New Perspectives in Science Education
Information Literacy of LIS Students in SULSIT: Survey Results and Academic Reflections
Tania Todorova, State University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (Bulgaria)
Tereza Trencheva, The State University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (Bulgaria)
Elisaveta Tsvetkova, State University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (SULSIT) (Bulgaria)
Abstract
Library and Information Science (LIS) students have to be aware of the importance of Information Literacy (IL) concept and to understand its theoretical and practical implementations in the contemporary science and society.
This paper presents a sub-study that explores the transferability of IL competencies to the overall research and learning experience of LIS students in the State University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (SULSIT). Also, it is focused on the application of IL competencies of LIS students in fulfilling course assignments in the educational process. The survey is a part of an international survey, implemented in eighteen countries in 2012-2013 [1]. In SULSIT the survey covered students from Bachelor Programs – Library and Information Management and Librarianship and Bibliography and some PhD students and was done in December 2012. From the target group of 170 students – 94 respondents answered all questions; 22 did not complete the whole survey.
The analyses of the results outline three problem areas which need more attention from the academic staff and further improvements: 1st of them are the difficulties that students meet in the starting phase of studying process and in the initial part of the research (retrieval, finding and evaluation of relevant resources; the use of data bases); 2nd of them is the lack of experience with implementation of effective information search strategies; 3rd of them are the abilities of citing and other issues connecting to the ethical use of works in the writing process.
The established differences and gaps in the IL of LIS students in SULSIT, compared with the findings of valid models and level of IL of LIS students from the multinational study - allow to outline the specific decisions, which are taken by the LIS departments at SULSIT, which might be useful in the international context. The report summarizes the measures concerning the updating of curricula and learning content; the methodology of teaching and assessment; and for the effective interaction in the triangle: teaching - learning - practice.
The paper is a part of the project "Copyright Policies of libraries and other cultural institutions”, NSF, MES, № DFNI-К01/0002-21.11.2012.
