Information Literacy in Context: Skill Development in Pre- and In-Service School Librarians

ABSTRACT Information literacy is a crucial topic in the library science profession. The information needs and perceptions of the information literacy of preservice and early-career school librarians were explored in this research using a survey and interviews distributed nationally over a 5-month time frame. These participants, who have been employed in the field for 5 years or less or are currently completing coursework, were queried about their perceptions of information literacy and how the profession had changed through the course of their graduate work and early-career experiences. Participants felt well prepared and believed their schooling met their need for information in the areas of readers’ advisory and the use of copyright and fair use and for for teaching these topics to students. They also reported that they were well prepared for teaching with educational technology. Participants were least prepared in the area of facilitation of classroom teacher/school librarian collaborations, even though this aspect of their library school experience was highly emphasized. Once graduates were in a library position, they met their information needs by reaching out to mentors, more experienced school librarians, and their professional learning community.