NATIONAL FORUM ON INFORMATION LITERACY
Summary of the January 26, 2001 Meeting
Meeting Host:
National Education Association
Washington, D.C.
Present:
Patricia Breivik, Chair, National Forum on Information Literacy
Amy Aidman, Center for Media Education
Jaleh Behroozi, National Institute for Literacy
Howard Besser, University of California at Los Angeles/Pacific Bell Initiative for 21st
Century Literacies
Martha Crawley, Institute for Museum and Library Services
Elisabeth Edwards, American Association of School Librarians
Craig Gibson, Association of College and Research Libraries
Dennis Hinkle, Association of Teacher Educators
Woody Horton, National Commission on Libraries and Information Services
Althea Jenkins, Association of College and Research Libraries
Judith Kelly, National Council of Teachers of English
Anthony McDonald, George Washington University
Clive Muir, Morgan State University
Sahon Palmer, United States Department of Commerce
Katherine Rodi, CEO Forum on Education and Technology
Teresa Sweeney, RMC Research
Emily Sheketoff, American Library Association
Charles Talbott, U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education
1. Dialog on Information Literacy within
the Human Services
The resource experts for this meeting’s opening dialog were Dr. Lana Jackman , adjunct faculty at Lesley University’s School of Education and the University of Massachusetts, Boston; and Lorna D. Jones, M.B.A. Dr. Jackman’s experience concentrates on educational administration and management, while Ms. Jones’s background is in healthcare and behavioral healthcare systems. Both speakers have a wealth of experience in consulting and working with agencies, clients, and employees of organizations dealing with social and human services. Both are especially cognizant of information literacy issues in dealing both with clients in their fields, and with the professionals who work in those fields.
·Lana focused on information literacy in terms of building a “floor” underneath student achievement, and mentioned the Taylor Scholars Program as instrumental in developing student perseverance; this particular program with which she is familiar used a partnership between faculty and a librarian to develop programming to prepare students for higher education and lifelong learning; one curricular structure developed through this program was the “First Year Seminar” in the general education program, a seminar that involved collaboration among faculty, librarians, and administrators.
Lana pointed out that one of the crucial emerging demographic issues is “the New Majority Student and Information Literacy”. She also mentioned that the contemporary need for information literacy was anticipated by a Samuel Proctor quote from the 1970s mentioning “intellectual capacity”—and that this capacity is greatly intertwined now with “digital divide” issues.
·Lorna addressed the special issues of information literacy in community-based organizations. Among these are: lack of available in-house technical resources; limited knowledge among staff of how to access available information resources; service replication overload; inadequately designed operational management systems; no leadership training; low-level systems technology integration; and negligible staff development in knowledge management or information literacy practices. Most of all community-based organizations don’t know how to integrate programs.
Lorna also pointed out that, in health care organizations, clients or patients are acculturated to rely on experts; that health care providers are trained to see patients as dependent; and that health care providers needs to change to develop skills in patients so that they learn to become more self-reliant in their information-seeking and information management.
·Both Lorna and Lana agreed that the broad array of literacy skills are intertwined with family life and family culture, and that families need to see themselves as self-sufficient in terms of improving their literacy skills.
As an example, they mentioned the Proposition 10 Goals relating to library use and reading from Santa Clara City, California; major gaps in information literacy found in working with families in this location include: lack of support and assistance for families; lack of information about existing services; lack of preventive care; and lack of identification of learning differences.
·Professional Development Programs in human services fields have these deficiencies—
--they are not learning-centered
--they are not knowledge-centered
--they concentrate on ‘breadth’ vs. ‘depth’
--they are not assessment-centered
--they are not community-centered
--they are not culturally competent
·Young professionals in social work need to know more about information resources appropriate for them as they seek to manage their caseloads; it’s obvious that programs for social work professionals should be designed in tandem with the clients they work with. It is also obvious that understanding how to use information, in this professional field, is a much larger problem than accessing information.
·The “Learning Society” can be thought of in applications in the profit and nonprofit sectors; in the profit sector, the focus is on work styles and knowledge management; whereas in the nonprofit world, the focus is on learning styles and problem/solution-based approaches.
It is crucial to develop an information literacy “language” that makes sense throughout all sectors of society.
The Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education show the academic side of information literacy; what is necessary is to expand the reach of information literacy language and thinking beyond the classroom.
Lorna and Lana showed a diagram depicting the relationships among three dimensions of life: School Learning---Work Earning—Home Living. Information literacy pervades all of these areas and should be thought of as a unifying construct for self-empowerment.
·A new book by the NRC (National Research Council) was mentioned: How People Learn (National Academy Press, 2000).
·Lana and Lorna offered these suggestions to the Forum:
--Incorporate a human services perspective into thinking about information literacy
--Seek and showcase all successful knowledge management/information literacy
practices
--Focus on “communities of practice”
--Engage in collaborative professional development
--Sponsor a human services information network through information literacy
institutional programs
--Include a representative from a human services organization in the Forum
·Forum members offered these observations:
--Service provides in human services don’t always consider the question, “What
do I need to know?”
--The “Home” on Lorna and Lana’s diagram [showing “Home Living”] might
focus on sharing instead of “living.”
--There are many access issues at home for many people; they often have
“access” but lack knowledge management or information literacy skills
--Job Training programs often concentrate on the most basic technology skills,
not information literacy skills
--People don’t always understand that they have a right to information
--A new role for teachers: a facilitator role. Teachers need to use technology
to extend learning through tutorial programs, simulations
--The serious divide in schools: those schools with technology and connectivity,
those without
--The
Children’s Partnership has a publication entitled Online Content for
Low-Income and Underserved
Americans.
2.
Approval of
September 2000 meeting summary
The meeting summary was approved as read.
3.
Reports from member
organizations
Patricia Breivik was the guest speaker at the most recent NCTE conference.
The new director of the NCTE is Kent Williams.
American Association of School
Librarians—Elisabeth Edwards
No report at this meeting
The Center for Media Education is engaged in a team study of Internet use, focused on the civic/public sphere, with particular attention to the use of the Internet for philanthropy and activism.
UCLA/Pacific Bell Initiative for 21st
Century Literacies
Over four hundred people attended the Fall Summit on information literacy at UCLA; the major theme of the conference was “21st Century Literacies.”
As a result of the conference, a brief videotape was created for professional development/training purposes. The video is 7-8 minutes long and was produced in cooperation with the History Channel. It is available free of charge by contacting their organization at http://www.newliteracies.gseis.ucla.edu. The video has already been shown at ALA training workshops and will quite possibly be shown at a future meeting of the Forum. Curriculum materials to accompany the video are also being developed.
National Alliance for Black School Educators—Drucille Stafford
Teachers need assistance in helping students evaluate web-based information; the National Alliance has developed a training curriculum to meet this goal.
George Washington University—Anthony McDonald
Anthony is a doctoral student whose dissertation topic concerns information literacy and lifelong learning.
Association of Teacher Educators—Dennis Hinkle
The NCATE Standards, which incorporate some standards regarding information literacy, may need more attention in the future; the standards about information literacy may focus too much on technology and only superficially address more wide-ranging information literacy abilities.
National Institute for Literacy—Jaleh Behroozi
The NIL, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor and Verizon, is producing a “National Literacy Directory” containing information on all literacy organizations. This directory is web-based and designed to be self-updating.
There are now 14 online discussion groups on the NIL web site (at www.nil.org/links). One of them is “Literacy and Health”, and has seen much discussion of patients’ information literacy skills. Other discussion forums deal with “The Homeless and Literacy” and “Poverty Rates and Literacy.”
Morgan State University—Clive Muir
Clive Muir is a first-time guest at a meeting of the Forum. He coordinates business and professional writing at Morgan State; his background is in business and communication. He is interested in research on information literacy’s role in citizen’s rights, particularly those relating to homeownership issues, and how community organizations can assist with building these kinds of skills.
National Commission on Libraries and Information Science—Woody Horton
The NCLIS is a ten-person advisory body to the President of the U.S. and to Congress.
Recently, Senators McCain and Lieberman asked the NCLIS so advise Congress on the federal government’s role in disseminating public information. The NCLIS conducted an extensive study of this issue with in-depth assistance from a variety of experts and organizations.
On January 26, 2001, a Report on Comprehensive Assessment of Public Information Dissemination was released by NCLIS; it is available on the NCLIS web site, in PDF format, at: www.nclis.gov. There is a ten-page executive summary.
Recommendations in this report include the following:
--federal governmental information should be treated as a strategic national resource
--It is incumbent on the government to diffuse public information held “in trust”
on behalf of citizens
--the federal government should encourage and support both information literacy and computer literacy (and deal seriously with intellectual access barriers)
--a proposed law, the Public Information Resources Reform Act, should be
passed by Congress in 2001
--a new agency should be created to coordinate and harmonize all the various
processes, policies, and procedures relating to distribution of public information. Of particular interest to the Forum are the following issues related to information literacy:
NCLIS' report to congress, A Comprehensive Assessment of Public Information Dissemination (2001), "recommends that the US Government formally recognize and affirm the concept that public information is a strategic national resource." The report mentions information literacy over 20 times. It also mentions the efforts of National Forum on Information Literacy and plans for an international congress on the subject. Information Literacy is named as one of three fundamental areas crucial to "transforming public information resources into a strategic national asset, along with proactive dissemination and enhanced access. Information literacy is the "intellectual access" that compliments "physical access" to information. NCLIS states: "Inadequate computer and information literacy skills are the major barriers to intellectual access. Both must be removed before citizens can reap the rewards of the digital age." Poor information literacy skills are, "exacerbating the Digital Divide." Skills can be improved by federal government investment in the private and public sectors, and participation by non-profit and academic institutions. NCLIS encourages government leadership to help citizens meet challenges through information literacy training, and "using libraries and information professionals." Other Information Literacy Issues: "Academic and research institutions have not yet fully and effectively addressed the mammoth computer and information literacy education and training challenges that face the nation," but have the power to address them. Libraries are here to stay and help people with information literacy skills and information needs.
--state and local governments’ involvement in information literacy is also an issue and needs careful study
--the United States should support the first International Conference on information literacy
CEO Forum on Education
and Technology—Katherine Rodi
The CEO Forum is engaged in a five-year initiative on business and education, particularly relating to 21st century skills and assessment. Among the specific issues this initiative treats are connectivity and hardware, professional development, digital content, and accountability and assessment. A report will be issued in June 2001.
The CEO Forum’s StaR (School Technology and Readiness) Chart, a tool designed for schools to self-assess their technology readiness, is available on the CEO Forum’s web site at www.ceoforum.org.
The CSPP (Computer Systems Policy Project) now has the CSPP “Readiness Guide” available on the Web at: cspp.org—this document deals with living in a networked world.
Institute for Museum and Library Services—Martha Crawley
The IMLS administers grants for both libraries and museums.
New guidelines for grants will be issued in 2001; this year, the deadline for grant applications is February 1.
Beverly Sheppard of IMLS is created on the IMLS web site a new dialogue on the 21st Century Learner”, which deals in a major way with the role of libraries and museums in the new century. To join the dialogue, email Beverly at: bsheppard@imls.gov.
U.S. Department of Commerce—Sahon Palmer
Sahon brought the TOP (Technology Opportunities Program) to the attention of Forum members. In the current fiscal year, $42 million is available for TOP grants. The average grant size last year was $300,000-$400,000, but there is a matching grant requirement. More information on the TOP grants is available at: www.ntia.doc.gov; follow the “grants” link, then look for the “TOP” link.
Association of College and Research Libraries—Althea Jenkins
ACRL has received a two-year IMLS grant intended to have libraries assess how information literacy improves learning; 25-30 institutions will participate through a team-based approach.
A survey will be conducted in spring 2001 to gather information on collaborations and community partnerships; the goal is to create a “Database of Practice” and identify the locations of effective community partnerships. This survey will update the AAHE survey on information literacy of 1994; AAHE will collaborate on this year’s survey as well.
ACRL’s research agenda this year: what research do we need about information literacy?
RMCS (RMC Research Corporation)—Teresa Sweeney
Teresa is engaged in consulting work for education agencies and other government agencies. Most recently, she has been promoting family literacy issues throughout the country. She is especially interested in seeing increased corporate participation in the activities of the Forum.
American Library Association/Washington Office—Emily Sheketoff
ALA has established a grant program called the Internet Safety Education Program, to educate both parents and children about using the Internet responsibly and safely, and also to train in information literacy skills.
Announcements on behalf of member organizations—Patricia Breivik
American Association of Higher Education—AAHE endorsed the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education in May 2000. AAHE will also publish an article on information literacy relating to “engaged communities.”
Consortium on School Networking (COSN)—Keith Krueger of COSN is attending the organization’s board meeting in Atlanta this week. He has announced that Mike Eisenberg will be speaking on “Information Literacy in a Digital World” at the K-12 School Networking Conference, February 20-22.
4.
Community Leaders
as Catalysts for Promoting Lifelong Learning—Charles Talbott, U.S. Department
of Education
Charles Talbott is a former educational administrator in Maryland and is now Coordinator of the “High Skills Communities” project administered through the U.S. Department of Education.
In 1998, the U.S. Department of Education developed a special concern with adult literacy because of reported underfunding of state systems, and lack of engagement of state programs in adult literacy and adult education.
One of the key factors in making adult education work is the ability to network all the players in adult and lifelong learning programs; faith-based approaches to local literacy efforts are not new but have been shown to be successful.
Local public libraries play a key role in literacy councils; public schools, libraries, literacy councils need to develop strong working relationships.
The “High Skills Communities” project is designed to facilitate networking of important individuals to promote the following: (1) intergenerational literacy (role of parents as support/foundation is crucial, and (2) workforce development. Many solutions to lifelong learning problems are already present in local communities.
A survey and feasibility study of “community engagement models” have been conducted; a literature review, focus groups in eight cities, and visits to model adult education programs were all part of this process.
The resulting report, “Call to Partnerships”, enumerates the following characteristics or “best practices” for adult education programs:
--dynamic leadership
--engagement of business and industry
--public/private funding
--identification of a “niche” community need
--dedicated instructors and motivated learners
--solutions to barriers are readily found
--use of technology
--tracking systems are used to assess long-term learner progress
Additional comments on adult education/lifelong learning programs:
--Regarding learning disabilities, accurate diagnosis, followup support, and
leadership are all necessary
--Programs need to stay open longer hours
--Donated computers are often out of date; need for “quality control” in
accepting technology gifts
--We need better communication about adult education via web sites
--We need examples of programs mentoring other programs
--We need examples of churches, businesses, and libraries all collaborating on behalf of adult learners
--More research is needed on adult learning and adult literacy
--We need to get connected with State Directors of Adult Education
5.
International
Leadership Conference on Information Literacy—Planning Report
NCLIS is working with the U.S. Department of State, UNESCO, and other organizations to plan this first international conference on information literacy.
Three stages are envisioned for planning and holding the conference events:
--First, a small group from different countries and different areas of expertise will plan the conference over a period of 12-18 months.
--Second, countries will be invited to apply for inclusion in the leadership congress. They will need to guarantee teams made up of representatives from five sectors: education, library science/libraries, human services, economics, and other areas.
--Third, a more open conference with expanded participation will be held, to draw in a larger audience and to endorse and/or build upon outcomes of the leadership congress.
6.
Research
Developments
AASL (American Association of School Librarians) is promoting an initiative called “School Library Media R”; information about the project can be found at: www.ala.org/aasl/SLMR
An international research project on information literacy is being planned, drawing on research from Australia (workplace manifestations of information literacy), Singapore (accountants’ information literacy), and Sweden (information literacy among senior citizens). The goal is to create a database showing international manifestations of information literacy, in every discipline, in every profession, and including developing countries. There is possible funding from OERI for this research project.
A new report from Massachusetts has just been issues entitled “Skills in the New Information Age.” The report discusses what adults need to know to thrive in the new century.
7.
Updates
·The ALA Presidential Program on Advocacy for Information Literacy drew on the expertise of Forum members Amy Garmer of the Aspen Institute, John O’Connor of AAHE, and Jackie Milner of the League of Women Voters.
·The NCATE Standards will see no public hearings at this stage of their implementation.
·South Africa is considering a national requirement for information literacy in all fields of study.
8.
Other business
None.
9.
Spring and Fall
Meeting Dates
Spring meeting: Friday, May 11
Fall meeting: Friday, October 12
10. Agenda items and opening dialog suggestions
for spring meeting
Service learning
Media literacy
Civic responsibility
Learning communities and partnerships