Thematic evolution of information literacy from core competency to digital strategy (2014-2024)

This chapter addresses the issue of information-seeking behaviour of users in the digital libraries' environment in sub-Saharan Africa. Information-seeking behaviour may be shaped by the environment in which users seek information. A digital library is still relatively new in sub-Saharan Africa and there is not much known about how the digital library environment may shape the information-seeking behaviour and/or information needs of users. The chapter explores the concept of digital libraries and the nature of the collections and services of digital libraries in comparison to traditional libraries. The chapter also discusses what a library is, the services provided by libraries, and the differences between a traditional library and a digital library. Covered in the chapter also is a brief history of digital libraries. Digital literacy as a factor which may shape the information-seeking behavior of users in a digital library environment is also discussed in the chapter. Information literacy has changed drastically. The digital information literacy that may play a role in socio-economic development in sub-Saharan Africa is no longer the literacy defined as the ability to read and write at a basic level and sign a document. As society is moving from information age to digital age, new definitions of digital information literacy are evolving which include how to access information in digital formats, and how to evaluate information and use it appropriately. Digital information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning and is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments and to all levels of education. In sub-Saharan Africa, levels of digital information literacy are low due to numerous factors which are also explored in this chapter. Development of digital information literacy in sub-Saharan Africa has been slow compared to the development of information and communication technologies in the region. The chapter discusses the extent to which low levels of digital literacy in sub-Saharan Africa may also be responsible for shaping information-seeking behaviour of users in a digital library environment. The chapter concludes that the major differences between the two types of libraries are mainly to do with technology, rather than a fundamental change in the way libraries operate. This is because digital libraries are still libraries which largely share the same objectives and purposes of the traditional libraries.

In the digital era, the rapid growth of information and the increasing reliance on technology in education and research have made digital libraries and information literacy essential areas of study. This paper aims to identify trends and map the landscape of research on digital libraries and information literacy using the VOSviewer application. A qualitative research method with a literature review approach was employed. A total of 59 documents were retrieved from the Scopus database, converted to CSV format, and analyzed using bibliometric techniques. The findings indicate research trends indexed in Scopus from 2014 to 2023, reflecting a growing interest in these topics. The analysis shows that the United States is the leading contributor, with 15 documents exploring various aspects of digital libraries and information literacy. Visualization mapping reveals that research in this field primarily focuses on topics such as information services, digital literacies, academic libraries, library services, university libraries, curricula, and education. These trends underscore the importance of digital libraries and information literacy in supporting learning and research processes in the digital age. A robust digital repository, combined with strong information literacy skills, enhances users’ ability to access, evaluate, and apply information effectively, thereby promoting the acquisition of comprehensive and in-depth knowledge. This study not only analyzes current research patterns and thematic focuses but also introduces a computer-assisted bibliometric method as an alternative approach for conducting literature reviews.

Purpose This study examines the curvilinear relationship between Digital Citizenship and Digital Information Literacy in detecting deceptive advertisements. It further investigates how Online media exposure and online advertisement exposure moderate this relationship, addressing gaps in prior research that assume a strict linear association between digital engagement and literacy. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted with 2,072 participants to measure their digital citizenship and digital information literacy, measured by the correct identification of deceptive advertisements. An initial scatter plot analysis of the data revealed a non-linear relationship, which mandates applying non-linear regression analysis to test quadratic and cubic models. Moderator analysis was also performed to assess the influence of online media and advertisement exposure on the relationship between digital citizenship and digital information literacy. Findings The comparison of regression models confirms a curvilinear rather than linear relationship between digital citizenship and digital information literacy. The quadratic model provides the best fit, indicating that digital literacy increases digital information literacy, but this effect declines once it reaches a saturation point. Furthermore, online advertisement exposure significantly moderates this relationship, with high ad exposure weakening the positive effect of digital citizenship on digital information literacy. Research limitations/implications This study refines digital literacy theory by challenging the assumption of a linear relationship between digital engagement and literacy. It underscores the importance of moderating factors, such as online media and advertisement exposure, in shaping literacy outcomes and informs new models of digital skill acquisition that account for nonlinear information processing patterns. Practical implications Policymakers and educators should implement adaptive digital literacy programs that account for cognitive overload and overconfidence effects. AI-driven personalized learning tools, VR-based media literacy training and interactive misinformation detection systems can help balance digital engagement without inducing cognitive strain. Originality/value This study challenges traditional linear models of digital literacy development by introducing a curvilinear framework. It demonstrates that excessive digital engagement can reduce digital literacy effectiveness. Unlike previous studies, it identifies threshold effects in digital literacy growth and highlights how online exposure influences this relationship, offering a novel contribution to digital literacy research.

[Introduction]: This article argues that digital curation—the art and science of searching, analysing, selecting, and organising content—can be used to promote the development of digital information literacy skills among higher education students. Rather than relying on institutionally approved journal articles that have been pre-ordained as suitable for a given purpose, digital curation tools allow students to evaluate the quality of Web based-based content and then present it in an attractive form, all of which contributes to the cultivation of their digital literacy skills. We draw on a case study in which first- year information and communications technology (ICT) students used the digital curation platform Scoop.it to curate an annotated collection of resources pertaining to a particular topic. The notion of curation has undergone a significant transformation in the wake of an increasingly digital society. To 'curate,' traditionally referred to as 'taking care,' has morphed into a process of cataloguing, accessing, and representing artefacts. In the digital age, curation is a way of sifting, organising, and making sense of the plethora of information; it has become an important life skill without which one cannot fully participate in digital life. Moreover, the ready availability of information, made possible by the ubiquity of Internet technology, makes digital curation an essential skill for the twenty-first 21st century learner. In answer to this need, we are seeing the emergence of suites of digital tools, dubbed ‘curation’ tools, that meet the perceived need to locate, select, and synthesise Web content into open, user-organised collections. With information overload, a distinctive feature of the Internet, the ability to sift through the noise and dross to select high- quality, relevant content—selected on the basis of authority, currency, and fitness-for-purpose—is indeed a valuable skill. To examine this issue, we performed a case study in which a group of first- year Information and Communication Technology (ICT) students curated Web- based resources to inform an assessment task. We argue that curation platforms, such as Scoop.it, can be effective at cultivating the digital information literacy skills of higher education students.

Writing scientific articles that are integrated with learning biology is still rarely done. On the other hand, students' critical thinking skills need to be developed. One of the efforts is to develop students' thinking skills by writing scientific articles by optimizing digital and information literacy use. Scientific articles are used as student assignments in learning conservation and environmental knowledge through the group investigation learning model. This study aims to determine the effect of writing scientific articles through optimizing digital and information literacy on students' critical thinking skills. The method used in this research is quantitative with a non-experimental explanatory design. Data collection using a questionnaire with a Five Point Likert Scale. There were 43 respondents, of which 100 percent of the completed questionnaire was usable for further analysis. Data analysis in this study used a structural equation model with a partial less square analysis technique (SEM-PLS) using smart-pls 3.2.7 software at a significance level of 5% to predict the hypothesis. Structural Equation Modeling Estimation Shows that Digital Literacy, Information Literacy, and Article Writing Affect Students' Critical Thinking Skills. These findings indicate that writing scientific articles through optimizing digital and information literacy has an effect on students' critical thinking skills. Therefore, writing scientific articles through optimizing digital and information literacy is one method to improve students' critical thinking skills. The implication in the world of education, writing scientific articles through optimizing digital and information literacy can be used as an alternative task for students to improve critical thinking skills.

This study explores Arts & Science faculty and librarians’ attitude of learning theory and perceptions of digital literacy (DL) and how digital information literacy (DIL) might improve and enhance student learning outcomes. Digital literacy (DL), information literacy (IL), and digital information literacy (DIL) consists of interaction with academic technology (AT) programs and tools. The objectives are: the rise of IL within the parameters of DL and discuss the birth of DIL, examine the modes of adoption and explore the levels of inclusion for faculty and librarians’ concepts of DL with DIL instruction with AT, define the IL phenomenon, and how IL affects faculty and librarian pedagogy. The study reveals the tension and distinction between DL and IL. Key research questions are: What are Arts & Science faculties’ digital literacy (DL) epistemology? What is the librarian’s/ library digital literacy (DL) epistemology perspectives, and what are Arts & Science faculties’ concept of DIL?

Purpose In today’s information and knowledge society, it is indispensable for citizens to acquire the requisite digital and information literacy (IL) skills to search information independently to meet their multiple and diverse information needs. As a result of digitalisation in the world, development and acquisition of digital and information skills is critical even for students and learners to retrieve digitised and online information to meet or achieve their curriculum-related accomplishments. The purpose of this study is to investigate the status of the digital and information literacies in South Africa from 2016 to 2022. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study used a scoping review approach to collect data from research articles, conference articles and textbooks on digital literacy and IL – published in the years ranging between 2016 and 2022 from Google Scholar. Findings The major findings revealed that majority of the citizens especially students and learners lack digital and IL skills to recognise when information is needed, to find, locate, evaluate and use the retrieved information to meet an information need in a particular situation or context. Practical implications of this study include the alignment of curricula towards information and communication technologies to face the everchanging digital information technologies. Originality/value The study used scoping literature review research where empirical studies were retrieved and selected to address the objectives. This study provided significant approaches regarding promoting information and digital literacies in developing countries such as South Africa.

PurposeInformation and digital literacy have recently received much interest, and they are being viewed as critical strategic organisational resources and skills that employees need to obtain in order to function at their workplaces. Yet, the role of employees' literacy seems to be neglected in current literature. This paper aims to explore the roles that information and digital literacy play on the employees' perception in relation to usefulness and ease of use of digital technologies and consequently their intention to use technology in the practices they perform at the workplace.Design/methodology/approachThis paper builds a conceptual model with key constructs (information literacy and digital literacy) as new antecedents to the technology acceptance model and aims to establish that information literacy and digital literacy are indirect determinants of employees' intention to use digital technologies at the workplace. The data set used in this paper comprises of 121 respondents and structural equation modelling was used.FindingsThe findings reveal that both information literacy and digital literacy have a direct impact on perceived ease of use of technology but not on the perceive usefulness. The findings also show that both literacies have an indirect impact on the intention to use digital technology at work via attitude towards use.Practical implicationsManagers and decision-makers should pay close attention to the literacy levels of their staff. Because literacies are such an important skillset in the digital age, managers and chief information officers may want to start by identifying which work groups or individuals require literacy training and instruction, and then provide specific and relevant training or literacy interventions to help those who lack sufficient literacy.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to consider information literacy and digital literacy as new antecedents of the technology acceptance model at the workplace environment.

IntroductionAgricultural scale operation serves as a crucial avenue for advancing the construction of agricultural modernization and fostering the development of a formidable agricultural nation. It is important to note that agricultural scale operation underscores not only the expansion of land acreage but also the contiguous and integrated management of land parcels.MethodsThis study utilizes data from the 2020 Chinese Academy of Social Sciences rural revitalization research to assess farmers' digital literacy levels through factor analysis and principal component analysis. After elucidating the underlying logic of how digital literacy influences the scale of agricultural land operations, we employ linear regression models, mediated moderation models, and other statistical tools to delve into the specific impacts of farmers' digital literacy on their farmland scaling behaviors.ResultsThe findings reveal that: (1) Digital literacy exerts a positive effect on the scale of farmland management undertaken by farmers. Specifically, for every unit increase in farmers' digital literacy, there is an average corresponding increase of 0.811 units in the overall scale of farmland management, 0.454 units in plot size, and 0.633 units in land concentration, respectively. (2) Mechanism testing reveals that an enhancement in farmers' digital literacy facilitates farmland transfers, thereby promoting large-scale farmland operations. Additionally, farmers' land dependence amplifies the positive effect of digital literacy on such operations. (3) Sub-dimension analysis yields further insights: In the realm of digital access, improved digital media literacy encourages farmers to consolidate their land holdings, expand production scales, harness economies of scale, and ultimately boost agricultural production efficiency. Within the digital application dimension, heightened levels of digital business literacy and digital information literacy among farmers spur the expansion of their land operation scales and increase land concentration. Conversely, elevated digital social literacy and digital problem-solving literacy primarily drive the expansion of land operation scales but exert minimal influence on land concentration. (4) Heterogeneity analysis uncovers variations in the impact of farmers' digital literacy on farmland scale operation behavior across different human capital levels, age groups, and urban-rural contexts.DiscussionConsequently, to foster farmland scale operations, it is imperative to: Promote the development of rural digital infrastructure to enhance farmers' digital accessibility. Strengthen the factor market system to facilitate efficient circulation of various factors. Increase support for farmer benefits and assistance programs to bolster their risk resilience. Intensify skills training for farmers to activate their intrinsic motivations as primary actors in this process.

Aim/Purpose: [This Proceedings paper was revised and published in the 2018 issue of the Interdisciplinary Journal of e-Skills and Lifelong Learning, Volume 14] The digital divide and educational inequalities remain a significant societal prob-lem in the United States impacting low income, first-generation, and minority learners. Accordingly, institutions of higher education are challenged to meet the needs of students with varying levels of technological readiness with deficiencies in information and digital literacy shown to be a hindrance to student success. This paper documents the efforts of a mid-Atlantic minority-serving institution as it seeks to assess and address the digital and information literacy skills of underserved students Background: A number of years ago, a historically Black university located in Maryland devel-oped an institutional commitment to the digital and information literacy of their students. These efforts have included adoption of an international digital literacy certification exam used as a placement test for incoming freshmen; creation of a Center for Student Technology Certification and Training; course redesign to be performance based with the incorporation of a simulation system, eportfolios, Webquests, a skills building partnership with the University library; pre and post testing to measure the efficacy of a targeted computer applications course taught to business and STEM majors; and student perception surveys Methodology: In 2017, pre and post testing of students in enrolled in core computer applications courses were conducted using the IC3 test administered during the second and fifteenth week of the academic terms. These scores were compared in order to measure degree of change. Additionally, post test scores were assessed against five years of the scores from the same test used as a placement for incoming freshmen. A student perception survey was also administered. The survey included a combination of dichotomous, Likert-scaled, and ranking questions with descriptive statistical analyses performed on the data. The results were used to test four hypotheses. Contribution: This study provides research on a population (first-generation minority college students) that is expanding in numbers in higher education and that the literature, reports as being under-prepared for academic success. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of current studies examining the information and technological readiness of students enrolling at minority serving institutions. This paper is timely and relevant and helps to extend our discourse on the digital divide and technological readiness as it impacts higher education. Additionally, this paper also marks a valuable contribution to the literature by examining the efficacy of computer applications courses in higher education with Generation Z learners Findings: The digital divide is a serious concern for higher education especially as schools seek to increasingly reach out to underserved populations. In particular, the results of this study show that students attending a minority serving institution who are primarily first generation learners do not come to college with the technology skills needed for academic success. Pre and post testing of students as well as responses to survey questions have proven the efficacy of computer applications courses at building the technology skills of students. These courses are viewed overwhelmingly positive by students with respondents reporting that they are a necessary part of the college experience that benefits them academically and professionally. Use of an online simulated learning and assessment system with immediate automated feedback and remediation was also found to be particularly effective at building the computer and information literacy skills of students. Recommendations for Practitioners: Institutions of higher education should invest in a thorough examination of the information and technology literacy skills, needs, and perceptions of students both coming into the institution as well as following course completion. Recommendation for Researchers: This research should be expanded to more minority serving institutions across the United States as well as abroad. This particular research protocol is easily replicated and can be duplicated at both minority and majority serving institutions enabling greater comparisons across groups. Impact on Society: The results of this research should shed light on a problem that desperately needs to be addressed by institutions of higher education which is the realities of the digital divide and the underpreparedness of entering college students in particular those who are from low income, first generation, and minority groups Future Research: A detailed quantitative survey study is being conducted that seeks to examine the technology uses, backgrounds, needs, interests, career goals, and professional expectations with respect to a range of currently relevant technologies

This demonstration explores the Internet Public Library (www.ipl.org), a shared online facility for testing innovations in digital libraries and for training a skilled work force in digital library services, systems, and collections. Hypatia 2.0 and QRC software used in IPL's digital library collections and services are shown, with discussion of IPL in education, digital collections, digital reference services, digital library systems, and research.

This study aims to explore the correlation between college students’ digital literacy and mental health and proposes a method based on Twin Support Vector Machines (TWSVMs) classification and chi-square validation correlation analysis. First, a group of college students’ digital literacy data was collected by designing and distributing questionnaires. The questionnaire covers multiple aspects such as digital skills, information literacy, and technology application, to comprehensively evaluate the students’ digital literacy level. The collected digital literacy data were classified using TWSVM to obtain the digital literacy assessment results. Next, the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals of the same group were collected, and the EEG signals were subjected to power spectral density (PSD) feature extraction and TWSVM classification model training to obtain the mental health identification results of each student. Finally, after obtaining the digital literacy assessment and mental health identification results, the chi-square validation method was used for correlation analysis to evaluate the linear relationship between the two. Through the analysis, we found that students with higher digital literacy were more likely to have good mental health. In comparison, students with lower digital literacy were more likely to have mental health problems. This study revealed a significant correlation between college students’ digital literacy and mental health, providing theoretical support and practical guidance for educators and mental health professionals. Improving students’ digital literacy will not only help their academic and career development but may also have a positive impact on their mental health, thereby promoting their overall development.

Information Literacy has become a new research field, concerning information science, education and the cognitive sciences. The challenge, at first, is to learn the basic use of technological resources - digital literacy - and then the appropriation of knowledge to generate new knowledge - information literacy. The importance of social network as a collective framework of authoring and production of knowledge, introduces major disruptions in the traditional roles of publishers and librarians. The new contours of this network society are object of study and research of professionals from various fields in the WEB 3.0. Index Terms - Digital Library, Information Science, Information User, Ownership and Knowledge Production, WEB 3.0.

A digital environment produces new concepts and understanding of language learning and teaching. Students are encouraged to be able to manage their goals and learning process independently. However, the success of self-regulated learning (SRL) in the digital era depends on the student's ability to explore the latest technology, which is defined as digital and information literacy. The problem comes when the use of higher technology unbalances students' digital and information literacy levels. Therefore, this research examined digital and information literacy skills as a base for ELF self-regulated learning. The researcher designed quantitative research. The questionnaires were distributed to 70 respondents from EFL students at the Department of English, Universitas Negeri Malang. Questionnaire data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to find digital literacy skills. The result showed that the students have a high level of digital literacy. There are underlying factors affecting their decisions and preferences that were explicated in the questionnaire responses, such as intake year, study load, and motivation. The findings about students' digital literacy can support teachers in planning interactive digital language learning. At the higher education level, there should be more practice and monitoring of collaborative learning activities.

The aim of the research was to explore the role of Ukrainian libraries in developing digital technology skills based on international practices. The methodology involved a systematic analysis of Ukrainian libraries in Kyiv, Lviv, and Kharkiv, content analysis of digital platforms and tools, an international review of practices in Finland, India, Moldova, Romania, and Nigeria, and a descriptive-analytical method for summarising programmes and initiatives with the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of digital technology integration into library activities and formulating recommendations. The main results of the study examined the state of Ukrainian public libraries in Kyiv, Lviv, and Kharkiv, and it was established that they have undergone a transformation, evolving from traditional repositories of printed materials into centres of digital education and innovative activities. It was explored how the implementation of digital platforms, such as “Diia. Digital Education”, Google Workspace, Canva, electronic libraries, and webinars, has enabled users of different ages to enhance their digital competencies and information literacy. In particular, tools such as “Diia. Digital Education”, Canva, Google Workspace, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and chatbots assist librarians in effectively organising training, managing learning groups, and adapting materials for users. International experience highlighted that library development programmes as centres of digital education in Finland, India, Moldova, Romania, and Nigeria contributed to enhancing citizens' information and technological skills. It was investigated that in Ukraine, the Digital Education Hub network enabled vulnerable population groups to master practical digital skills, whereas centralised resources in Finland and programmes in India provided access to knowledge for the general population, including rural areas and individuals with limited capabilities. The results demonstrated that the technical upgrading of libraries and the training of librarians as digital facilitators will contribute to enhancing the population’s digital literacy, the inclusivity of educational services, and the development of critical thinking skills, ensuring Ukraine’s integration into the global information space. The recommendations envisage expanding the network of library hubs, combining in-person and distance learning, creating a national digital platform, and developing specialised courses for socially vulnerable groups. The practical significance of the research lies in the fact that its results can be used by librarians and educational managers to enhance digital literacy