A Knowledge Lens for information literacy: conceptual framework and case study
| Pages | 974-991 |
| Published date | 11 September 2017 |
| Date | 11 September 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-04-2017-0058 |
| Author | Darin Freeburg |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Records management & preservation,Document management,Classification & cataloguing,Information behaviour & retrieval,Collection building & management,Scholarly communications/publishing,Information & knowledge management,Information management & governance,Information management,Information & communications technology,Internet |
A Knowledge Lens for
information literacy: conceptual
framework and case study
Darin Freeburg
Department of Library and Information Science,
University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to introduce a Knowledge Lens for information literacy. This lens
shifts the focus and potential outcomes of information literacy in three ways. First, it promotes self-reflection
as a means of integrating information. Second, it promotes creation, emphasizing it as a social process.
Third, it promotes the ability and value of working with imprecision and lack of direction.
Design/methodology/approach –The author designed a Community of Practice (CoP) with a loosely
structuredguidebook tooperationalize theKnowledge Lens. Theinitial stated purposeof the CoP was to provide
innovativesolutions to issuesof race relations in South Carolina. A group of19 participants –representing four
churches –met twicea month for one year. After oneyear, a core group of 6 participants were interviewed to
identify elements of this new lens.
Findings –Participants indicated that they changed in many ways after the CoP, suggesting that the
Knowledge Lens increases the impact of literacy work. In particular, they were able to utilize internal tension
to spark innovation, found value in direct engagement with one another without the need to first codify their
thinking, and increased their reliance on information encountering.
Originality/value –Information literacy has attempted to move beyond stale concepts, and the Knowledge
Lens facilitates this movement. It takes information literacy beyond the mere provision of access to existing
information. It recognizes barriers to information integration. And it involves individuals in co-creation to
solve problems that lack an existing codified solution.
Keywords Informationliteracy, Innovation,Complexity, Knowledgemanagement, Communities of practice,
Race relations
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Conceptualizations of information literacy have shifted from a focus on identifying
universal standards for finding information, to outlining dynamic skills, subjectivities, and
creation processesthat develop this information.This can be seen in literature on information
literacy in the workforce, which calls for a broader socio-cultural approach that is “more
complex than skills training, and allows for the differing needs and contexts of workplaces”
(Weiner, 2011, p. 8). The current research furthers work in this area by conceptualizing
informationliteracy through the lens ofknowledge. This Knowledge Lensis more than a mere
buzz word (Tuominen, 2007) or set of “‘cherry-picked’ideas to form [a new] conception
[of information l iteracy]”(Stordy,2015, p. 458). Rather, it is the addition of extant literature in
Knowledge Management (KM) and organizational learning to continue the development
of a conceptualization of information literacy that works outside of the classroom.
The Knowledge Lens firstreveals that several barriers exist to the meaningful integration
of information into one’s existing cognitive structure. Information is not inherentlypowerful,
and it is only through an honest and reflexive uncovering of beliefs and assumptions that
individuals can allow information to impact them. Second, the Knowledge Lens reveals that
the new insights gained from a meaningfulintegration of information are limited unless they
spark action–in particular, the collaborativeaction of creating new knowledgethat questions
existing rulesand information. Finally, the Knowledge Lens reveals the needto work with the
imprecision of social contexts, where multiple imperfect solutions exist.
Journal of Documentation
Vol. 73 No. 5, 2017
pp. 974-991
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0022-0418
DOI 10.1108/JD-04-2017-0058
Received 17 April 2017
Revised 31 August 2017
Accepted 1 September 2017
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0022-0418.htm
974
JD
73,5
Thus, the central driving goals and questions of the current research can be summarized
as follows:
•to conceptualize information literacy as the ability to question and overcome the
barriers of beliefs and assumptions in order to integrate information in a meaningful
way that sparks collective knowledge creation to provide solutions that –although
imperfect –are good enough;
•to operationalize this Knowledge Lens for information literacy in a Community of
Practice (CoP) that provides the guidelines and space for these essential components
to occur; and
•to determine the outcomes of this new view of information literacy instruction
through a case study of a designed CoP focused on race relations in South Carolina.
Literature review
This section will look first at paradigm shifts in information literacy in order to place the
Knowledge Lens within existing momentum and changes in the conceptualization of
information literacy. This includes a discussion of challenges facing the field of Library and
Information Science (LIS) in moving information literacy instruction to a more prominent
place in education. It is suggested that the structure and language of the Knowledge Lens
helps reposition the importance of information literacy. Next, definitions of important terms
are offered. These arenecessary to understand the conceptualization of the Knowledge Lens,
especially as it concerns transitions among information, knowledge, and knowing. After the
definitions are offered, the model for the Knowledge Lens is provided. The three primary
elements of this lensare then situated in relation to existing literature in the fields of KM and
organizational learning, providing a solid conceptual foundation for its operationalization.
Paradigm shift in information literacy
Earlier work in information literacy was focused on finding and gathering information for
easily identifiable purposes, with little attention paid to more complex and dynamic
contextual issues. This could be seen in Information Literacy Competency Standards for
Higher Education from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).
These standards defined information literacy as a set of abilities to “recognize when
information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed
information”(American Library Association, 1989). The UK laid out a similar approach in
1999, when the Society of College, National, and University Libraries (SCONUL) outlined
seven pillars for information literacy. They included recognizing one’s information need;
identifying different ways of addressing information gaps; constructing search strategies;
using tools to locate and access information; evaluating information; and organizing, using,
and communicating information (SCONUL, 1999).
Yet, conceptualizations of information literacy have been shifting as researchers
understand more about its potential to make an impact in the lives of people. This includes a
shift to a socio-cultural approach, suggesting that “the way in which information literacy
manifests itself as practice and process will be influenced by the narrative of the landscape
and its interpretation within context”(Lloyd, 2010, p. 29). Lloyd (2012) conceptualized a
collective view of information literacy through a people-in-practice perspective that
considers complex social realities and situated learning. Gullbekk (2016) argued that this
social focus must move away from viewing these contexts as having “rather stable norms,
conventions and socially shared understandings or assumptions”(p. 717). In addition to this
focus on context, Salisbury and Karasmanis (2011) called for increased awareness of a
student’s existing knowledge.
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A Knowledge
Lens for
information
literacy
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