Information Literacy Programmes: the Experience of Research Libraries in Hong Kong and Ukraine

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of information literacy programmes developed by libraries of higher education institutions in Hong Kong and Ukraine. The application of such theoretical and empirical methods as an analysis of sources, the method of external observation over the foreign and Ukrainian experience of the information literacy programmes developing, as well as a prognostic method for summarising, allowed to reveal similarities and differences in the content and forms of information literacy programmes implemented at Hong Kong and Ukrainian universities. Different stages of implementation of information literacy programmes by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Library during the last two decades are highlighted. The content of information literacy programmes provided by the libraries of 4 Ukrainian universities in general and the scientific library of the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts (KNUCaA), in particular, is reviewed. It has been found out such similar characteristics of information literacy programmes of libraries that were analysed as using of traditional forms (lectures, practical exercises, instructions, video lessons) to form the skills and abilities for the effective information search, analytical processing, organisation, evaluation, and use of this information. It has been found out that, unlike Hong Kong, the introduction of certified and online information literacy courses by Ukrainian universities libraries is isolated cases. There is also no experience in testing students’ knowledge before studies of information literacy. Testing is usually done after completing the information literacy programmes, but these tests are not mandatory and only recommended. The authors hope that the experience of the CUHK Library (Hong Kong) in the implementation of the “Immersion Programme”, the UGCIL project, and InfoLit for U will be useful for the Ukrainian scientific library community, considering that libraries of higher education institutions in Ukraine have also started to develop similar programmes and modules. In particular, the interactive online guide “Music Documents in the KNUCaA Scientific Library” is an example of a modern approach to the formation of first-year students’ information literacy, their acquaintance with the scientific library, its services, and resources, basic types of documents, an electronic search algorithm.