Digital Literacy for Open Societies; Networked Information and Libraries

This new course builds upon the popular and successful 'Libraries and the Internet' summer school which ran in 1997, 1998 and 1999.  The new syllabus broadens the scope and coverage of its predecessor, while taking account of new developments in information and communications technologies, and the changing nature and needs of potential students.
 
The new course focuses on the concept of digital literacy.  That is the ability to understand how information is generated and communicated in all formats.  Typically, this requires some subject specific knowledge, married to the ability to create a critical framework for the retrieval, organisation, evaluation, presentation and use of information for any given purpose.  These skills form the foundation of almost all professional activities world wide.  They are however, essential to those involved in library and information work, whose primary role is to facilitate access to organised collections of knowledge, in whatever format, and to communicate digital literacy, to others.
 
This course is designed for librarians, information specialists, teachers and trainers of librarianship and information science, and researchers in these areas.
 
Aims of the course:

• to give participants an understanding of the concept of digital information literacy, its significance in promoting open societies, and its relevance to libraries and information services;
• to give participants the knowledge and skills to practise, promote and teach digital literacy in their own professional work;
• to assist participants to understand the variety and nature of digital information sources (particularly Internet), and to appreciate methods for finding, accessing and producing digital resources; 
• to show the role of knowledge organisation and critical thinking in the evaluation and use of digital information resources; 
• to enable participants to develop skills of teaching and communicating the principles and practice of digital literacy (including the use of networked resources).

Main topics to be covered: 

1. Digital literacy 
2. Information and communication technologies 
3. The library in society 
4. Information resources 
5. Finding and accessing digital information 
6. Evaluating and organising information 
7. Producing digital information 
8. Training the trainer 
9. Libraries and librarians in the digital age

 
Teaching methods 
The course will comprise a series of lectures, practical exercises and guided reading. In addition, informal seminars and personal tutorials will be arranged to cover in further detail topics of particular 
interest to participants, and also to cover core skills (such as use of  computers, programs and networks) for those participants who would find this helpful.