The dynamic information context is challenging school communities to calibrate their ways of understanding information literacy. However empirical research reports a lack of shared understanding and vision around information literacy that is negatively impacting its development. The solution it is argued is to increase the level of multi stakeholder dialogue about the information literacy phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to create a platform for dialogue within an international school community by identifying and comparing conceptions of information literacy across multiple stakeholder groups to proactively inform information literacy practice. Working within the qualitative paradigm and invoking a phenomenographic methodological approach the research drew from a trans-disciplinary theoretical background in the information, management and education sciences. Using recorded focus group discussions stakeholders including students, parents, teachers, library staff, IT personnel, administration and leadership shared their perceptions of the information context as a stepping stone to sharing their conceptions of information literacy. The findings show that stakeholder groups perceived the information context to be characterised by environmental, social human and affective dimensions; that stakeholders did not hold one singular conception of information literacy but rather they shared a series of conceptions of information literacy to varying degrees, and that the variation in the ways information literacy was conceptualised prevailed across three continuums namely the individual-collective, affective-cognitive and competency–personal mastery continuums. Furthermore, the comparative analysis of the series of conceptions of information literacy created the opportunity to develop a model of the common ground of conceptual understanding of information literacy thereby making an original contribution to knowledge. The study provides compelling insights for information literacy practitioners recommending that a shared conceptual understanding of information literacy requires accommodating its complex socio-contextual nature and anchoring that understanding in the philosophical, pedagogical and strategic thinking of the learning community.

This study explored the information seeking behaviour of a group of nursing students at a single university in the United Kingdom to determine whether any of personality, learning style, or self-efficacy with information literacy impacted on this behaviour. A concurrent embedded quantitative dominant mixed-methods approach was used comprising of a questionnaire and interviews, and took place during the academic year 2008-9. Phase 1 of the research used a questionnaire (sample n=194) consisting of three validated scales (for personality, learning styles, and self-efficacy respectively), plus a section on information seeking preferences based on Foster’s (2004, 2005) non-linear model, and some demographic questions. For Phase 2 a sample (n=11) of students took part in semi-structured interviews using the Critical Incident Technique, the resulting data analysed using a blended method of data collection, analysis and display – Qualitative Interpretative Categorisation (QIC). Results from the questionnaire data (through Chi-square, Odds ratios, and Binomial regression) showed clear links between differing personality traits, learning style preferences, and levels of self-efficacy with information literacy, and with particular elements of Foster’s model. This enabled seven specific profiles and a ‘level of understanding’ continuum to be formulated. The interview data enabled an information search process model to be produced indicating the ‘route’ students’ use during their information seeking and emphasised the role of situation. Finally incorporating the student’s personal profile into the model allowed a complete information seeking process model to be produced. Key recommendations from the study are that students should wherever possible have their information seeking profile determined via questionnaire and that a ‘long and thin’ information skills training programme be embedded into the curriculum. This programme should contain a range of types of session and that can be moulded to the situation the students are in.

Recent legislation in Sweden mandates that all students beprovided access to a school library. In addition, schools areexpected to help students become independent and life-longlearners. Various national organizations stress theimportance of a school library in this process; however,reportedly independent schools use public libraries and theInternet for information activities instead. This studyexplores: 1) how independent schools in Sweden can meetboth government requirements to provide library accessand the information literacy demands of their students, and2) the function of digital libraries in this context. After acomparison of previous research, a qualitative method waschosen based on socio-cultural theoretical assumptions.Semi-structured interviews were conducted with aprincipal, a teacher, and a focus group of students from twoindependent schools. Through a process of open coding,important themes emerged concerning how libraries andinformation literacy are conceptualized. There is a strongtendency to see libraries in terms of a physical function(books on shelves) over social activities (e.g., integrationwith teachers, development of information literacies,collection management). Students rely first and foremoston Google during the information seeking process, but alsoconsult each other for help. There are also signs thatstudents are discouraged from asking their teachers for helpduring the information seeking process. The findingsindicate that current educator attitudes may hinder thedevelopment of digital school libraries. / Program: Biblioteks- och informationsvetenskap, Digitala bibliotek och informationstjänster

The purpose of this Master’s thesis was to examine different factors influencing the process of establishing and developing school libraries in relation to the implementation of a new outcome based curriculum, Curriculum 2005. The main focus was on under resourced areas and a field study was conducted in 1998 in the Western Cape Province during the first year of implementation. As a frame a Swedish – South African school library project, that lasted between 1997- 2002, was used. The findings from the field study were analysed according to a model identifying different factors influencing the process of implementation ofeducational change in underdeveloped countries. Four evaluations of the project were incorporated in the analysis with the aim to enhance the findings from the field study but also to question them. The aim was not to evaluate the project itself. The conclusions reached were that several ofthe factors found to affect the implementation process were not specificfor under resourced areas, but could also be found in the research regarding developed countries. Some factors were however found to be specific for many of the under resourced areas, such as shortage ofadequate learning resources, especially in the indigenous languages, dependence on external support such as voluntary workers and donations, infrastructural problems, absence of possible co-operating public libraries, locked libraries due to security problems etc. Many of these factors couldbe referred back to inherited inequalities. / Uppsatsnivå: D

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / F. Todd Goodson / Kay Ann Taylor / Library instruction in a university setting, in the primary manner it has been taught for decades, has a problem: the instruction is not teaching. Many library instruction sessions at universities are taught through a traditional lecture-style instruction session where students are allowed no voice in the classroom and there is no room for any evaluation of the information presented. Teaching without an engaged pedagogical framework without any active participation is problematic for teaching critical information literacy. This research focused on library instruction within higher education institutions and the choices made by instruction librarians to include (or not) critical pedagogy and critical information literacy within their teaching styles and classrooms. This study explored (a) the decisions of librarians to teach either in the traditional or critical library pedagogy manner and (b) barriers or encouragement in librarians’ choice to teach through a critical lens. With critical theory as the overarching framework and engaged pedagogy a central part to all these theories, critical engaged pedagogy combines critical race feminist theory, critical library pedagogy, and critical information literacy (the latter two frequently used interchangeably). The combined theoretical framework gives context for researching the reasons that instruction librarians choose (or do not) to implement these theoretical and pedagogical styles into their instruction of information literacy in classrooms. Using the qualitative methodology of narrative inquiry, specifically narrative analysis, this study analyzed and interpreted data from interviews, observational data, and field notes recorded in a reflexive journal through the lens of this theoretical framework. Findings showed that in their everyday experiences as academic instruction librarians, the participants faced both barriers and encouragement to their decisions regarding teaching methods and curriculum in addition to how they are impacting their students’ lives and learning. Four different themes emerged from the data. The first theme, sometimes a teacher, sometimes not, speaks to the struggle that the participants handled every day: though they were instruction librarians, they were not able to always feel as though they were real teachers or faculty on their campuses. The second theme, if only I had a choice, discusses how discipline faculty affect their teaching decisions and the participants’ goal to at least try to teach critical evaluation to the students. The third theme, teaching is a political act, focuses on participants’ teaching under a critical library instruction pedagogy, emphasizing their engagement with the students, the falsehood of neutrality, and teaching about marginalized groups, injustice, oppression, and similar political-minded concepts in their classes. The fourth theme, real world, lifelong skills, discusses how the participants view their impact on student learning and student lives in general, demonstrated through teaching students critical thinking and evaluation (of the real world) skills in addition to impacting students beyond the classroom.

In this Master thesis interest is directed towards approaches toinformation literacy (IL) and critical thinking in the educationalactivities of university libraries. The aspiration of universitylibrarians to promote the critical abilities of students isproblematized. At the center of attention is the project“Lärandemål för informationskompetens” [Learning outcomes forinformation literacy], which in 2006 was carried out incollaboration between the Swedish university libraries, in responseto the educational reforms connected to the Bologna Process.Through the discourse analytical framework of NormanFairclough, documents related to the project “Lärandemål förinformationskompetens” are studied in order to identifydominating approaches to IL. The purpose is to investigate anddiscuss the possible implications of the dominating perspectives,with regard to the development of critical thinking amongstudents.The study results in the identification of two main discourses, thestandardization discourse and the discourse on employability. Bothof these discourses are seen to be connected to two overarchingdiscourses also identified in the study, the market discourse andthe discourse on information overflow.In conclusion, it was found that the objectivist and positivistepistemology underlying the dominating perspectives, in severalrespects is counterproductive to the aspiration to promote criticalthinking among students. A social constructionist approach issuggested as an alternative. / Program: Bibliotekarie

Graduate students are the largest-growing group at East Tennessee State University. While it is easy to assume that graduates have mastered the basics of searching and conducting research, this assumption is largely unfounded. Whether they did learn these skills as undergraduates or not, graduates are rarely prepared for the project management challenge of undertaking the biggest research assignment of their lives. Graduate students often have additional stressors not faced by undergraduates: established careers, families, and greater financial responsibilities. Conceived during Summer 2015 and rolled out as an ongoing series in Fall 2015, the Graduate Student Workshops offered by the Sherrod Library provide instruction in the following areas: scholarly research, papers, and publishing; comprehensive project management; academic searching; APA style; citation management; and establishing a professional identity. As the program coordinator, the Graduate Services Librarian will discuss the origination of the program, from its inception in ETSU’s Graduate Thesis and Dissertation Boot Camp to its growth as a full-fledged series. Creating new relationships, leveraging partnerships with other faculty and departments, and organizing and marketing these services are critical to program success. Scheduling, logistics, costs, and assessment will also be discussed. After the program and discussion, attendees should be able to: recognize the significant function librarians can provide to graduate student research support convey the value of formal, targeted intervention to graduate students and campus administrators create offerings to support their own graduate students

Review of Database of the Smokies. University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 2012.

Review of A Practical Writing Guide for Academic Librarians: Keeping It Short and Sweet, by Anne Langley and Jonathan D. Wallce. Oxford: Chandos Publishing, 2010. 162 p. $75.00. ISBN 978-184334-532-9

Review of Encyclopedia of the U.S. Census : From the Constitution to the American Community Survey 2nd Ed. Margo J. Anderson, Constance F. Citro, and Joseph J. Salvo. 2011. 456p, 1608710254, $175.00