Kopi fra DBC Webarkiv Kopi af: A ladder to digital democracy Dette materiale er lagret i henhold til aftale mellem DBC og udgiveren. www.dbc.dk e-mail: [email protected] No. 3. 2004 Who watches over the libraries? Lifelong learning, libraries and living a good life New pedagogic challenges for the university library A ladder to digital democracy Contents Who watches over the libraries? 3 Information literacy and the role of public libraries 4 Ask the Library 8 Viewp int Lifelong learning, libraries and living a good life 12 New pedagogic challenges for the university library 14 VIKO: The road to information literacy 18 råd & VINK 20 Runeberg comes to life in drama 22 Internet bus Netti-Nysse 25 A ladder to digital democracy 28 The public libraries and information literacy in a Nordic perspective 31 Nordic Council of Ministers 32 Recent library developments 34 Scandinavian Shortcuts 35 “The concept information literacy is a concept applied in the education sector and it is almost exclusively associated with formal learning. In other words – to put it quite bluntly: The role of instructor in this subject belongs to teachers and not to librarians.” The above quotation stuck in my mind after a conference I participated in this spring. The conference was arranged for a number of libra- ries all of which are engaged in development projects on the library’s role as a place of learning in terms of information literacy. Are the libraries mistaken then in potentially assuming a new professional role as instructor in this particular competency? The libraries in question are mostly attached to educational institutions, but they also include quite a few public libraries. The public library is the classic open institution which anyone, who is not currently part of an established educational programme, can visit in order to seek information and ‘educate’ themselves on a permanent basis. As I see it, the conference confirmed that in taking on this task the libraries can fly the flag of public spiritedness, as support for and in cooperation with the formal education system – not least in those areas which the system does not quite encompass. We have chosen information literacy as the theme for this issue and present a number of articles that examine the concept and the task, theoretically and with examples from ’real life’. Jonna Holmgaard Larsen Editor-in-chief [email protected] Who watches over the libraries? Birgitta Modigh Any examination of library services will ally and politically much more forceful activities) vanish. It is interesting there- most likely receive keen attention from the area - education and the other deals fore that the Committee on Public library sector. Sweden can at the moment with a weaker area, namely cultural af- Sector Responsibilities has submitted boast two government papers on the sub- fairs. However, it is also a matter of its first instalment of a report analysing ject, the first of which is entitled KB – ett structure; whereas the direct responsi- structure and responsibility between nav i kunskapssamhälle (KB - a hub of the bility for the public libraries lies with state, county councils and municipaliti- knowledge society). It is an overview of the the municipalities, the State assumes es – a matter which to a considerable National Library’s organisation and assign- full responsibility for libraries connec- degree concerns the public library sec- ments, but also takes an expansive view ted to universities and institutions of tor. The point of departure for the on matters other than those related to the higher education. committee in its assignment is that the Royal Library (The Royal Library in Stock- tax payers are active and conscious of holm is the national library of Sweden. There is every reason to consider orga- their responsibilities, but also place in- Kungl. biblioteket is its official name, but it nisation and structure with regard to creasing demands on the welfare sy- is generally known in its abbreviated form, Swedish public libraries. The Library stem. The main question is, who is to KB). The second paper (On library activiti- Act was passed by the Swedish Parlia- pay and who is to assume responsibili- es) was commissioned by the Ministry of ment in 1996 and took effect January ty for the Swedish welfare society. The Culture to examine the need for a revised 1, 1997, following a heated debate and committee outlines two models: One and possibly a more stringent library legis- with the threat of fees for library loans places the direct responsibility for the lation. and contracted libraries hovering over public sector with the State; the other the proceedings. The threat of fees was model involves increased independence Two simultaneous reports presented by averted, but contracted libraries are on behalf of the municipalities. Consi- two separate departments, Department still a reality in certain municipalities. dered in such a perspective the library of Culture and Department of Educati- After a decade of relative calm, libraries issues appear somewhat marginal, but on - each offering different messages, are once more under attack with bran- for the libraries it is a question of sur- makes for an interesting situation and ches being shut down, acquisitions de- vival to be seen as part of the heavy po- is a challenge to the politicians of this creasing and staff being handed their litical areas of concern such as health, country to take a stand. The KB-report notices. The Library Act, which is only a care and education, yet contributing to recommends that the national library framework act, cannot prevent this, it creativity, quality of life and a living assume full responsibility for develop- merely serves to regulate certain lead- democracy. mental and collaborative issues on the ing principles applicable to the general dissemination of information to all library sector, such as free book loans, Who watches over the libraries in times publicly funded libraries, whilst the securing networking ventures between of cutbacks? Who informs the decisi- Ministry of Culture report emphasises different libraries, but failing to regula- on-making politicians that libraries are coordination and joint planning at all te details. The Act stipulates that each important with regard to children’s levels. The funding required to achieve municipality shall have a public library reading habits, immigrants and refuge- the aims set out by the KB-report “to promote interest in reading and li- es, free information and lifelong learn- would be extensive, and options as to terature, information, instruction and ing? There is every reason to change financing are somewhat lacking, education together with other cultural the image of the library, to safeguard whereas the measures put forward in activities in general…” but there is no the newly awakened interest in the the other report are not expected to indication as to how such activities library and to discuss the library’s po- cost anything. The reasons why two re- should be administered. tential for growth and development. ports on the same subject come to such different conclusions are in part due to There is a strong desire generally in the Birgitta Modigh, head of department the different characteristics of each as- library world to see the Library Act Swedish National Council for Cultural Affairs [email protected] signment, though this is not the whole tightened up, whilst a large number of reason. It is also due to the fact that politicians would rather see the Act Translated by Jonathan Pearman one of the reports deals with a financi- (and other acts regulating municipal SPLQ:3 2004 3 Information literacy and the role of public libraries ‘Informationskompetence’, – the Danish view almost all library activities, tradi- dent concept, where the individual’s term for information literacy was introdu- tional or virtual as hosted under the situation and purpose play an impor- ced in Denmark in 1998 by American-born information literacy umbrella; user tant role. The definitions may serve as Elisabeth Arkin, former Head of Library education, library orientation, user-li- an inspiration for discussions among Services at Aalborg University Library, at a brarian negotiation, digital services etc. librarians and other stakeholders on conference on the marketing and evaluati- now seem to form a part of an all-in- how to define information literacy in on of library services. clusive concept of information literacy. their particular context. Development of competencies was a buzz- On the other hand, many librarians word in those days, and the term was im- perceive teaching information literacy In her book Seven faces of information mediately accepted by the library world as in a narrow sense as synonymous with literacy (1997) Christine Bruce identifi- an appropriate term that covered a broad teaching information searching skills. es seven categories of IL as experienced concept of user education and library in- Perhaps the concept is being trivialised by Australian educators in two univer- struction emphasising student learning and watered down by these uses of the sities: and the pedagogical role of the librarian. term? 1. Information technology conception It is important, however, that librarians - using information technology for Although the term has been used in the reach a common understanding of the information retrieval and communi- library discourse for a number of years, concept when speaking to each other, cation it is an open question if we speak of and when discussing information lite- 2. Information sources conception the same phenomenon. Discourse ana- racy with other stakeholders such as - finding information lysis reveals that ‘informationskompe- teachers, IT-staff and school leaders. 3. Information process conception tence’ is a ‘floating signifier,’ a term It might be useful to take a look at the - executing a process open to interpretation, and one that various attempts to define and describe 4.