Undoubtedly, the information landscape has changed significantly in recent years, leading to the proliferation and saturation of information that can be confusing and overwhelming to all but the most discerning and literate of consumers. The last few decades have recognised the essential need for multiliteracies and digital literacies as our previous understanding of literacy failed to adequately explain the set of skills, behaviours and attributes necessary to make sense of this new and increasing information world. In these modern times, the need for Teacher Librarians to teach critical skills in information literacy has become even more essential.
However, there is no specific definition or consensus on what the term ‘information literacy’ actually encompasses. It relates to an ability to derive and construct meaning from information, and is inherently dependent on context and purpose. I find myself drawn to ANCIL’s definition of information literacy as being the following:
This aligns with my own personal understanding of information literacy and its role in 21st century learning, equipping students with the skills to not only locate and understand information, but also to be independent critical thinkers who are informed and aware. Indeed, information literacy is seen to be an essential step in the quest for students to become lifelong learners (Australian and New Zealand Literacy Framework, 2004, p.4).
What does this mean for the Teacher Librarian? It means they not only need to meet the information learning needs of their students at that current time (for example, by helping them to locate information through effective searches), but they also need to prepare them for the future, ensuring they are provided with opportunities to make connections, to critique, to evaluate and to apply information onto real-world contexts to construct meaning. It is through equipping them with these tools that we open up new avenues for them, that we allow them to not only comprehend but to thrive and succeed in the future.
As the information landscape continues to evolve, so must libraries continue to innovate and adapt to meet twenty-first century learning priorities. A Teacher-Librarian needs to ensure they are continually reflecting on their practice and striving to adapt as a result of evidence-based practices so they can “revisit, reframe, and re-imagine knowledge, skills, attitudes and dispositions” (Lamb, 2011, p.27). For in this modern, changing information world, Librarians are no longer the fount of all knowledge, but facilitators of an active learning process wherein students are liberated to seek and drive their own learning (Tucker, 2014, para.15).
References
Bundy, A. (Ed.) (2004). Australian and New Zealand information literacy framework: Principles, standards and practice. 2nd ed. Australian and New Zealand Institute for Information Literacy. https://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/79068/anz-info-lit-policy.pdf
CILIP The Library and Information Association. (n.d.). Definitions and models. https://infolit.org.uk/definitions-models/
Lamb, A. (2011). Bursting with Potential: Mixing a Media Specialist’s Palette. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 55(4), 27–36. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1007/s11528-011-0509-3
Secker, J., Coonan, E., Webster, H., & Wrathall, K. (2012, January 13). Blue skies: a new definition of information literacy. A new curriculum for information literacy. https://newcurriculum.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/blue-skies-a-new-definition-of-information-literacy/
Tucker, M. S. (2014). Tucker’s Lens: Kai-ming Cheng on Learning. http://www.ncee.org/2014/03/tuckers-lens-kai-ming-cheng-on-learning/