Making a dent? Information literacy instruction in Canada's public libraries

Abstract

AbstractThis poster presents results of Canada's only recent study of information literacy (IL) practices in public libraries. The overall objective of this project was to explore the actual and potential role of public libraries in Canada in developing the public's information literacy skills. A skills deficit exists among the general population, ironically in parallel with much (misplaced) confidence about those skills; that deficit is a kind of second‐level digital divide (Hargittai, 2002). Thus, access to digital information in particular is compromised in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. Despite an urgent need to develop IL skills, and expectations that public libraries fulfill that role (Canadian Library Association, 1998) (imposed by the federal government ‘Connecting Canadians’ initiative, particularly via the Community Access Program) (Government of Canada, 2006), the author's previous research suggested that the real experiences of public librarians and of public library customers may not bear out this expectation. Public libraries are challenged to fulfill the policy roles imposed by the federal government, because of a systemic lack of resources, because public libraries attempt to fulfill a range of roles (e.g, social gathering place, developers of early literacy, supporters of life‐long learning, supporters of recreational needs), and because library staff are conflicted about imposed mandates in the face of these historical roles.