The School Library, Information
Literacy, and Society
Presented by Sabrina Riley, MILS
For EDUC478
©2008
The Elephant the Room
 http://www.wordinfo.in
fo/words/index/info/vi
ew_unit/1/?letter=B&s
page=3
 What’s your
perspective?
Concerns of College Faculty
Reading comprehension
Writing skills
Grammar
Punctuation & capitalization
Organization
Research skills
Research question
Interaction with sources
Selecting resources
Academy Student Survey Results
95 students participated
10 academies
1 does not have a library
Academy Student Survey Results
 Who staffs your library?
Category
Librarian
Teacher
Students
No Staff
Other
Students Reporting
34
37
26
17
5
Academy Student Survey Results
 Which resources are available at your school?
Category
Books
Periodicals
Media
Databases
Internet
Students
Reporting
87
83
40
30
70
Academy Student Survey Results
 90 of 91 students
reported writing at
least one research
paper, using these
resources:
Category
Students
Reporting
Books
71
Periodicals
36
Media
13
Databases
19
Internet
86
Academy Student Survey Results
59% reported receiving training in using
library resources
53% have asked a library staff member for
assistance
Academy Staff Survey Results
Six schools responded
2 librarians
2 teachers
2 principals
One reported not having a library
Academy Staff Survey Results
 Who staffs your library?
Category
Report
Librarian
0
Teacher
1
Students
2
No Staff
1
Other
3
Academy Staff Survey Results
 Which resources are available at your school?
Category
Books
Periodicals
Media
Databases
Internet
Students
Reporting
5
5
4
0
5
Academy Staff Survey Results
5 schools reported requiring 3 or more
research assignments.
Library Instruction
Only a brief introduction to ninth graders.
Nothing formal, but I always try to help them
understand how to use the library better.
4 reported no or gave no response at all.
Academy Staff Survey Results
Use of state-wide databases = 0
Membership in school librarians
professional association = 0
Academy Staff Survey Results
Comments
No internet access until campus network
complete.
Library software (library catalog)
Article indexing
Time management
Additional Issues
 Internet usage isn’t limited to libraries
About 90 percent of children and adolescents ages 5–17
(47 million persons) use computers, and about 59
percent (31 million persons) use the Internet.
About three-quarters of 5-year-olds use computers, and
over 90 percent of teens (ages 13–17) do so. About 25
percent of 5-year-olds use the Internet, and this number
rises to over 50 percent by age 9 and to at least 75
percent by ages 15–17.
 Matthew DeBell and Chris Chapman, Computer and Internet Use by Children and
Adolescents in 2001: Statistical Analysis Report, National Center for Education Statistics,
October 2003. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2004/2004014.pdf.
Additional Issues
The K-16 disconnect
Elementary and secondary schools have
standards required by law
Tertiary institutions create their own standards
The two aren’t consulting each other
Additional Issues
Dog Year Change (Julie Beth Todarro)
Analogy comparing the rapid pace of change in
technology to the canine life span where one
human year of life equals 7 years for a dog.
Students learn the technology faster than we
do, but are they learning to use the information
wisely and effectively?
Information Literacy
 Set of abilities
Recognize when information is needed
Be able to locate, evaluate, and use the information
effectively
 Important because both information and
information technology is proliferating and
becoming increasingly complex.
 Basis for lifelong learning and common to all
disciplines.
 Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, Chicago: Association of
College and Research Libraries, 2000.
http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/informationliteracycompetency.cfm
Literacy vs. Fluency
1 a: educated, cultured b: able to read
and write 2 a: versed in literature or
creative writing : literary b: lucid,
polished <a literate essay> c: having
knowledge or competence <computerliterate> <politically literate>
Literacy vs. Fluency
1 a: capable of flowing : fluid b: capable
of moving with ease and grace <the fluent
body of a dancer>2 a: capable of using a
language easily and accurately <fluent in
Spanish> <a fluent writer> b: effortlessly
smooth and flowing : polished <a fluent
performance> <spoke in fluent
English> c: having or showing mastery of
a subject or skill <fluent in mathematics>
Standard 1
The student is who is information literate
accesses information efficiently and
effectively.
Standard 2
The student who is information literate
evaluates information critically and
competently.
Standard 3
The student who is information literate
uses information accurately and creatively.
Standard 4
The student who is an independent learner
is information literate and pursues
information related to personal interests.
Standard 5
The student who is an independent learner
is information literate and appreciates
literature and other creative expressions of
information.
Standard 6
The student who is an independent learner
is information literate and strives for
excellence in information seeking and
knowledge generation.
Standard 7
The student who contributes positively to
the learning community and to society is
information literate and recognizes the
importance of information to a democratic
society.
Standard 8
The student who contributes positively to
the learning community and to society is
information literate and practices ethical
behavior in regard to information and
information technology.
Standard 9
The student who contributes positively to
the learning community and to society is
information literate and participates
effectively in groups to pursue and
generate information.