Information literacy is knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner

1. Prepared by : Susanta Sethi
Library Trainee,
Biju Pattnaik Central Library ,NIT
Rourkela
12/01/2016
Information Literacy Skill : Role of
Libraries

2. Contents
● Introduction
● Concept
● Definition
● Models and Standards of Information
Literacy
● Information Behaviors Models
● Role of libraries

3. Introduction
In this age of globalization, so much emphasis has been given on
equipping students with the right skills and competencies in order for
them to gain competitive edge. For students to be active global players
in the knowledge-based economy, where information is a commodity
and where information is power, higher learning institutions are
entrusted in producing a new breed of graduates. Students have to be
actively engaged in the process of information seeking for research,
assignments, and decision-makings. Effective decision making,
however, can only be achieved by having the right information, in the
right place, in the right format, at the right time.
In 1974, Paul Zurkowski, president of the information industry
Association Introduced the concept of information literacy. In a
proposal submitted to the national commission of libraries and
information science.

4. Concept
Information literate student as someone who is able to locate, manage, critically evaluate
and use information for problem solving, research, decision making and continued
professional development.
Doyle (1992) further detailed that information literacy prepares students with the ability
to do the following:
• Recognize that accurate and complete information is the basis for effective decision
making
• Recognize the need for information
• Formulate questions based on information needs
• Identify potential sources of information
• Develop successful search strategies
• Access sources of information including computer-based and other technologies
• Evaluate information
• Organize information for practical application
• Integrate new information into an existing body of knowledge
• Uses information in critical thinking and problem solving

5. Definitions
● According to Zurkowski “People trained in
the application of the information resources
to their work can be called information
techniques, they have learned techniques
and skills for utilizing the wide rage of
information tools as well as a primary
sources in molding information solutions to
their problems”
● Information literacy is knowing when and
why you need information, where to find it,
and how to evaluate, use and communicate
it in an ethical manner. (CILIP)

6. Information literacy skills
Skills required to be information literate require
an understanding of:
● A need for information
● The resources available
● How to find information
● The need to evaluate results
● How to work with or exploit results
● Ethics and responsibility of use
● How to communicate or share your findings
● How to manage your findings

7. Information Literacy

8. Information Literacy
Components
● A complete picture of Information
Literacy must include five essential
components:
● Basic Literacy,
● Library Literacy,
● Media Literacy, Basic
Model/component
● Technology Literacy and
● Visual Literacy.
● Digital literacy

9. The model in Figure shows the
relationship between library literacy
and other literacy

10. Models and Standards of
Information Literacy
● In addition to standards, a few models
have been developed over the years, and
applied in the academic setting in schools
and higher learning institutions. Among
the popular models are:
● The Big6TM Model,
● Seven Pillars Model, and
● Empowering 8 Model (E8 Model).

11. Big6TM Model
● It proposes six thinking steps with two sub-
stagesStep & Sub-Stages
Step 1-Task definition
Define The Information Problem
Identify Information Need
Step 2 -Information seeking
strategies
Determine All Possible Sources
Select The Best Source
Step 3- Location and access
Locate Sources (Intellectually
And Physically)
Find Information Within
Sources
Step 4- Use of information
Engage (Read, Hear, View, Touch)
Extract Relevant Information
Step 5 -Synthesis
Organise From Multiple Sources
Present The Information
Step 6- Evaluation
Judge The Product (Effectiveness)
Judge The Process (Efficiency

12. Seven Pillars Model
In 1999, the Society of College, National, and
University Libraries (SCONUL) in the U.K.
developed the Seven Pillars Model of
Information Literacy. The first four pillars of
the model focus on students’ ability to locate
and access information, while the remaining
three pillars emphasise on the ability to
understand and use information.
● Pillar 1 Recognize information need –
knowing what is known, knowing what is
unknown and identifying information gap
● Pillar 2 Distinguish ways of addressing gap –
knowing which information sources are more
likely to satisfy the information need
● Pillar 3 Construct strategies for locating –
knowing how to develop and refine an
effective search strategy

13. Cont…
● Pillar 4 Locate and access – knowing to
access information sources and search
tools to access and retrieve information
● Pillar 5 Compare and evaluate – Knowing
how to assess the relevance and quality of
the information retrieved
● Pillar 6 Organise, apply and communicate
– knowing how to assimilate information
from a variety of sources for the purpose
of creating new knowledge
● Pillar 7 Synthesise and create

14. Empowering 8 (E8) Model
The empowering 8 (E8) Model (IFLA/ALP)
2004. E8 Components
❖ Identify
❖ Explore
❖ Select
❖ Right
❖ Organise
❖ Create
❖ Present
❖ Assess
❖ Apply

15. Standard
● abilities has been further developed into
the following five Information Literacy
Competency Standards for higher
education, and was approved by the
Association of College and Research
Libraries (ACRL) in 2000..
● Standard One:
The information literate student determines
the nature and extent of
the information needed.
● Standard Two:
The information literate student accesses
needed information effectively and
efficiently.

16. Cont…..
● Standard Three:
The information literate student evaluates
information and its sources critically and
incorporates related information into his or
her knowledge base and value systems
● Standard Four:
The information literate student, individually or
as a member of a group,uses information
effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.
● Standard Five:
The information literate student understands
many of the economic,legal and social issues
surrounding the use of information and
accesses and uses information ethically and
legally.

17. Information Behaviors Models
Major Information Seeking behaviors
models
❑Wilson’s (1981) model of information
behavior
❑Ellis’s (1994) model of information-
seeking behavior
❑Kuhlthau’s (1993) information search
process model

18. Wilson’s (1981) model of information
behavior
● ‘Information Behaviour Models’ to distinguish them from the
‘information search models’ as they are understood by information
retrieval researchers.
● These models are more concerned with user behaviour surrounding the
actual initiation of information-seeking and have a broader perspective
of the information search than the use of computer-based information
retrieval systems.

19. Ellis’s (1994) model of information-
seeking behaviour
● Ellis first described his model of information-seeking behaviour in
1984 and has since then developed the model in information-seeking
studies of various group of researchers, including engineers.
● Ellis ,Ingwersen & Järvelin derived eight generic characteristics of the
information-seeking patterns of social scientists. Ellis later
● Extended this work to physicists, chemists and engineers.

20. Kuhlthau’s (1993) information search
process model
● Kuhlthau’s information search process (ISP) model focuses on the
affective and cognitive aspects of the information search process.
● Kuhlthau’s ISP model is based on George Kelly’s personal construct
theory and as such depicts information-seeking as a process of
construction

21. Stages in Kuhlthau’s information
search process model
● The different stages identified by Kuhlthau
(2005:230-231) in the ISP model are
● Task initiation,
● Topic selection,
● Prefocus exploration,
● Focus formulation,
● Information collection, search closure, and
● Starting writing.

22. Role of Academic Libraries
● For students to be active global players in the knowledge-based
economy, where information is a commodity and where information is
power, higher learning institutions are entrusted in producing a new
breed of graduates.
● The academic setting must be designed in response to the objective of
producing students who are active information seekers. So much has
been said on the need to have a paradigm shift in the academic setting
from one that is teaching-based to that of learning-based.

23. Strategies to Move Forward
Information Literacy Has To Be Taken Into
Serious Consideration.
❑Developing information literacy standards for
higher learning Institutions
❑Paradigm shift
❑Integrating information literacy into the
curriculum.
❑Self-learners and distance education

24. References
● https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23
6027244_6_ROLE_OF_ACADEMIC_LIBRAR
IES_IN_PROMOTING_INFORMATION_LI
TERACY_AMONG_STUDENTS_OF_HIGHE
R_LEARNING_INSTITUTIONS
● http://www.slideshare.net/plaistrlc/the-role-
of-libraries-and-librarians-in-information-
literacy
● http://www.cilip.org.uk/cilip/advocacy-
campaigns-awards/advocacy-
campaigns/information-
literacy/information-literacy