Opportunities and Challenges of Academic Librarians in Teaching Information Literacy in Institutions of Higher Learning in Zimbabwe

Abstract

A study was undertaken to analyse the opportunities and challenges that are faced in institutions of higher learning in Zimbabwe when offering information literacy. Institutions of higher learning were purposively selected. Open ended questions were sent to 20 librarians and 13 responded. It was discovered that all the institutions of higher learning which participated in the study teach IL to the students and the librarians are responsible. Librarians teach IL to ensure that the students know how to search, evaluate and use information ethically and legally. This was necessitated by the information explosion leading to the availability of various information sources. The role of the librarian is to design the curriculum, teach IL and monitor and evaluate the course as a way of improving it. It was discovered that librarians face some challenges because of the negative attitudes by students and academic staff. The author recommends that librarians should continuously upgrade themselves and library administrators should provide resources needed to offer IL.