IMPLICATIONS FOR THE LIBRARY AS ACCREDITATION SHIFTS FROM AN EMPHASIS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND
In today’s world of rapid technological change and abundant information resources, information literacy is becoming increasingly important. Individuals are confronted with diverse, abundant information choices in their academic studies, workplace, and personal lives as the information environment becomes more complex.
Libraries, community resources, special interest organizations, media, and the Internet all provide access to information – and, increasingly, information is delivered to individuals in unfiltered formats, raising concerns about its authenticity, validity, and dependability.
Furthermore, information is available in a variety of formats, including graphical, aural, and textual, which presents new challenges for individuals in terms of evaluation and comprehension (Madu, 2005). The uncertain quality and expanding quantity of information pose large challenges for society (Kiven and Shafack, 2002). (Kiven and Shafack, 2002). The mere presence of more information will not result in a more informed citizenry in the absence of a complementary set of abilities required to use information effectively.
According to the American Library Association (ALA), Information Literacy is a set of skills that enable people to “recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate, and use that information effectively.” Armstrong (2005) defines information literacy as “the acquired skills to know when and why one needs information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use, and communicate it in an ethical manner.”
This CILIP concept will serve as the study’s benchmark for information literacy. The concept enables the researcher to effectively search appropriate resources and identify relevant information. CILIP (2005), who outlined eight constructs of information literacy, elaborated on the aforementioned competencies.
Understanding a need for information, according to them, entails recognizing that information is required, comprehending why it is required, determining what type and quantity of information is required, and comprehending any associated constraints.
The second competency, understanding available resources, requires the individual to be able to identify what resources (paper, electronic/digital, human) are available for exploitation, where they are available, how to access them, the merits of each resource type, and when it is appropriate to use them. An understanding of how to find information is closely related to the above competence.
This competency entails the ability to effectively search appropriate resources (paper, electronic/digital, human, etc.) and identify relevant information. Strategies must be tailored to the resource being used in order to get the best results from that resource. Users must respond to search results – whether there are too few or too many – and know when to stop searching.
A person who is information-literate understands that, in addition to purposeful search, information can be obtained by browsing, scanning, and monitoring information sources. The fourth competency is an understanding of the importance of evaluating outcomes. It necessitates the ability to assess the authenticity, accuracy, currency, value, and bias of information.
The ability to evaluate the means by which the results were obtained is also required to ensure that the individual approach does not produce misleading or incomplete results. It is not just a question of whether the resource appears to answer the question, but also of whether it is intrinsically trustworthy. Understanding how to work with and exploit results is another literacy competency.
The ability to analyze information in order to provide accurate, presentable research results or to develop new knowledge and understanding is required for competence. This includes the ability to comprehend, compare, and apply the information discovered.
The sixth competency entails an understanding of information ethics and responsibility. Individuals are expected to understand why information should be used responsibly, culturally sensitively, and ethically; to respect confidentiality while also giving credit to other people’s work; and to understand the nature and use of bias in order to produce an appropriate and unbiased report.
This could include issues such as intellectual property, plagiarism, unfair practice, and fair use, among others. Another skill is knowing how to communicate or share your findings. This competency necessitates the ability to communicate/share information in a manner or format appropriate to the information, intended audience, and situation. Finally, you must understand how to deal with findings.
This competency entails understanding how to store and manage information acquired using the most efficient method available. Critically reflecting on the process and accomplishments, as well as the source discovered, in order to learn from the experience of finding and using information.
Today’s globalization is a result of the exponential growth of information and the convergence of information and communication technologies, particularly in the last decade of the twentieth century. With so much information available, it is critical for a researcher to understand the information environment.
As a result, he or she will be able to identify what resources are available for exploitation, where they are available, how to access them, and appreciate the merits of individual resource types, as well as when it is appropriate to use them.
To accomplish the foregoing, the individual researcher must understand the various types of resources (paper-based, electronic, digital, human, etc.) and when to use them. This is especially important in a university setting, particularly among academic staff. Information literacy is the foundation for lifelong learning (Etim and Nsslen, 2007).
It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. It enables students to master content and broaden their investigations, become more self-directed, and take greater control of their own learning. According to the American Library Association (2008, 41), an information literate person can:
– Determine the amount of information required.
– Obtain necessary information in a timely and effective manner.
– Critically evaluate information and its sources
– Integrate selected information into one’s knowledge base
– Make effective use of information to achieve a specific goal.
Do You Have New or Fresh Topic? Send Us Your Topic
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE LIBRARY AS ACCREDITATION SHIFTS FROM AN EMPHASIS
INSTRUCTIONS AFTER PAYMENT
- 1.Your Full name
- 2. Your Active Email Address
- 3. Your Phone Number
- 4. Amount Paid
- 5. Project Topic
- 6. Location you made payment from