This document summarizes a study on the role of information literacy for teachers in remote indigenous communities in Alaska. It interviewed four teachers to identify themes. Key findings include: 1) Rural teachers face unique challenges with distance education and accessing resources, 2) Information literacy instruction helped teachers develop research skills and feel more connected, 3) Applying these skills empowered teachers and inspired them to teach students to evaluate information. The study concluded that information literacy is essential for students in rural Alaska to have advocates, and libraries must find ways to effectively serve remote communities.

1. Information Literacy in Remote Indigenous Alaska: Teachers’ Rural VoicesJennifer Ward Outreach Services Librarian, Associate Professor of Library ScienceWilliam A. Egan LibraryUniversity of Alaska Southeast, Juneau, Alaska, United StatesThomas DukeAssociate Professor of EducationSchool of EducationUniversity of Alaska Southeast, Juneau, Alaska, United States

2. Alaska, United StatesContext– four communities in remote “bush” AlaskaCommunity – four teachers in masters in special education programCulture – multiple/complex (Anglo-European, Mexican, Tlingit, Yupik, Athabascan, Inupiat Alaska Natives)

3. The StudyWhat role does information literacy play in the lives of teachers who live and work in geographically isolated and sparsely populated rural communities?

4. How do special education teachers and their students in remote communities of Alaska benefit from distance-delivered information literacy instruction?

6. Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in Alaska

7. Study MethodsInterviews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing (2nd ed.) SteinarKvale and SvendBrinkmann – University of Aarhus, Sage, 2009

8. ResultsFour Themes Emerged:Rural issues and needsDistance education & information literacy instructionDevelopment as a learner and researcherApplication of information literacy and research skills

10. Angoon, AlaskaPopulation 44286.4% AK Native (mainly Tlingit)55 miles (89 kilometers) SW of JuneauK-12 school / 91 students

11. Angoon, Alaska

12. Angoon, AlaskaStreet View ©2004, State of Alaska, DCRAKlasStolpe / Juneau Empire

13. Goodnews Bay, AlaskaPopulation 23793.9% AK Native (Yup’ik Eskimo)110 air miles (177 kilometers) NW of DillinghamK-12 School / 54 students

15. Goodnews Bay, Alaska

16. Goodnews Bay, Alaska

17. Goodnews Bay, Alaska

18. Kotlik, AlaskaPopulation 59196.1% AK Native (Yup’ik Eskimo)165 air miles (266 kilometers) NW of BethelP-12 school / 177 students

19. Kotlik, Alaskahttp://kot.loweryukon.org/Gallery/

20. Kotlik, Alaska

21. Kobuk, AlaskaPopulation 122Population of sled dogs >12293.6% AK Native Iñupiat Eskimo village on Kobuk River128 air miles (206 kilometers) NE of Kotzebue P-12 school / 35 students

22. Kobuk, Alaska

23. an Iñupiat village classroom in Alaska

24. Rural Voices

25. Rural Voices“… As a teacher in a remote place, I need the Internet, e-mail, and interlibrary loan services”

26. Rural Voices“Turnover is a huge problem in rural communities. I think teachers would be less likely to get burnt-out and leave if they felt connected to something larger than themselves.”

27. Rural Voices [learning advanced research skills]“…opened up a world of educational discourse on disability that I wouldn't otherwise be able to access in a remote, rural community.”

28. Rural Voices“continuing to educate myself keeps me connected to the inter-national literature… and … makes me excited to teach.”

29. Rural Voices“Before I learned to refine the searches, my searches were too broad. I would get frustrated and quit.”

30. Rural Voices“I feel empowered to educate myself.”

31. Rural Voices“I’m inspired now to teach my students to be their own filters of information rather than allow others to filter it for them.”

32. ConclusionsIf the teachers in Alaska’s rural schools are not information literate – then who will be?Children in rural and remote Alaska need skilled information literate advocates in order to best serve their unique and special needs.Distance education is essential to reach adults in rural communities though there are technological difficulties to overcome

33. ConclusionsParticipantshighly valued library services and gained a skill set they were not fully aware of before we taught them.

34. Librarians must be aware of the issues specific to our bush community consumers and follow up with resources after they leave the university.

35. Awareness of library services is not enough, in order for teachers to transfer these skills to their students they need instruction on how to use library resources.Conclusions