Thoughts on Information Literacy
Recently there has been a wonderful discussion on what is and who is responsible for teaching information literacy skills. I have been following the discussion with much interest and wanted to share with you one of the postings. I want to thank John for allowing me to reprint his thoughts on the subject and invite all of you to add your two cents worth.
Reprinted with persmission of John Bishop, Moorestown HS Library, Moorestown, NJ USA
jbishop@mtps.com posted on the Information Literacy Listserve of AASL
Thanks much to all who have responded to Camilla’s original request. I agree with most, if not all, of that which has been offered…providing much food for thought. However, it is Mary’s response which has had me staring at the library walls for much more of a time than is proper…pondering her proposal and its implications…considering a response that is both succinct (blew that already) and helpful (not likely). I’ll give it a shot anyway….
One of the core questions stirred by the collection of responses (just above “What is information literacy?”) was…”Who is responsible for information literacy?” My initial, standard answer…perhaps yours as well…was…”We all are, dummy!”…the “we all” refering to the entire staff (content area teachers, librarians, others) of my/your school. Further contemplation leads me to view that as too convenient…too “unaccountable”…an answer. For something…a skill set…as important to students’ current and future academic success as information literacy (a thing/set which many would agree “we all” are not teaching/imparting as effectively as we must) requires a much more specific locus and concerted instruction. Perhaps it is time for me (as librarian) to take on even more of a leadership role…and formally be the locus of primary responsibility (though by no means “sole”) for information literacy in my school. Perhaps Mary’s suggested Freshmen information literacy course really is the mechanism within which to do this.
I say “really” because I…perhaps you secondary-as as well…waxed librarian about this before…a required freshman/sophomore information literacy course in which librarians take the lead. But it was quickly dismissed with words like “It’s just yet another thing to do!”…”You’ll never get all your work done!”…”Say goodbye to flexibility!”…”You’re setting a bad precedent!”…”You’ll no longer be a librarian!” The time may be now for those words to be dismissed…and the bold development of a semester course focusing on information literacy skills, communication skills, and (why not) media literacy be undertaken. No doubt…amidst the stoke…new words like “You’re muscling in on other teachers’ territory!”…”Student won’t learn…much less retain…these skills in isolation!”…”Students and staff are suffering because you’re dropping the ball as the (reading promoter, technology supporter, AV restorer, fill in your favorite “point person” activity here)!”…will emerge. In this time of ever-increasing extraneous expectations…and the ever-eroding perception of relevance, need, and benefit on the part of administrators and content area colleagues…these words can and should be confronted with wisdom and wit. And I have Mary! , Leah, and Camilla (not to mention all of you) to thank!
If I may…circling back to Camilla’s original request/question…”What…do you wish school teachers and/or administrators paid more attention to regarding students’ use of the Internet?” My general response would be…the importance of information literacy skills for students’ academic success…the unique ability/need for librarians to develop the foundations of information literacy skills in students using formal and informal instructional settings…the mechanisms that allow librarians to do this and empower/motivate (require, even?) content area teachers to reinforce and enhance information literacy skills via their classroom instruction, activities, and assignments.
Good luck, Camilla!
John Bishop
Moorestown HS Library
Moorestown, NJ USA
jbishop@mtps.com
