Information Literacy: A Southern Hemisphere Need

Information Literacy: A Southern Hemisphere Need

Panel: Information Literacy 360

“International Special Libraries Day 2004”Special Libraries Association, DC Chapter

Kiplinger Washington Editors Building, 1729 H Street NW,Washington, DC, April 22, 2004, 6-9:00 PM

 Jesús Lau, Ph.D.

Director, USBI Veracruz Library, and Coordinator, UV Virtual Library Veracruz, México

jlau@uv.mx / jlau@uacj.mxPersonal: http://bivir.uacj.mx/lau

Institutional: www.uv.mx

*Part of this presentation was delivered at the Mortenson Center (Distinguished Lecture Series), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,

2003

Information competenciesInformation competencies

Socio-Economic and political development is best advanced by people who recognize their need for information, and identify, locate, access, evaluate and apply the needed information.

1

North - South

World Social StratasWorld Social Stratas

Poor

Very poor

Middle class

Wealthy

Wealthy/Poverty ConnotationsWealthy/Poverty Connotations

1. Income•Gross National Income per Capita

2. Basic needs•Food•Health•Housing•Education•Employment

3. Capability•Information competencies•Research•Management

Population 2002 (World Bank, 2002)Population 2002 (World Bank, 2002)

World 6,201,303Low income 2,495,033

Middle income 2,741,531

Low & middle income 5,236,564

High income 964,739

2

Knowledge Gaps

Internet: A great Venue for informationInternet: A great Venue for information

♦ Internet is opening access to information♦ Great amounts of resources are available♦ Some information aggregators are giving

information away♦ However, low use capacity limits information

benefits in Southern populations

Information Development in the Southern HemisphereInformation Development in the Southern Hemisphere

♦ Publishing is limited♦ Scientific serials are just few♦ Nobel prizes are not from developing

countries♦ Reference publications are also scarce

Information/Knowledge ChainInformation/Knowledge Chain

2. Packing •Publishing•Databases/electronic•media companies•Information aggregators

1. Production•Authors•Inventors•Researchers

3. Storage/Distribution•Bookstores•Libraries •Information services

4. Use/Demand•Researchers•Academics•Students•Companies

Production/Demand: Researchers (UNESCO)

Production/Demand: Researchers (UNESCO)

Country Researchers

Africa 71,308

America 124,899

Asia 4,483,881

Europe 1,892,307

Oceanía 60,066

   

Canada 80 510

Japan 651,099

United States (12) (13) *962 700

Notes

-12 Not including data for law, humanities and education.

-13 Data refer to researchers only.

Production: Patents (wipo)Production: Patents (wipo)

Country Applications Percentage

USA 44 609 40%

Germany 15 269 13%

Japan 13 531 12%

Subtotal 73 049 65%

United Kingdom 6 274 5%

Other developed Countries

19 115 16%

Subtotal 25 389 86%

Rest of the world 16 202 14%

Total 115 000 100%

Production: Serials (ISSN, 2003)Production: Serials (ISSN, 2003)

Country ISSN Records

Africa 7,064

Asia 37,369

Europa 584,632

Latin America/Caribbean 27,842

Oceania 61,691

  

Canada 111,618

Japan 30,947

United States 161,031

Production/Demand: Newspapers/Circulation(Unesco, different years)

Production/Demand: Newspapers/Circulation(Unesco, different years)

ContinentsNumber of

Dailies (000)Circ Total(millions)

Per 1,000inhabitants

Developed countries 3 972 276 226

Developing countries 4 419 272 60

Least developed 172 3.9 8

Storage/Distribution: National Library CollectionsStorage/Distribution: National Library Collections

Country Unit Volumes´000

Africa 13 2 920

America 10 20 560

Asia 26 45 992

Europe 63 278 194

Oceania 1 2 441

Canada 1 6 387

Japan 1 5 528

General note

For general explanations and definitions, please

refer to the beginning of this chapter.

17       Data refer only to books.

Storage/Distribution: Public Library Collections (UNESCO)

Storage/Distribution: Public Library Collections (UNESCO)

Country Unit Volumes

Africa 358 6 271

America 2 060 18 231

Asia 22 741 597 394

Europe 127 271 2 568 421

Canada 1 045 70 077

Japan 2 172 195 390

Demand/Production: Internet(www.blues.uab.es, 2003)Demand/Production: Internet(www.blues.uab.es, 2003)

USA, Canada, Japan, and West Europe

90% Demand

70% Computer servers

English Language

60-80% Internet content

60% English speakers users

8% English speakers of total world population

3

Knowledge Bridge

Educational - DevelopmentEducational - Development

♦ Education enables people to be better citizens♦ It helps economic mobility of individuals♦ It determines national progress♦ Education access is a challenge♦ Education quality is even a greater one♦ Information development is related to education♦ Education fosters information competences

Teacher – Centered EducationTeacher – Centered Education

♦ Equips students with static knowledge♦ Teaching to the test♦ Reproducing texts♦ Students are classroom-bound♦ Predominates in developing countries

Information Literacy - HurdlesInformation Literacy - Hurdles

Hurdles

Professor´scourse notes Textbooks

Professor lecture-

based learning

Rote learning

Memorization

Learner – Oriented EducationLearner – Oriented Education

♦ Fosters♦Information competencies

♦Knowledge construction by learners

♦Life along learning

♦Independent students

♦Creativity and innovation

♦Open-horizontal management

♦Contributes to create a base for democracy

Information Literacy: A Must for Socio – Economic DevelopmentInformation Literacy: A Must for Socio – Economic Development

♦ Workers need to be learning constantly, jobs are for short time-span

♦ The work place is moving from routine to rich-thinking activities

♦ Education for future citizens is focusing on learning how to learn in information-rich enviroments

♦ New education models are based on inquiry approach to learning rather than on transmission approach to teaching

♦ Education´s new paradigm is to prepare students to know and to be able to do

♦ Information competencies are a critical life skill

4

Mexican progress / IFLA

Mexican IL stepsMexican IL steps

♦ Universities are implementing IL programs♦ Compulsory courses / tailored training♦ National association of university libraries has a IL

national committee♦ Offers a training program for librarians♦ There are some dissertations and thesis on the subject

IL National ConferencesIL National Conferences

♦ Three national IL meetings♦ Three IL manifestos♦ The manifestos have been distributed widely♦ Produced national standards♦ Proceedings have been published

IFLA – International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions

IFLA – International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions

♦ Information Literacy Section♦ Buenos Aires Conference, Aug ´04♦ Two sessions during the conference♦ International Guidelines♦ Book on international IL practices / experiences♦ Offer international networking

ConclusionsConclusions

♦ The North-South knowledge gaps can be bridged by information competencies

♦ Individuals of all ages need information literacy competencies

♦ Education needs pedagogical changes in developing countries

♦ Librarians are information experts who can advocate information development in Southern countries