Information Literacy Programmes at the Academic Level in the Field of Law

Abstract

Purpose: In law libraries in the Republic of Croatia, only a small number of information literacy programmes have been recorded. This indicates the need to strengthen and promote more effective teaching of information literacy in the field of law. The aim of this paper is to analyse the published literature to gain insight into the existing knowledge regarding information literacy in the field of law over the past 30 years in the Republic of Croatia. This analysis aims to determine possible directions for development and to find more effective teaching methods for information literacy. Methodology/approach: The methodology used included a qualitative research approach, specifically content analysis of works published in the last 30 years concerning information literacy at the academic level in the field of law in the Republic of Croatia. Results: The development of information literacy at the academic level in the field of law can be observed in parallel with the development of information literacy at the broader academic level in the Republic of Croatia. The most significant changes can be seen over the past five years, both at the theoretical and practical level of law school library work. Research on information literacy in the field of law, initially primarily focused on user education, is deepening and expanding, both in terms of methodology and content, because of intense and dynamic changes in the information and educational environment. As a result, further directions of development should be guided by the need for more research on the essential literacy skills of the 21st century for all stakeholders in the educational process. Such research would contribute to a greater understanding of the most relevant content and methods to be included in information literacy programmes tailored to the specifics of the legal discipline. Research limitation: A literature analysis revealed numerous different terms related to information literacy at the academic level in the field of law, especially in works published in the 1990s, when the term “information literacy” was not established in the Republic of Croatia. Therefore, there is a possibility of unintentional oversight of specific works. Another limitation of the research is the role of one evaluator/researcher in implementing the content analysis of the publications due to possible subjectivity in the analysis. Originality/practical implications: This study is one of the first to offer detailed insights into the current trends in information literacy development at the academic level in the field of law over the past 30 years. On a practical level, the author aims to encourage academic librarians to create and implement formal information literacy programmes within the realm of law and its related libraries.