What is Information Literacy?
"Information literacy is knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner"
(CILIP, 2004)
Why are information skills so important?
With information available in many formats, and of varying quality, it is essential that students have the skills to enable them to exploit the wide range of information resources available and to retrieve, evaluate and use that information effectively.
By empowering students to develop these skills, we can contribute to their academic success and help ensure that our graduates become independent and successful lifelong learners.
How we can help you to develop your information skills
The Haramaya University Library and Information Services offer a range of information skills sessions to every postgraduate student in each program in the university. We believe subject librarians must work in close partnership with teaching staff to develop, design and deliver information literacy skills programs across each discipline.
Information skills sessions are available throughout the year and can be booked by students and staff by contacting the Information Literacy Team; please make a booking online or, contact us by hrulis2021@gmail.com, by phoning the library (+251255530326), or by making inquiries at the library desk.
By developing information literacy skills students will be able to:
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Understand the need to use the information and define your research topic
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Identify the range of information resources available
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Locate and access information using different library collections
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Use search tools to locate relevant information by applying effective search strategies
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Identify and use subject-specific library databases
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Use information independently and critically
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Locate and evaluate quality information on the web
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Cite information and use it in a responsible and ethical manner
Information Literacy Framework at Haramaya University
The HrULIS has produced a 3-level information literacy framework to assist the development of its IL programs. For each level of the framework, an indicative set of learning outcomes has been developed, which includes relevant assessment and evaluation techniques. As the students advance through their academic programs, this framework will enable them to progressively build their skills. The framework will also facilitate collaboration with academic departments and help integrate IL skills into the curriculum.