Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning

Information literacy and lifelong learning have a strategic, mutually reinforcing relationship with each other that is critical to the success of every individual, organization, institution, and nation-state in the global information society. These two modern paradigms should ideally be harnessed to work symbiotically and synergistically with one another if people and institutions are to successfully survive and compete in the 21st century and beyond.

D.1 Inter-relations of the two concepts. Both of these concepts:

  • Are largely self-motivated and self-directed. They do not require the mediation of an outside individual, an organization, or a system beyond the individual himself or herself, although advice and assistance from a respected friend such as a mentor or coach can be helpful.
  • Are self-empowering. They are aimed at helping individuals of all age groups to help themselves, regardless of their social or economic status, role or place in society, gender, race, religion or ethnic background.
  • Are self-actuating. The more information literate an individual becomes, and the longer the individual sustains good information literacy learning and practices those habits, the greater the self-enlightenment that will occur, especially if practiced over an entire lifetime.

Theoretically one could pursue the goal of becoming more information literate but not continuously over one’s lifetime. Conversely, one could pursue the goal of lifelong learning but without having first become information literate. Taken alone, neither path maximizes the potential of the individual to “learn to learn.”

 D.2 Information literacy and lifelong learning. Harnessed together, information literacy and lifelong learning substantially improve the:

  • Set of personal choices and options opened up for, and offered to, an individual in the context of personal, family and societal matters.
  • Quality and utility of education and training in both formal school settings preceding entry into the workforce, and later in informal vocational or on-the-job training settings.
  • Prospects of finding and keeping a satisfying job and moving up the career ladder rapidly and with appropriate rewards, and making cost-effective and wise economic and business decisions.
  • Participation of the individual effectively in social, cultural and political contexts, both at the local community level and at higher levels, and in identifying and fulfilling professional goals and aspirations.

Information literacy is a “set of skills” that can be learned. That set of skills includes a certain attitude toward learning itself, the use of tools, such as online tutorials, the use of techniques, such as working with groups, and the use of methods, such as a reliance on mentors, coaches and ombudspersons.

In contrast, lifelong learning is a good habit that must be acquired and accompanied by the adoption of a positive frame of mind. The willingness to change and a curiosity or thirst for knowledge are very helpful pre-conditions to lifelong learning.

 D.3 Libraries and librarians as partners in an information literacy/lifelong learning team.

Putting an information literacy/lifelong learning programme at the faculty of engineering cannot be done exclusively by librarians in libraries. This enormous task is the responsibility of all the learning community at the faculty: lecturers, students and the entire Busitema community. A team of engineering lecturers must be formed, and partners identified who can work with the engineering librarians.

D.4 Libraries and librarians as information literacy change agents.

Information literacy is important beyond the domain of libraries and librarianship. The Engineering Librarians will serve as change agents - to help the lecturers at the faculty of engineering develop and fuse information literacy policies, programmes and projects into the courses. In this context the librarians will serve as expert consultants and should not be bashful about offering their services in this exercise.

The Engineering Library will play an important role as part of Busitema’s institutional information literacy programme and the precursor of the IL change. The librarians and the library are promoters of the information literacy programme and activities because the library is a/an:

  • Repository of knowledge
  • Information reservoir in multiple formats
  • Center with librarians who are information experts
  • Department with learning spaces
  • Place for interaction with learning peers and teams
  • Space for knowledge socialization
  • Place with information advisers / reference specialists and consultants
  • Center with computer access, processing and communication of knowledge
  • Gateway to the Internet, a world of information