Academic Librarians’ Perceptions on Information Literacy: The Israeli Perspective

Information literacy instruction in university libraries of Islamabad, Pakistan: a study of librarians’ perceptions, practices, barriers, and strategies

Purpose

This paper aims to measure the perceptions of librarians about information literacy (IL) instruction, their current IL practices and the problems they face while offering IL instructional programs in public and private sector university libraries in Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research design was adopted, and a survey was carried out for this study to collect the data through an online questionnaire for the university librarians. All librarians (a total of 120) were approached to collect the data, of whom 92 (76.6%) responded to the survey.

Findings

The findings reveal that the librarians working in the university libraries of Islamabad are aware of the significance of IL instruction to fulfil the information needs of their library users. A majority of the librarians indicated having adequate skills to offer IL instruction. Moreover, the majority of the librarians are offering IL instruction to users at their respective universities. However, some of the barriers affecting IL instruction programs were also reported including the absence of IL instruction courses in the library and information science (LIS) curriculum, a shortage of trained library professional staff to provide IL instruction, a lack of commitment among librarians for IL instruction, a lack of training opportunities for librarians and a lack of interest from library users. These obstacles have a negative effect on IL instruction in the university libraries of Islamabad. Therefore, this study suggests that librarians are needed to take several necessary steps to overcome these obstacles to achieve the best results in IL instruction programs.

Originality/value

This study presents a picture of the status of IL skills, current practices and barriers to offering IL instruction in the university libraries of Islamabad. This research bridges the gap in the existing literature and will help to create awareness about the importance of IL skills among LIS professionals in Pakistan. Moreover, the findings of this study will help encourage librarians for the enhancement of IL instruction services in university libraries of Islamabad in particular and Pakistan in general.

Survey of information literacy instructional practices in academic libraries

This paper reports a study of information literacy instructional practices in Israeli academic libraries, conducted to understand the methods and approaches used by academic librarians in their instructional work, and to explore whether their practices have been influenced by the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. The study used an online survey to gather data, an instrument based on one used successfully in similar surveys in Canada and the United States. The survey was completed by Israeli academic librarians with instructional responsibilities. Findings show that respondents believe that information literacy instruction is a shared responsibility, and that one-on-one instruction is the most-used approach. Results reveal multiple challenges faced by respondents, as well as opportunities for improvement in their instruction.

The relationships between personality, perceptual, cognitive and technological variables and students’ level of information literacy

The Internet is students’ primary source of information, and the question that arises is whether students know how to evaluate the information they find on the Web. The present research aimed to explore whether openness to experience, curiosity, learning strategies, technological skills, and self-efficacy in computer use are associated with undergraduate students’ information literacy level. The research was conducted in Israel during the first semester of the 2014 academic year and included 180 first-year university students. Seven questionnaires were used to gather data on personal details, information literacy, computer mastery, curiosity, and openness to experience, self-efficacy in computer use, and learning strategies. Results confirm that the personality characteristics of openness to experience and curiosity, as well as cognitive variables such as deep learning strategies, the perceptual variable of self-efficacy in computer use, and computer mastery affect students’ level of information literacy.

Book or NOOK? Information behavior of academic librarians

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to understand patterns in information behavior of academic librarians, individuals who influence information technology adoption in academic libraries and parent institutions. Librarians’ perception of their student patrons’ information behavior was also investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

– An exploratory study investigated professional and personal information behavior of eight librarians employed by various academic institutions in the Greater New York City area. The data were collected in face-to-face interviews and analyzed using the content analysis technique.

Findings

– The study found that librarians’ institutional affiliations had no effect on their information behavior. The patterns in librarians’ information behavior at work and leisure suggest that those behaviors are influenced by contextual variables, personal preferences and tasks, and are no different from the general population. Overall, librarians had accurate, evidence-driven understanding of their student patrons’ information behavior.

Research limitations/implications

– The study findings have limited generalizability due to the small sample size and limited geographical pool of participants.

Practical implications

– Academic library is often seen as the hub of the adoption of information technologies as librarians introduce new digital content and resources to the rest of academia. Understanding information behavior of academic librarians contributes to understanding factors that are affecting technology adoption in academia overall, and can potentially inform recommendations for optimizing academic library offerings.

Originality/value

– The study is an original investigation of the relationships between institutional characteristics and librarian demographics, librarian information behavior at work and leisure, and librarians’ perception of students’ information behavior and information preferences.