Transcript

NICK:

It's important that students and staff understand what we mean by information literacy, and what it looks like in practice. CILIP defines information literacy as the ability to think critically and make balanced judgments about any information we find and use.

So it's a life skill that we all need for education, our physical and mental health, in the workplace, and in everyday life. So it's really useful to be familiar with this.

We've never had so much access to information as we do today. But sometimes we can overlook the fact that while young people may be confident users of technology, they still need to learn the skills to be proficient.

So to search effectively online, students need a good vocabulary, and know how to use key words to find the information they want. They also need to evaluate the information they find, and learn how to use it appropriately.

Information literacy is something that underpins the curriculum. So as librarians, we need to understand students' learning needs, and then we can direct them to appropriate resources. There's useful guidance on the research process through the information literacy guides produced by CILIP ILG.

And for older students there are really useful resources on many university websites. But it's also a way that you can engage with other subjects in the library, not just English. You could try to get history, geography, or RS involved with project work, using books as well as online resources.

And of course, you can have a vital contribution to sixth form study skills and support for International Baccalaureate or EPQ qualifications. The higher the profile that's given to information literacy in school, then the more that your role as librarian will be appreciated and valued.