Creating information literacy partnerships in Higher Education

Abstract

This piece of research focuses upon the area of information literacy and its effective embedding within the curriculum in Higher Education. In particular, it investigates the promotion of partnerships between academic librarians and faculty staff members, with a view to improving information literacy.

Using the work of Wenger (1998) in relation to communities of practice as a theoretical influence, and an action research methodology, the views of academics within one subject area at York St John University have been canvassed via semi-structured interviews, followed up with questionnaires after interventions from the Academic Support Librarian.

The initial interviews showed that the view of the librarian was varied across the participants, but that, in the main, it was viewed as a support post (rather than reactive or a partner). The questionnaires suggested that the group approach was more effective in promoting partnership, but that both group and one-to-one interventions had some positive effects in this.