iKnow (Information and Knowledge at Work

Heard from Jo Parker at the Open University recently about a project they have been working on called iKnow (Information and Knowledge at Work)  for the last couple of years, which has involved building information literacy/management materials for employers to use.

The front page of the training materials state that:

An estimated 6.4 hours per employee are spent looking for information in the workplace each week in the UK. 37% of the searches prove unsuccessful*.

In financial terms, an estimated £3.7 billion is spent on time wasted looking for information that cannot be found.

It’s a staggering amount, so what can be done about it?

The following activities are examples of training materials which will help you save time in finding, using, and organising information at work.

*DeSaulles, M (2007) “Information literacy amongst UK SME: an information policy gap”; Aslib Proceedings, vol 59, no1 pp68-79

The current and final phase of the project is about engaging with employers to get them to test the materials in the workplace, to see how useful they are. They have got a few employers locally interested, but wondered whether there might be any interest amongst the project partners? 

Jo also told me that IKnow finishes in May when the materials will be added to ‘her’ portfolio of stuff and they are already open to anyone to use and look at. Also they are "having a launch event on February 3^rd and if any Scottish employers loved them and wanted to tell everybody how fantastic they are…well, you never know!"

This is great news as John and I have been keen to identify and or work on some materials for the workplace so if employers or anyone involved in workplace learning are interested please have a look at the material and contact Jo at J.E.Parker@open.ac.uk

An Information Literacy Strategy for Wales

A couple of weeks ago (November 30^th- 1st December) I attended an invitation only conference in Wales on the theme of ‘An Information Literacy Strategy for Wales?’  which was held at the attractively situated if geographically inconvenient University of Wales conference centre at Gregynog House.

All LIS sectors and Welsh education were represented and I was particularly impressed by the willingness of all sectors to work together and learn from each other.

The initial presentations were devoted to reviewing the various sectors and the familiar theme emerged of pockets of excellent good practice which were not being supported by an overarching strategy. I spoke about the work of the Scottish Information Literacy Project and the lessons which Wales can learn from it. After dinner there were sectoral discussion groups and I joined the public librarians and was impressed by their grasp of the role which public libraries can play in informal learning and the good work they are already doing.

The following morning Gareth Evans from Caerphilly Public Library spoke about the work he has been doing with the Open College network which could well be replicated elsewhere.

The conference concluded with a list of action points which included:

• The production of an overview/vision statement (urgent)


• The development of a strategy and Framework


• Making cross sectoral/partnership contacts including outside the LIS sector


• Developing a National Forum for Information Literacy in Wales


• Appointing an Information Literacy Development Officer for Wales


• Accrediting library staff information literacy training skills


• Include IL concepts in teacher training


• School librarian posts should be a statutory responsibility


• Pursue media literacy issues through Ofcom

However if these objectives are to be achieved funding will be a key requirement

Survey of Scottish school librarians and their knowledge and use of Curriculum for Excellence

Thank you to everyone who completed the survey. There were a total of 74 responses of which 72 were from the secondary sector - a response rate of 20%.

The survey suggests that the school librarians are tending to concentrate primarily on the Learning Experiences and Outcomes and not the Principle Papers which are said to be “essential reading for staff” and “a range of practitioners” including themselves as the following quote demonstrates.

It is expected that the literacy experiences and outcomes and this accompanying paper [principles and practice], will be read by a range of practitioners, including those who work in school library resource centres, who make an enormous contribution to the literacy skills of children and young people. 

33 respondents (75%) indicated that they had identified ways in which information literacy can be used to achieve or assist achievement of the experiences and outcomes.

26 respondents (53%) replied that they are or have been involved in any piloting activities, created any new activities or updated existing activities based upon the experiences and outcomes.

28 responses were generated to the question of  'How can school librarians optimise their efforts to support information literacy and the Curriculum for excellence Experiences and Outcomes locally and nationally?'  The main points which were frequently repeated were: 

• becoming involved in school activities through school committees such as literacy teams,


• getting the support of the head teacher,


• demonstrating an understanding of the aims of CfE,


• supporting cross curricular activities, 


• developing links with primary schools,


• being involved in all discussions and training and in-service opportunities,


• liaising closely with subject departments,


• working with other school library colleagues,


• working with teachers to standardise terminology, 


• promoting a whole school approach


• involving Learning and Teaching Scotland.  

The full results and findings are to be written up for publication including articles for

The School Librarian - The Curriculum for Excellence: knowledge, engagement and contribution by Scottish school librarians, Chrisitne Irving to be published in 2010.

Aslib Proceedings - The Scottish Information Literacy Project and school libraries, John Crawford and Christine Irving to be published in 2010.

Other publications being looked at are education publications.

 

A Vision for Scotland

Thanks to Carol Stewart for highlighting an article in TESS -  Zero tolerance on illiteracy  which is about about a new report  - A Vision for Scotland

The new report lays out recommendations on how to become 'world's first fully-literate nation'

Scotland can become the world's first fully-literate nation by declaring zero tolerance on illiteracy according to a "visionary" plan published today.

I've still to read the report but if anyone else has read it let me know what you think.

Evaluating the impact of Academic Librarians on their user community

Last month the CILIP's LIRG (Library and Information Research Group)meeting was held at Loughborough University where  members of the Department of Information Science presented their research.  Of particular interest to project partners in Higher Education /  Academic Librarians is research carried out by Helen Young on Evaluating the impact of Academic Librarians on their user community (that is some of their academic community).

The LIRG committee hope to visit other LIS departments and I'll let you know of anything of interest that arises.