INL 230 theme 6

User education:

• User education: the “instruction given to readers / users to help them make the most of
the library” (Thanuskodi 2015)
• Program that equips library users with skills to access, evaluate and use information to
satisfy their needs
• User education is a process whereby potential users of the library are made to learn how
to make efficient and effective use of the library and its resources through the acquisition
of knowledge and skills in identification, location, retrieval and exploitation of information
(Iheaturu 2012)
• User education programmes need to support lifelong learning
• Terminology used for user education programmes include:
• Library orientation
• Library instruction
• Library use instruction
• Bibliographic instruction
• Information literacy skills training
• Since 1995: evolvement from library orientation to bibliographic instruction (now
information literacy)
User education: Library orientation:

• Library orientation
• the transmission of knowledge and information search skills among students
• To acquaint students with the library facility, resources and services
• To introduce users to issues of academic integrity
• Use F2F training or Libguides (e.g. Information Science Libguides
https://library.up.ac.za/c.php?g=467984 )
User education: Library instruction:

• Goal is to teach users to successfully navigate and use the library’s resources
• Incorporates
-Demonstrations of print and electronic research materials
-Evaluation of sources
-Walk-in tours of the library
User education: Bibliographic instruction and information literacy training:

• Bibliographic instruction: the systematic teaching of library users/patrons and presenting

them with information on library and information resources
• Information literacy training involves the teaching of a combination of research skills,
critical thinking skills, computer technology skills and communication skills.
User education: Literacy:

• UNESCO (2008) defined Literacy as “the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create,
communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying
contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve his
or her goals, develop his or her knowledge and potentials, and participate fully in the
community and wider society.“
• Key features of the UNESCO definition:
 -The uses people make of literacy as a means of communication and expression through
a variety of media
-Literacy is plural, being practiced in particular contexts for particular purposes and using
specific languages
-Literacy involve a continuum of learning measured at different proficient levels (Montoya
2018)
User education: Literacy

• To be information literate, users should be able to

-Identify their information needs
-Find information that would support their information needs
-Evaluate the retrieved information
-Apply the information (i.e. use the information)
-Acknowledge sources of information (e.g. citing sources)
Different types of literacy: (MCCDIFF)

• Functional literacy:
-Functional literacy: the technical mastery of particular skills such as the ability to decode
simple texts such as street signs, instruction manuals, or the front page of the newspaper.
These are skills an adult requires to “manage daily living and employment tasks that require
reading skills beyond a basic level”.
The following YouTube video (until 0.55 minutes) illustrates some of the tasks an functional
illiterate person encounters:

• Cultural literacy:
-Culture is “… the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are
passed down from generation to generation…”
-Culture includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, art.
-Cultural traits can be
-Observable: these may be obvious or not so obvious
-Non-observable and understood through personal or other’s awareness
-Cultural literacy: The ability to understand the traditions, regular activities and history of a
group of people from a given culture
-Engaging with the traditions, activities and history of a culture
-Cultural literacy requires:

• familiarity with particular linguistic traditions or bodies of information.

• Acquiring a knowledge of selected works of literature and historical information

necessary for informed participation in the political and cultural life of the nation

• Critical literacy
-Critical literacy refers to the process of becoming aware of one’s experience relative to
power relations, often realised through reading and writing
-A central thinking skill which involves the questioning and examination of ideas, and
requires the critical thinker to synthesise, analyse, interpret, evaluate and respond to the
texts that have been read or listened to.
-The act of analysing texts to perceive hidden or underlying messages
-The ability to use language to interrogate the relationship between language and power; to
analyse popular culture and media and to understand how power relations are socially
constructed and to consider actions that can encourage social justice.
-Critical literacy requires:
-The ability to decode the ideological dimensions of texts, institutions, social practices and
cultural forms such as television and film in order to reveal their selective interests
-The ability to analyse and challenge oppressive characteristics of a society so that a more
just, equitable and democratic society can be created

• Digital literacy
-Digital literacy is the ability to live, learn and work in a society where communication and
access to information is increasingly through digital technologies like internet platforms,
social media, and mobile devices
-What are digital literacy skills?
-Digital literacy skills help people search for and identify good information by developing a
critical information lens,”
-Digital literacy helps us to understand how information is produced, and the political and
economic motivations for creating information
-Required digital literature skills include:
-Functional skills
-Creativity
-Critical thinking and evaluation skills
-Cultural and social understanding
-Collaboration
-Ability to find and select information
-Effective communication
-E-safety
-Legal competencies – e.g. copyright
-Many learners are not digital literate and it is the digital librarian’s responsibility to teach
these skills to ensure users can fully utilise the information service’s e-resources.

• Information literacy
• Metaliteracy:
• Metacognition is an awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes , that
is thinking about thinking

• It refers to the processes used to plan, monitor and assess own understanding and
performance

• Metacognitive skills:
o Self-monitoring
o Self-evaluating (or self-questioning)
o Self-regulation
o Planning
o Mental scripting

• Metacognition is a prerequisite for metaliteracy

• Metaliteracy: The “ability to evaluate information for its bias, reliability, and credibility and
apply them in the context of production and sharing of knowledge.” (Mackey & Jacobson
2011)

• Encourages the use of a variety of new emerging technologies

• Metaliterate learners (users) create responsible content in social settings including virtual
communities (Hill & Mackey 2021)

• Embedding metaliteracy in libraries is important

• Documents are digitally born and accessed on various types of devices

• Metaliteracy promotes
-Critical thinking and collaboration in a digital age
-Participation in social media and online communities by acquiring, producing and
sharing knowledge
-Development of digital citizens who are civic-minded and produce content in a
participatory networked culture
-Digital citizenship

• Metaliterate individuals are able to

-Understand their existing literacy strengths
-Self-assess different competencies
-Identify a need for integrated literacies
-Adapt to changing technologies and learning environments
-Combine and understand relationships among related literacies
-Ethically and responsibly engage with intellectual property
-Develop learning strategies to meet lifelong personal and professional goals
• Transliteracy
• the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from
signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and films, to digital social
networks” (Thomas et al. 2007)
• “… the fluidity of movement across a range of technologies, media and contexts”
(Sukovic 2016)
• That is:
• The ability to use a variety of resources when searching for information
• Using social networks to collaborate and participate
• Communicating knowledge and meanings via different genres, modalities and media
• Mapping meaning across different media rather than developing literacies for specific
media
• It is concerned with the social meaning of literacy
• Transliteracy studies analyses the relationship between people and technology, most
specifically social networking.
• Transliteracy skills:
-Creativity
-Critical thinking
-Communication
-Collaboration
• It is an integrative framework for bringing modern literacies together (e.g. information,
digital and media literacy)
• Framework for connecting various ways of thinking and working, e.g. rational-emotional,
analytical-creative and theoretical-practical ways
4IR and information services

• The 4th industrial revolution (4IR) connects the cyber- and physical systems and the
integration of technology. This affects the way in which work is done. It is focused on
artificial intelligence (AI).
• 4IR provides libraries and librarians with new tools that could enhance their service
delivery. This is because
-The 4IR depends on data and the Internet-connected devices that are capable of
collection and processing data
-Social media, smart phones, digital cameras, sensors are creating more information –
and this data is being collected
-Changes in libraries include: the use of robots in combination with radio frequency
identification (RFID) technology
• RFID technology: tags inserted in entities (e.g. books) which are read by robots.
• https://fb.watch/jtkqniLGSp/ - a demonstration of the RFID sorting machine in the Unisa
Library
• The purpose of the 3IR was to create data in the form of Silos for cataloguing purposes
and data were retrieved in the form of MARC and digital resources.
• In the 3IR catalogued data was only used to retrieve documents in a library catalogue
• The MARC21 created data have been merged with a variety of library software and have
converted to linked data in the 4IR
• For librarians, this is a shift from knowing your collection to knowing your connections
• Focus on locating and obtaining information rather then where the information is housed.
• A shift from knowledge of the library collection to knowledge about the user
• Librarians should remain abreast of the latest technologies to provide optimal services
Information services:

• Types of libraries: national library, legal deposit libraries, provincial libraries; public
libraries, government and law libraries , prison libraries

• Mobile services, e.g. book buses

• Bibliotherapy: specialised service using books for therapeutic purposes

• Reference services

• Current awareness services / alerting services

• Services rendered in online environments

Online learning environments: Commons

• “Commons” refers to a resource shared by a group of people. The group can be small
(e.g. a family); a community (e.g. a park or a library); international or global groups (e.g.
Internet) Digital learning commons (Hess & Ostrom 2007)
• Digital learning commons
• Knowledge commons
• Research commons
• Makerspaces
Online learning environments: digital learning commons

• “ … the space where the physical and virtual environments integrate”

• Online learning spaces that share space for ICTs, online education, tutoring,
collaboration, content creation, meetings, socialisation, playing games and studying.
• “A cluster of network access points and associated IT tools situated in the context of
physical, human, and social resources organised in support of learning” (Mestre Lori
2013 in Van Wyk & Kadzenga 2017)
• Enables co-teaching and learning and results in the co-creation of knowledge.
• By incorporating cyber centres into physical library spaces, learning commons becomes
collaborative spaces designed for enhanced electronic access to information
• Four learning spaces
1. Open commons
2. Virtual commons
3. Physical commons
4. Investigative commons
• Needs to adapt to changing technological developments
• Learning spaces must be integrated with the learning management systems (LMS).
• Success factors of a digital commons:
➢ Strategies – institutional strategy must validate the digital commons’ purpose and
objectives
➢ Standards and compliance – industry standards, library standards, institutional policies,
accreditation criteria and legal requirements (copyright)
➢ Synergy – integration of and cooperation with digital commons librarians in teaching and
learning
➢ Systems – IT, student management systems, library systems must be integrated
➢ Staffing – suitably qualified digital librarians must be employed
➢ Skilling – Librarians must be included in skilling and reskilling in LMS and teaching and
learning strategies
➢ Support – Digital commons must receive support from decision makers, academics, and
IT and must render support to students and academics.
Online learning environments: Research commons

• Academic research is becoming more collaborative requiring more services such as data
management and high-computing infrastructure (Felix 2019)
• A research commons is a research environment for the exclusive use of masters’ and
doctoral students
• This is where fellow students can collaborate and connect with one another and discuss
their research projects. If space is available, can include workshop and presentation
facilities.
• The aim is to create an environment for research exchange and production, and
scholastic debate.
• A research commons provides the following services: study carrels; computers;
workstations; areas for discussion and relaxation; staffed with reference specialists
• Software: data analysis packages, referencing software (RefWorks, Mendeley, etc.)
Online learning environments: knowledge commons

• The term "knowledge commons" refers to information, data, and content that is
collectively owned and managed by a community of users, particularly over the Internet
• In a library, this is a vibrant learning space which brings together technology, content and
information services in one physical space
Online learning environments: Makerspaces

• These are “collaborative spaces where people get together to get creative with DIY
projects, invent new ones and share ideas”
• It is a “collaborative work space inside a school, library or separate public/private facility
for making, learning, exploring and sharing that uses high tech to no tech tools.”
(Makerspace.com
• Central spaces where community members can gain experience
• Provide equal opportunities to access material, information and knowledge
• Some of the equipment available in a makerspace: 3D printers, laser cutters, computer
numeric control (cnc) machines, soldering irons & sewing machines.
• These spaces helping to prepare users in need of skills in the fields of science,
technology, engineering and math (STEM). They provide hands on learning, help with
critical thinking skills and even boost self-confidence.
• Every makerspace is unique
• Examples of makerspace projects: coding; 3-D printing; robotics; laser cutting; soldering;
learn electronic circuits; woodworking, etc.
• The goal of a makerspace is to allow users to learn through direct experimentation and
from each other
• Academic libraries have incorporated programmed specific makerspaces
Reference services

• Personal assistance provided to library users seeking information

• Goal is to meet user’s individual needs
• Traditionally offered in person at a designated desk, over the telephone and through
correspondence
• Reference interview: interaction between user and librarian
 -Originally: librarian found information and presented it to the user
-Currently: a balance between instruction and conducting information searches
• Electronically: email, videoconferencing; classroom and one on one instruction
• Often, a reference service is followed by CAS / alerting service’
Current awareness service / alerting service / Selective dissemination of information
(SDI) service

• Services rendered to support users in remaining current:

• Current awareness services: a “service or publication designed to alert scholars,
researchers, readers, customers, or employees to recently published literature in their
field(s) of specialisation, usually available in special libraries, service companies,
organisations and institutions in which access to current information is essential. Such
services can be tailored to fit the interest profile of a specific individual or group. (ODLIS
https://products.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/odlis_c.aspx Accessed 7 April 2020)
• Alerting service: provides one with current information on areas of research or interest.
These services are available from subscription databases, web pages etc.
• CAS and Alerting services are focused on maintaining an awareness of what is currently
being published as soon as it is made available
• Selective dissemination of information (SDI): the tools and resources that are used to
keep a user informed of new resources on specified topics (e.g. email, RSS feeds, etc.)
• Benefits offered by CAS or alerting services:
1. Keeping track of new developments
2. Keeping track of new web sites, discussion groups, publications
3. Taking note of developments by competing markets
4. Have intelligent agents learn from user’s preferences and filter information
accordingly
5. Receive customised information, e.g. weather reports
• CAS services have some shortcomings and potential problems. These include:
1. Information overload
2. The time required to work through the information
3. The need to organise and manage the information
4. Cost implications – not all alerting services are free
5. The duplication of information
CAS or alerting service methods

• Information professionals can employ various methods to render a current awareness

service. Fourie (2001) identified the following methods:
• Book alerting services (e.g. book announcements). Patrons subscribe to categories of
topics they are interested in and then receive notification of new books that have
become available.
• News alerts or news filtering systems: Newswire services provide filtered news
services or personal web services.
• Notifications systems: The use of intelligent agents where the program learns from
what you do while you are on the Internet, e.g. Amazon.com’s recommendation
system
• Push services: uses push technology and the software send the information directly to
the patron’s desktop (e.g. RSS feeds) – and today even to your cell phone via sms or
WhatsApp.
• SDI services (automatic notification of patrons when new records are added to a
database (Fourie 2001; 2006)
 • Email alerts: users receive emails advising them that new information has become
available
• RSS feeds
• Table of contents alerts
• Newsletters
• Mailing lists: newsgroups that use e-mail communication between interest groups
• Information trapping: collecting information from the web as it happens through RSS
feed subscription and the setting up of alerts.
• Environmental scanning: that is the monitoring the environment by both looking at
(viewing) and for information.
• Page monitors: Check for small changes on websites
Social networking tools for CAS / alerting services delivery

• Social networking tools:

o Social networking sites:
▪ Facebook: social rather than an academic tool
▪ ResearchGate
▪ Academia.edu
▪ LinkedIn
▪ Blogs, e.g. a “Book of the Month”; subject-specific blogs to promote scholarly
discussion
▪ Wikis
▪ YouTube: library activities, literacy training, awareness creation
▪ Gaming: to enhance information literacy training
▪ Podcasts, e.g. downloading of exam papers
Factors affecting the choice of an alerting services / current awareness service

• Personal information needs

• Urgency of the need for new information
• Possible link such a service could have with other tasks in the work environment
• Costs involved in using the various methods – i.e. subscription costs, time to set up the
service, time available to use the information retrieved from the service.