Information literacy is a critical topic in contemporary pedagogy and information science, it is ranked among the essential competencies for the 21st century, and in recent years, it has received increasing research interest. The problem, however, is that the research is focused mainly on primary and university (college) contexts and only rarely…

Introduction: Recent developments in the field of scientific information resource provision lead us to the key research question, namely,what is the coverage of freely available information sources when writing doctoral theses, and whether the academic library can assume the leading role as a direct intermediator for information users. Method:…

The nature of the information seeking behaviour of the teachers engaged in General Degree Colleges and Teachers' Training Colleges affiliated to West Bengal State University, India, is critically analysed in the present study. The descriptive analysis is based on well structured, close-ended questionnaires which were distributed among 450…

Collaboration between faculty and learner support can create seamless services for e-learners. Providing access to learning materials and activities with co-located tailored learner support creates an environment in which e-learners can easily access everything they need for an enhanced, supported, and more focused learning experience. The…

Everyone is living through a period of considerable demographic change, which is predicted to continue and escalate. People are living longer and, generally, healthier lives, and the lifelong learning system in the UK needs to catch-up with this new reality. There is a need for a much more flexible approach that offers choice and opportunities to…

This discussion centers on the role of libraries in providing postsecondary students and other users with instruction in the use of library resources. It reviews the history of library user education, examines the effects of hard economic times on library instruction, and describes User Education Resources (USER), an Australian database containing…

Examines three major components of the role of the university library in China: (1) the university as a participant in the educational work of the university; (2) the library as a provider of information that enables researchers in the university to carry out investigations; and (3) the responsibility of the library to society as a whole. (25…

Virtual Reference Canada (VRC) is a digital reference service using World Wide Web technology. It was initiated by the National Library of Canada (NLC) in spring 2001 and went into test mode at the start of 2002. It draws on the contribution of a wide range of Canadian libraries and allied institutions. The development of VRC owes a great deal to…

A survey of 180 small businesses in the London, Ontario (Canada) area examined the role of the library in providing information. Found that small businesses mainly obtained information through informal sources: customers; suppliers; and friends, associates, and relatives. Concludes that public libraries should network and promote an image of the…

Discussion of the role of school libraries focuses on a study in England that monitored secondary school students completing a resource-based learning project. Compared students' use of the school library at four different schools with their use of other information resources, including public libraries and the Internet. (Author/LRW)

Includes six special reports: "Libraries and the National Information Infrastructure" (Peter R. Young and Jane Williams); "Library Cooperation and Networking" (JoAn Segal); "Mexican Information Resources in Electronic Format" (Shirley Ainsworth); "The International Role of U.S. Librarians" (Hannelore B.…

The paper begins with an introduction defining the term "information literacy" and goes on to analyze the need for information literacy education in China. It also presents a detailed description with examples of how China's public libraries are cultivating citizens' information literacy. The experiences prove that the public library is…

This paper discusses information literacy skills and procedures for breaking information resources into their component data. The paper draws on the work of two Australian committees to establish the importance of these skills and briefly describes a research project on library services required to support the delivery of competency-based training…

Describes a project at the Ministry of Health Library and Documentation Centre in Malawi, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), that changed the role of the library from information collector to producer of information through the use of desktop publishing and the creation of CD-ROM databases. (LRW)

In the late 1980s, when few Canadian citizens had Internet access, federal departments and agencies in Canada were already preparing for the future by putting information and documentation online. This paper outlines several government-sponsored programs--SchoolNet, the Canadian Investment Fund, Community Access Program, Canada Foundation for…