Librarians and Basic Education Teachers in the Context of ‘Digital Literacy’

Abstract

The paper looks critically at the notion of ‘digital literacy’. Literacy is not a static notion. Literacy requirements change across time and places. Nowadays ICTs have introduced radical changes in the way of producing and disseminating texts. However, they did not change the conceptual nature of the literacy process. The relationship between elementary school and the introduction of new technologies is explored, leading to the conclusion that it is too risky to bent on computers only to improve literacy results. Even in the most developed countries they are underused. Suggestion is made on the particular role that librarians can play to make a more effective use of ICTs in educational contexts, as librarians have already adopted these technologies as a common and effective tool while teachers are reluctant to use them.