By Donna L. Gilton
For many years, public libraries have created and sponsored a variety of programs and activities to encourage nonformal education (NFE) of adults, children , and families, and to promote the cultures of their service areas. Some of these programs, such as literacy, English as a second language, or citizenship and other classes for new immigrants can be easily tied to some basic information literacy activities. Also, with the rise of the Internet, public librarians are conducting much more formal information literacy to groups of people in classes similar to those found in school and academic libraries.
However, public librarians have always done a variety of programs that are not considered "information literacy", but that relate to this. These activities include reader's advisory services, book talks, bibliotherapy, lectures, book discussion groups, story hours, and other cultural programs. The parallels of many of these activities to information literacy instruction are striking, even as they differ from this type of instruction.
Librarians in all kinds of libraries who conduct information literacy instruction emphasize instruction in these activities, even though some aspects of information literacy, such as signage, library handbooks and research guides, and especially term paper counseling would involve guidance. However, one can also argue that guidance is a more informal way of teaching or instructing.
Traditional information literacy instruction has emphasized nonfiction, although sessions on finding and using literary works and the best of children's and young adult literature have also been done, especially in school settings. Reader's advisory services, book talks and book discussion groups emphasize the use of popular and literary fiction, even though nonfiction can also be included.
Information literacy is instruction to feed the mind, help people to solve problems, and to teach them how to think and reason. It emphasizes learning and intellectual growth. Reader's advisory services, book talks, book discussion groups, and bibliotherapy are guidance activities to feed the soul, to promote healing, and to teach people how to feel. These activities emphsize self-actualization, fullfillment, satisfaction, and entertainment. However the emphases of all information literacy and related activities discussed here, whether on learning or on entertainment are not mutually exclusive. One can definitely be entertained while learning and learn while being entertained.
Information literacy has been emphasized in school and academic libraries, which are primarily educational institutions. In the opinion of this author, there has been more information literacy than most people think in public libraries, because to some extent, they are also educational institutions. However reader's advisory services, book talks, bibliotherapy, and book discussion groups have been emphasized mainly by public libraries, which serve as cultural institutions, as well as educational ones.
Most information literacy activities have comparable counterparts in traditional public library activities. Formal information literacy classes can be compared to book talks and book discussion groups. Term paper clinics, individualized instruction, as well as instruction at the reference desk can be compared to reader's advisory services and bibliotherapy. Almost all forms of information literacy instruction can now be found on the web and information on reader's advisory services, books talks and bibliotherapy can also be found there. Printed and electronic handouts, bibliographies, and pathfinders exist to serve and support information literacy and traditional public library activities. Those for information literacy may be more tied to conceptual frameworks, used for group instruction, while guides supporting reader's services may be more tied to informal and individualized guidance. Marketing methods used to promote public library activities can also be used to market information literacy instruction in addition to the use of standards, objectives, and guidelines. Instructional activities and guides can be tied to public library programming in the form of guides and lectures on "How to Find Out More About..." Public librarians are promoting their Internet sessions in the same way that they promote their other programming. They could also do instructional series or sessions for interested patrons on how to do research on local history, genealogy, careers, financial planning, and a variety of other subjects.
Information literacy instruction and traditional public library programming and activities would seem to be two very different sets of activities, but are more related than one may think. Some of these activities can be combined in creative ways, and the public library is the institution best suited to do this.
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