research 33 (2011): 34-40.
-Whitmire, Ethelene. "Cultural Diversity and Undergraduates' Academic Library Use." The Journal of Academic Librarianship 29.3 (2003): 148-61.
-Anne C. Barnhart and Andrea Stanfield. “Bridging the Information Literacy Gap: Library Participation in Summer Transition Programs" Reference Services Review 41.2 (2013): 201 – 218.
blog.collegegreenlight.com
Recommendations?
Further research on different Latino communities/ethnic groups
Look at Latino perceptions of the library and how they use it to make
recommendations for library programs to address this specific population
Creating diverse collections which promote a welcoming environment to all
students in academic libraries similar to one in the University of Wisconsin-
Madison (Whitmire, 2003)
Focus on information literacy of all undergraduate students especially within
the first year of college to bridge information gaps
Design and develop the information literacy instruction that will be the most
beneficial for the students similar to bridge programs offered in Barnhart
and Stanfield article (2013)