Library Instruction Make-over: Developing an Engaging Information Literacy Program

Realizing the important role that librarians play in ensuring that their library clients are information literate, the DLSU organized a symposium on Library Instruction Make-over: Developing an Engaging Information Literacy Program which aimed to raise awareness on the importance of information literacy being a vital component of lifelong learning; help librarians and LIS students develop new strategies in teaching information literacy skills; and understand the issues and challenges in teaching information literacy skills while at the same time promoting the reference services and programs of the DLSU Libraries. 

Featured were a keynote speech and three research papers completed and presented by DLSU librarians. Ms. Marian R. Eclevia, IamInfoSMART 2014 chair, delivered the keynote speech entitled Seeking for the Perfect Blend: Strategies for Teaching Information Literacy Skills, where she talked about information literacy program as part of the blended learning model that enhances life-long learning. Among the paper presenters were (1) Ms. Candy May Schijf, Integrated School (IS) librarian, shared the results of her study entitled, What Makes Them Flip the Pages?: an information literacy skill assessment of the DLSU Integrated School Grade 9 Students which made use of the Tool for Real-time Assessment of

Information Literacy Skills (TRAILS) in gathering and analyzing data to find out the level of literacy skills of Grade 9 pupils of DLSU-STC Integrated School; (2) Ms. Elizabeth Padilla, Circulation Librarian,  presented a paper entitled The Information Literacy Program of DLSU Libraries: an Assessment where she narrated the process on how the DLSU Libraries’ revised its information literacy program and undertook its evaluation as well; and, (3) Ms. May Cajes, Periodicals Librarian, and Mr. Joseph Yap, IMS Coordinator, made a joint presentation of their study entitled Where are the Librarians?: the Roving Reference Experience of DLSU Libraries, where they introduced one of the newest services of the DLSU Libraries which is the Roving Information Assistant (RIA), pilot tested in August 2014, and shared their experiences as RIA and how the library clients find the service.

The symposium was held on held on November 13, 2014 and was attended by 111 participants, consisting of librarians and Library and Information Science students.