This presentation was given by Sheila Webber at the meeting held to plan for an Information Literacy Strategy for Wales, on 30 November 2009 at Gregynogg Hall in Wales. In it she identifies point’s from Woody Horton’s Information Literacy “primer”, gives her own perspective on the 4 areas identified in the UNESCO-sponsored discussions (governance/ citizenship; Education; Health; Business) and talks about visions for information literacy.

1. International perspective:
national frameworks
Sheila Webber
Department of Information Studies
University of Sheffield
November 2009
http://infolitglobal.net/logo/en/

2. Developing a national information
literacy strategy
• Pioneering!
• Many definitions, models, frameworks and proclamations
generated by expert groups
• Some research-based models
• Some strategies etc. that are claimed as information
literacy, within national strategies concerning information,
education etc.
• Most success: small countries that value education, open
use of information & the economic/social capital
represented in their citizens?

3. Outline
• Point’s from Horton’s “primer”
• My own perspective on the 4 areas identified in the
UNESCO-sponsored discussions: governance/
citizenship; Education; Health; Business
• Models, frameworks and visions

4. Horton: Understanding
information literacy
• Background on IL and proposed model (Horton’s
background as Information Management expert)
• Perceived challenges & recommendations in 4
areas: Education; Health; Workforce development &
human capital; Empowering people to vote &
participate in governing
• Steps for advocacy & awareness raising
• Examples of declarations, initiatives and ideas for
“best practice”

5. Themes for advocacy with each
set of partners / stakeholders
• Identifying level of awareness of information literacy
• Identifying ways of raising awareness
• Identifying key organisations, initiatives or events
• Identifying champions
• Having a clear idea of what you want them to do

6. “To achieve its overall socio-economic
development goals, the appropriate national
authorities should develop a national information
literacy and Lifelong Learning strategy and vision
for the country as a whole, and admonish all
other institutions, each sector and citizens to treat
the area as a high priority”
(Horton, 41)

7. My perspective on international
developments

8. Governance/ citizenship
• A number of countries (& the EU) have policies or
programmes on ICT and/or media literacy (but not
explicitly information literacy)
• Example: Finland:
– Government Policy Programme for the Information
Society (2007-2011): IT, media literacy and skills for
information society.
– Libraries are acknowledged as assets and actors for
lifelong learning, civic skills, & info society services

9. Governance/ citizenship
• Does the government genuinely want people to be
information literate?
• Is literacy itself encouraged?
• Cultural issues affecting views on information literacy?
• What are the predominant ways in which citizens acquire
and share information?
• Linguistic/ ethnic / sectoral / religious/ regional differences?
• Who are potential allies? What motivates them? (logically
and emotionally) How long will they be around/ allies?

10. Education: Development may be linked to
• External forces for change (e.g. Bologna Process)
• Educational policy (e.g. as regards teaching quality;
massification; priorities) & predominant pedagogic
approach of teachers/ lecturers
• Nature/ existence of national curriculum
• Nature of teacher education
• Accreditation processes
• Status/funding of libraries & of education generally

11. Health
• Need for evidence based health and medical work
makes this a rich area for information literacy
• Developments will depend on medical education
and health systems in individual countries
• National health priorities and crises may provide
opportunities
• International initiatives such as Cochrane
Collaboration imply information literate information
use

12. Business
• IL activities more difficult to track:
– Diversity
– Different terminology
– Confidentiality
• Meaning of IL varies more widely from academic
mode & may not be recognised as such, e.g.
– Collaborative use of information
– Wider interpretations of information (but specific to
context)
• Cannot have “one size fits all”

13. Models &
frameworks
Alejandro Uribe Tirado, Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia, 2009

14. ANZIIL framework (2nd ed)
• Standard One The information literate person recognises the need
for information and determines the nature and extent of the
information needed
• Standard Two The information literate person finds needed
information effectively and efficiently
• Standard Three The information literate person critically evaluates
information and the information seeking process
• Standard Four The information literate person manages information
collected or generated
• Standard Five The information literate person applies prior and new
information to construct new concepts or create new understandings
• Standard Six The information literate person uses information with
understanding and acknowledges cultural, ethical, economic, legal,
and social issues surrounding the use of information
http://www.anziil.org/resources/Info%20lit%202nd%20edition.pdf

15. Wijetunge and Alahakoon(2005)

16. From: Information Literacy for advanced study (Masters & Doctorate): Elements
for a curriculum
Andral, M. et al (2006)

17. Information Literacy/ Competence Classification
(Russia)
№ Information Description of Information Literacy/Competence Indicators
Literacy/Competence
Indicators
1 Motivation Motives to contact information flow: genre- or subject-based, emotional,
epistemological, hedonistic, psychological, ethical, intellectual, esthetic,
therapeutic, etc.
2 Contact (Communication) Frequency of contact/communication with information flow
3 Content Knowledge of media terminology, theory, and history
4 Perception Ability to perceive information flow (including media texts)
5 Interpretation/Appraisal Ability to analyze critically the functioning of information flows and media in
society and media texts of various genres and types, based on perception and
critical thinking development levels
6 Activity Ability to select information and media and to create/distribute one’s own
information; self-training information skills
7 Creativity Creative approach to different aspects of information/media activity
(perceptive, play, artistic, research, etc.)
Fedorov, Gendina and Petrova (2007)

18. Missing aspect?
• Information literacy for having a good life (whatever
that means to you)
• More than empowering
people to be “good citizens”
• For engaging with politicians
& media – and people as
human beings – can trigger
motivation
Quotation from interview for research
by Webber, Boon & Johnston

19. Quotation from interview for research by Shahd Salha

20. ANZIIL: 4 overarching principles
Information literate people
• engage in independent learning through constructing new
meaning, understanding and knowledge
• derive satisfaction and personal fulfillment from using
information wisely
• individually and collectively search for and use information
for decision making and problem solving in order to
address personal, professional and societal issues
• demonstrate social responsibility through a commitment to
lifelong learning and community participation

21. Quotation from interview for research by Webber, Boon & Johnston

22. “Information literacy lies at the core of lifelong
learning. It empowers people in all walks of life to
seek, evaluate, use and create information effectively
to achieve their personal, social, occupational and
educational goals. It is a basic human right in a digital
world and promotes social inclusion of all nations”
Alexandria Proclamation on information literacy and lifelong learning

23. Quotation from interview for research by Shahd Salha

24. Themes for advocacy with each
set of partners / stakeholders
• Identifying level of awareness of information literacy
• Identifying ways of raising awareness
• Identifying key organisations, initiatives or events
• Identifying champions
• Having a clear idea of what you want them to do
• Identifying emotional as well as practical arguments

25. Successful initiatives
• Opportunism
• Practicality
• Good organisation & groundwork
• Persistence
• Networking
• Belief
• Passion
• Models, strategy and visions

26. Quotation from interview for research by Shahd Salha

27. References & Resources
• Andral, M. et al (2006) Maîtrise de l’information des étudiants avancés (master et
doctorat) Eléments pour une formation. Enssib. http://www.enssib.fr/bibliotheque-
numerique/document-21101
• Corrall, S. (2009) Exploring the Development of Information Literacy Strategies
[powerpoint] http://www.slideshare.net/cilr/exploring-the-development-of-information-
literacy-strategies
• Fedorov, A.,Gendina, N. and Petrova, V. (2007) "Russia: Information Literacy State-of-
the Art Report". In Lau, J. (ED) Information Literacy: an international state of the art
report. 2nd Draft. Veracruz.
http://infolitglobal.net/media/UNESCO_IL_state_of_the_art_report_-_Draft070803.doc
• IFLA Information Literacy Section (including Guidelines on information literacy for
lifelong learning) http://www.ifla.org/en/information-literacy
• Infolit Global website (country reports, database and logo) http://infolitglobal.net/
• Wijetunge, P. and Alahakoon, U. (2005) "Empowering 8: the Information Literacy model
developed in Sri Lanka to underpin changing education paradigms of Sri Lanka." Sri
Lanka Journal of Librarianship & Information Management, 1 (1), 31-41.
http://www.cmb.ac.lk/academic/
institutes/nilis/reports/InformationLiteracy.pdf

28. Sheila Webber
s.webber@shef.ac.uk
http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/
http://www.pageflakes.com/informationliteracy/