Aim & Scope

The main aim of this Workshop is to provide Information Literacy instructors with specialized, authoritative, comprehensive and up-to-date training knowledge, and bring them together to discuss and share information on current issues, theories, teaching and learning approaches and methods, and professional “best practices” regarding Information Literacy education and training.

Every individual and organization in today’s Global Information Society needs to master various kinds of critical 21st Century skills and competencies.  None is more important than Lifelong Learning and Information Literacy.  Fluency in those skills will enable people and institutions both to succeed in a constantly changing and challenging, and highly competitive world.

Information Literacy is a set of skills that embrace the entire life cycle of knowing how to define one’s information needs, then to find, evaluate, and communicate and effectively use the retrieved information. Information Literacy is, in turn, the keystone to Lifelong Learning. An information literate individual is a self-directed individual capable of knowing how to learn throughout his/her entire lifespan. Librarians, educators and other information professionals play a central role in equipping individuals with information literacy skills, as well as providing them with opportunities to strengthen and keep current these skills. Therefore, training librarians, educators, archivists, curators, and other professionals in Information Literacy concepts and practices is crucially important to every nation, its institutions, and other elements of its society, both public and private.

Main topics of the Workshop are as follows:

• Explaining the concept, and importance of Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning,
• Explaining how Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning are “twin” concepts that are ideally counter-dependent,
• Illustrating Information Literacy models, programs and standards that have been developed and tested,
• Sharing “Best Practices” Information Literacy examples,
• Developing a course syllabus for teaching Information Literacy,
• Amplifying a “Needs Analysis,”
• Describing the characteristics of learners (i.e. learning styles)
• Sharing training content and materials development ideas,
• Discussing Information Literacy teaching methods and techniques,
• Listing effective Information Literacy evaluation techniques,
• Integrating Information Literacy into curricula.