Medical Librarians’ Perceptions
Towards the Importance of
Information Literacy Skills
Midrar Ullah
Librarian & LSO Army Medical College, National University of
Sciences and Technology (NUST), Rawalpindi.
Dr Kanwal Ameen
Chairperson, Department of Library and Information Science,
University of the Punjab, Lahore
Introduction
• From user education to Information
Literacy (IL) instruction
• 2008 - First time IL was included in the
curriculum of LIS, University of the Punjab.
• 2009 - HEC included “IL instruction” in the
curriculum of LIS for BS 4-year program.
• The first significant, award winning writing with
the term of IL in local perspective was by
Kanwal and Gorman (2009).
Definition of IL
The ability to identify, locate,
evaluate, organize, and effectively
create, use and communicate
information to address an issue or a
problem" (Wijetunge & Alahakoon,
2005, p.31).
Objectives of the Study
• To find out medical librarians'
perceptions towards the importance of
information literacy skills.
• To obtain the empirical findings that may
support delivery of IL instruction.
Methodology
• Research method
• Development of instrument
• Population of the study
• Analysis of data
Response rate
• Out of 114 questionnaires distributed
among the head librarians of academic
medical institutions, 69 (60.5 %) useable
questionnaires were returned after
continuous follow-up efforts.
Demographic Information
• Gender
• Male
52 (75.4 %)
• Female
17 (24.6 %)
• Sector
• Public
31 (44.9 %)
• Private
38 (55.1 %)
•Type of Institution
• Medical College
• Medical University
• Postgraduate Medical Institute
44 (63.8 %)
11 (15.9 %)
14 (20.3 %)
Results and Discussion
Public Sector Med Librarians
Rank
IL Skills
Mean
1
Accessing the needed information effectively and efficiently 4.40
2
4.39
3
Identifying relevant, authoritative and reliable information
sources
Recognizing the need for information
4
Verifying the relevance and quality of information sources
4.29
5
Using information ethically and legally
4.19
6
Organizing information collected or generated in a logical
way
Using the selected information effectively to accomplish a
specific task
Evaluating the information critically
4.13
7
8
4.33
4.07
3.94
Private Sector Med Librarians
Rank
IL Skills
Mean
1
Identifying relevant, authoritative and reliable information
sources
2
Accessing the needed information effectively and efficiently 4.45
3
Verifying the relevance and quality of information sources
4.32
4
Recognizing the need for information
4.32
5
Using information ethically and legally
4.18
6
Evaluating the information critically
4.11
7
Using the selected information effectively to accomplish a
specific task
Organizing information collected or generated in a logical
way
3.97
8
4.54
3.97
Conclusion
• The results of this study suggest that
medical librarians in Pakistan overall rate
information literacy skills as very
important for their users.
• However, IL skill about evaluation of
information by public sector librarians
and IL skills about organizing and using
information by private sector librarians
were rated low (got mean score less than
four).
References
• Ameen, K., & Gorman, G. E. (2009). Information
and digital literacy: A stumbling block to
development? A Pakistani perspective. Library
Management, 30(1/2), 99-112.
•Wijetunge, P., & Alahakoon, U. P. (2005).
Empowering 8: The Information Literacy model
developed in Sri Lanka to underpin changing
education paradigms of Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Journal of
Librarianship and Information Management, 1(1), 31-41.