Pursuing Information Literacy: Roles and Relationships

By Emmett Lombard

The primary purpose of Pursuing Information Literacy is to inspire individual thinking and application. The book reviews important information literacy and its social significance and the application of information literacy in a number of different sectors. The future of information literacy is explored in concluding chapters.

• Philosophical framework and practical approaches
• Beyond academia; different equations
• Consistency and comfort as concept; expansion of domain

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Release date: Feb 18, 2010
• ISBN: 9781780630281

Emmett Lombard

Emmett Lombard is a Librarian, Webmaster, and English Instructor at Gannon University in the United States. He presents his information literacy ideas at international forums, and inspires people to take ownership over their learning.

Book preview

[e-mail]

Preface

There is a Seinfeld episode in which Cosmo Kramer writes a book about coffee tables. Not only was it about coffee tables, it also served as one (it had two foldable cardboard legs on the back cover). Kramer evidently believed coffee tables were so important that, in addition to providing information on them, his book must also be able to serve as one in the event the reader did not have one.

This is similar to the way I feel about information literacy: a book about it should not only help the reader understand what it is, but also enable them to pursue it. Unlike Kramer’s book, though, which literally stands on its own, this book is dependent upon the reader; whereas a table is a stand-alone object, information literacy is an approach and a state of mind. That noted, you should be able to answer the following:

1. Who are you?

2. Why are you reading this book?

3. Who am I?

4. Why did I write it?

The process of asking or supplying answers to these questions forms the legs on which information literacy stands. They should be asked and answered any time information is needed to make a decision.

1. Who are you?

There are thousands of possibilities, and they provide the individual context from which those pursuing information literacy connect with what they locate. What is your role now: student, consumer, proactive citizen?

2. Why are you reading this book? (adjustable to articles, websites, recipes, directions, etc.)

Are you seeking data, information, knowledge, wisdom (is there a difference amongst these?), entertainment, acknowledgment or requirement? It is important to understand why we do anything, especially in relation to information literacy. For example, if you want to write a report on information literacy this book will, I hope, provide some unique insight. However, if it is to contest a hospital’s claim that you did not follow your doctor’s directions, then the original directions, word for word, will be much more relevant.

Unless readers can answer questions 1 and 2, this book cannot help provide information literacy; it would be like a person without a coffee table buying a copy of Kramer’s book without the legs. Only you as reader can answer them, whereas I as writer can only speculate. The composition maxim ‘write for your audience’ is difficult when the subject is information literacy.

3. Who am I?

I am a librarian and English instructor. I administer the Gannon University Library’s website, and integrate information literacy into all aspects of my work. I have been consciously pursuing information literacy for many years, and am helping others to do the same.

4. Why did I write it?

For numerous reasons, including a sense of responsibility as an educated person to help others learn. I also want to build my reputation as an authority on information literacy; I believe in so doing that I will have additional opportunities to better support my family. If you intend to be an information literacy provider, as I flatter myself, then you should truthfully understand your reasons. As a seeker must understand who he or she is and why he or she seeks, so must a provider understand who he or she is and why he or she provides. The importance of truth within an information literacy framework will be addressed later; however, if one is not truthful with himself in relation to the information (as seeker or provider), then information literacy is practically impossible.

If you do not believe my answers to questions 3 and 4, then I recommend that you read no further because from your perspective my authority on the subject is dubious and also a liar is not a good person from whom to seek information (unless you are a HUMINT operative – see Chapter 7). It is the same when watching a commercial advert: if a salesperson claims that his or her only reason for selling a product is to help you, then more than likely they are lying. Most people sell to earn money. When considering information provided, its value to the seeker often depends upon its relationship to the provider.

Back to ‘Who am I’: in addition to educator, I am a middle-aged American man. Is this relevant to what I think or choose to share about information literacy? Probably, especially the nationality part: when I discuss information literacy’s place in sectors such as government and health care, I cannot help but fall back on American experience.

That is why I conducted interviews with individuals outside the United States. I do not suggest because someone is British and another American that they cannot realize the same ideas about information literacy, or that all Britons will share the same. It is important to understand that the conventions that underlie the sectors do differ from country to country, though, and it is usually interesting to hear the views of someone of a different culture.

There are also those who believe that gender matters in the way we perceive any subject. Ask any man or woman at a disco. Unfortunately, I am sole author, so you will have to endure my male voice. Furthermore, most of the interviews presented in this book are with men. This was not based on choice, but rather circumstance: several women turned me down (which took me back to my disco days).

Despite these shortcomings, I tried to keep the themes and aspects of information literacy universal: no matter what gender or nationality, readers should be able to relate to the circumstances and rationales presented even if they do not agree with them. This is important, especially as the focus here is the people and relationships that influence information literacy.

As important as ‘Why did I write this book?’ is the question ‘Why I did not write it?’ I did not write it to prove or disprove any particular person’s ideas. Too often ideas are not communicated unless they are accompanied by airtight proof (usually substantiated by statistical analysis). ‘There is no room for argument or speculation about my work because I have limited and narrowed it down to this finite absolute … I defy you to prove me wrong.’

Do not worry, I will not. And if the idea to prove me wrong excites you, then you will have plenty of opportunities because I approach information literacy in general terms. The advantage of that is that all of the sectors and topics are relevant to everyone, unlike something that is so narrow that only a handful of people are interested. This is good not only for a diverse audience, but also if those reading wish to consider how to facilitate information literacy to others.

My hope is that the points and propositions this book provides not only matter, but lead people to question and disagree with them and conduct further study. I will state now that if you are looking for anything as absolute from this book as arithmetic law then you will be disappointed. However, based upon my understandings of and experiences with information literacy, few things about it are absolute. Although this is the case, the subject should not be shortchanged to only those aspects of it that can be proven without