Identifying "Dangerous Discussions" Topics/Issues
Related to Information Literacy and Librarianship

Notes from a "Brainstorming" Session - extended*

1. Librarians and TLT Centers - Professional Development
   TLT Centers that offer professional development in pedagogy are often housed in libraries.  But how many librarians are eligible to participate in the offerings provided by those Centers?  Are librarians invited to help offer training in those Centers?
    

2. Librarians as Teachers
   Some librarians do not want to be teachers;  others become librarians because they do want to be teachers.
   Librarians (in some institutions) are the only people other than faculty who actually teach in classrooms!
   Librarians as teachers – where, how, why?
   Public Librarians do/don't see themselves as teachers?
    

3. Librarians Need to Learn New Skills?
   How much of instructional design principles and pedagogical approaches are or should be integrated within the training of future librarians?  Current librarians?
   How well-prepared are librarians to use instructional design principles and pedagogical approaches?
   Should there be more courses in teaching methods for librarians?
    

4. Information Literacy:  Whose job is it?
   Whose job SHOULD it be?   Who thinks it is his/her job?

5. REALLY Dangerous Discussion Issues: 
   Accreditation & Faculty Needs
   INFORMATION LITERACY FOR FACULTY!  What is it?  Who needs it?  Who is responsible for offering it?
   Accreditation requirements vis a vis Information Literacy?
    

6. What should “Information Literacy” be called?
   Important to avoid these words in some institutions:  service, literacy, fluency, …?
   Can or should Information Literacy be developed as ONLY or mostly computer skills?
    

7. What is "Information Literacy"?  
   [Or "information fluency" or ... ?]
   Which skills, concepts, tools, resources, etc. are essential elements of most "information literacy" programs?
   Who really needs to know much more than how to use Google and a library catalog?  For what purposes?
   To what extent do most students, faculty members and others need to master skills that most librarians are expected to have?
   To what extent should those who achieve "information literacy" be able to meet their own information needs without the help of librarians?
    

8. Greatest Information Literacy Teaching Challenge
   Too common situation:  Librarian given only 50 minutes within an entire course and being pressed to help students to be able to use key tools – not enough time to relate to information literacy concepts, etc.  This situation combines the worst elements of being a substitute teacher with a class on a field trip!
   Better goal:  integrating information literacy within/throughout the curriculum!
    

9. Skills vs. Content vs. Tools
   Faculty members (and librarians!):
   Covering skills for lifelong learning
   vs.
   Just covering course subject matter "content" - just specific skills for information literacy
   vs.
   Tool-based [how to use certain tools] approach
   vs.
   Concept-based [how information is organized] approaches
   vs. 
   Blended approach
   What can librarians really offer beyond how to use tools?
    

10. Role of Students?
    Involving students from “ground up” in the information literacy development process?  Even planning?
    Learn from undergrad students – from both those who are good and those who are bad users of information and library resources -- and from those who do not use a library!
     

11. Image of Librarians…
    How do faculty perceive librarians? 
    How do students perceive librarians? 
    Perceived as able to teach concepts in addition to tools?
    Student says to librarian:  “Why aren’t you teaching?”
    Do faculty want librarians to focus solely on how to use tools?
     

12. Collaborating with Vendors
    [Especially to get access to and use ancillary tools, materials provided by publishers] so that librarians, faculty, students do not have to do all the work of preparing instructional materials!
     

13. Information Literacy Assessment & Commercialization
    Emerging role of ETS Information Literacy survey?  Potential advantages, pitfalls?
    Commercialism of Information Literacy?
    Assessment of effectiveness of info lit programs, courses, activities, …. 
    Longitudinally? Justifying, proving impact and value of Information Literacy?

OTHER DANGEROUS DISCUSSIONS 
- FOR/WITH/ABOUT LIBRARIANS

Plagiarism

• What is the impact of new technologies and plagiarism on curriculum? 
  Faculty assign more research papers?  Fewer papers?
• More plagiarism because students not engaged?
• Who is responsible for dealing with plagiarism?  How? 
  Punishment/Deterrent vs. Instructional Approach
• Starting at age 10?  Bad practices begin how early?
• Teaching prison inmates about plagiarism!!!  

Bringing food into library

• Who's in favor?  Why?
• Who's opposed?  Why?

What is librarianship? 

• What is good librarianship?  What is NOW the essence of the profession?

Public vs. Academic librarians

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BPIL Team Members

• Barbara Burd, Colgate Univ.
• Steve Gilbert, TLT Group
• Terese Heidenwolf, Lafayette College (Chair)
• Sheril Hook, Univ. of Toronto
• Rebecca Jackson, Iowa State
• Bill Orme, IUPUI

Guests

• Lynn Akin, SLIS - TWU
• Liz Evans, Point Park Univ.
• Xiaomei Gong, Western CT Univ.
• Meg Hawkins, Manatee CC, Florida
• Sandra L. Henderson, Lawson State Community College
• Paul Neuhaus, Carnegie Mellon
• Lorena O'English, Washington State Univ.
• BJ Urling, PA Commonwealth Libraries, Bureau of Library Development
   

The results have been re-organized, interpreted, and somewhat extended by Steven W. Gilbert, President, The TLT Group.  Gilbert accepts full responsibility for any distortions or errors, and welcomes suggestions for further extending or improving this list.
Please send your questions or suggestions for improving our work on "'Dangerous Discussions' Topics/Issues Related to Information Literacy and Librarianship" to Steve Gilbert at:   
GILBERT@TLTGROUP.ORG

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