Monthly Archives: February 2015

Information literacy resources request

Woody Horton wrote: I have the honor of assisting Unesco in establishing and maintaining a multilingual database of information literacy resources worldwide, entitled as above. In case you have not yet seen this publication, please click on: http://infolit.org/unescos-overview-of-information-literacy-resources-worldwide-2nd-ed-2014-2015/
Some of you attended conferences in Africa on InfoEthics, one in 2007, and the other in 2009. I attended the 2009 meeting in Pretoria, and received your email addresses from Unesco. Indeed, I met some of you at the 2009 meeting.

My purpose in writing to you at this time is to request your assistance. I am trying to locate librarians in African countries who can help us first do the research, and then prepare a contribution for the above database publication, formatted as shown in the foregoing reference. Librarians commonly call this a “bibliography” but it is also referred to as a “listing” and a “database.”

We are now preparing the third edition of the publication, and are trying to give priority to including indigenous African, Asian, Oceanic, North American, South American, and European languages, rather than the most commonly used Northern and Western languages such as English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, and German, etc.

I have communicated separately with our colleagues in Northern Africa and the Middle East where Arabic is commonly spoken, and with the other major geographic regions.
For example, as you will see in the foregoing Second Edition database, in Sub-Sahara Africa we already have (or have been promised) contributions from librarians who already did, or who are now doing the research, and already have prepared, or will prepare, African native language contributions for Swahili, Zulu, Ndebele, Swati,Tsonga, Setswana, Sotho, Venda, Xhosa, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Akan, Oromo, Somali, Fulani, and a few others. South Africa has already included a half dozen or so native languages, and Senegal, Ghana and a few other countries have been very helpful.

“Information Literacy Resources” is being very loosely defined, as you will see for the Zambia entry where local radio stations, broadcasting to local communities in many different “”mother tongues,” are listed as the primary kind of resource. So a “resource” does not necessarily have to be a written publication, published, resource, like a book or journal article or online website (such as government assistance websites). The term is intended to include any offline or online resource which has been established to help ordinary people keep up with the important news which affects their livelihood, find a job, get medical help, find a school or course they want to enroll in or take, locate food and clean water, find shelter, clothing, etc.

In short, please let me know if you can recommend a librarian (or other kind of information specialist) who might agree to assist us, and then I will contact the person. We need researchers who are familiar with a native language, but not necessarily fluent. Please also provide an email address if you are aware of it. Otherwise, an institutional affiliation would be helpful. Thank you in advance for any help you might provide.
Professor Woody / Dr. Forest Woody Horton, Jr.
Washington, DC,  USA

Section calls for IFLA conference proposals

 The IFLA Literacy and Reading Section is seeking proposals for a program to be held at the IFLA Conference in Cape Town, South Africa in August 2015. The theme is Literacy Matters!  The Importance of Literacy & Reading in the Creation of Strong Societies.”

Literacy is more essential than ever before. In societies dominated by the written word, it is a fundamental requirement for citizens of all ages in modern Europe. Literacy empowers the individual to develop capacities of reflection, critique and empathy, leading to a sense of self-efficacy, identity and full participation in society. Literacy skills are crucial to parenting, finding and keeping a job, participating as a citizen, being an active consumer, managing one’s health and taking advantage of digital developments, both socially and at work (EU High Level Group of Experts on Literacy, 2012)

 The Literacy & Reading Section recognises that literacy and reading skills are essential for access to information for educational achievement, personal growth lifelong and the development of communities within society. Libraries have a unique role in the promotion of literacy and reading by providing community spaces and access to a wide range of resources and expertise. The program for the IFLA 2015 Conference will focus on the theme Literacy Matters! and include a mix of invited speakers and presenters.

 Building on the Section’s theme Literacy Matters! The importance of literacy & reading in the creation of strong societies, presentations will be considered which address the theme and examine:

·         best practice library programs;

·         library services which support literacy and reading skills; and

·         research projects that support literacy, reading and libraries.

 Proposals are requested for 8 – 10 presentations to be part of a series of round table workshops.  Each presenter will be part of a round table discussion group which will participate in 3 workshops designed to help further develop the LiR ‘Literacy Matters’ concept & action plan:

  • Workshop 1: Guidelines for Library Based Literacy Programs
  • Workshop 2: Research to support literacy, reading and libraries
  • Workshop 3: Literacy Matters! DVD, online and the next steps

 As an introduction to the final workshop presenters will have 15 minutes to present their best practice program to their table. Since these projects will be presented in an informal, small group setting, speakers should plan some visual accompaniment such as a poster that can be set up on the table. Presenters may also want to bring brochures or flyers to hand out.

 The successful proposals (template provided) will consist of:

·         a 500 word description of a 2000 – 2500 word paper about the program/services/research in their presentation which will be published in the IFLA online library;

·         include a copyright and plagiarism statement; and

·         abstracts will be distributed to all tables and used during Workshop discussions

Abstracts will be selected by a double, blind-review process. Papers will be published in the IFLA online library. Successful presenters will be listed in the official Conference program. All papers will be edited for the English version and returned to presenters for publication in other (English) journals.

 Proposals should provide the following information:

·         Presenter/s and affiliation

·         Brief biographical information of presenters

·         Proposal title

·         500 word abstract describing their program, service or research project

·         Language of presentation

Proposals should be sent to:

·         Barbara Combes (Secretary of the Literacy and Reading Section) at bcombes@csu.edu.au by 14th March 2015.

·         Please include IFLA Proposal WLIC 2015 in the subject line.

·         Successful presenters will be notified by 28th March 2015.

·         Submission of final papers in one of the official IFLA languages by 20th May 2015.

For more information, please contact:

·         Annie Everall (Chair of Literacy and Reading Section) at annie@alannie.demon.co.uk

·         Barbara Combes (Secretary of the Literacy and Reading Section) at bcombes@csu.edu.au

Please note that it is the speakers’ responsibility to find funding for their participation in the conference. All papers will be edited for publication in the IFLA Online Library.

Country literacy reports

Country Reports IFLA 2014 Lyon

 

Australia, European Library Network, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Réunion Island, Russia, United Kingdom

 

Australia

Presented by Barbara Combes

2014 events and resources:

  • Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), annual – National Simultaneous Storytime, 21 May. Aims include the promotion of the value of reading and literacy using an Australian children’s book that explores age appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Grades F to 6 and the pre-school Early Learning Years Framework. 2014 title: Too many Elephants in this house.
  • Partners in Literacy – forum and workshop, hosted by the state library WA 11 June 2014. Aims – to develop a literacy framework to support the building of resilient partnerships between stakeholders and providers across all sectors involved in literacy education in Western Australia. Includes using the public library network and Better Beginnings partnerships to provide a focus for the project. Follow-up data gathering by the State Library conducted 7-19 August. This is an ongoing project.
  • State Library WA – Better Beginnings, ongoing. Includes programs for a range of age levels, research on the Better Beginnings program, and literacy and reading, resources for parents and children.

The Commonwealth Government of Australia conducts national literacy and numeracy tests (NAPLAN) at grade levels 3, 5, 7 and 9. Literacy levels have continued to fall over the last 30 years despite initiatives by the States and the Commonwealth governments. Under the NAPLAN testing regime, results also indicate that literacy levels consistently fall between Year 3 (8 YOs) and Year 9 (14 YOs). In Year 3 40-60% of students scoring below the minimum national average are indigenous children located in remote locations in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Current statistics released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that 44+% of Australians between the ages of 18-90 have literacy levels at or below level 2. Level 3 is considered to be the minimum level required to succeed in high school.

In the 15-34 age group for culturally and linguistically diverse adults who speak English as a first language, 36% are working below level two, while the figure rises to 50% for adults from a non-English speaking background. These results are almost identical for the 35-54 age group, with the figure for non-English speaking background at 55%.

Despite continued efforts by government, schools and other organisations, literacy levels in Australia have not improved and in many aces seem to be going backward. In spite of research telling us for the last 40 years how important reading and libraries in all sectors are for improved literacy rates, the public library system and education systems in Australia continue to cut funding and support for libraries and professional staff.

 

 Germany

Presented by Sabine Uehlein

The mission of Stiftung Lesen is to ensure that every child and adult in Germany develops crucial reading and media skills, and enjoys reading, as the ability to read is the basis of the ability to learn, and generating pleasure in reading generates chances in life, and quite simply because reading is fun.

Situation in Germany

  • 5 million people are functional illiterates;
  • 5% of the 15-year old have difficulties in reading and writing;
  • 5%of the people between 16 and 65 years are only able to understand the simplest texts;
  • 000 pupils leave schools without graduation; and
  • 15 bn. Euro consequential charges arise during the next 10 years.

What we do

  • advocate for reading and media competency;
  • scientific research, political recommendations and programs;
  • pilot and research projects;
  • early infant development in the family; and
  • projects at school or outside school.

We create movement!

  • 800,000 children are enthralled each year by the current gift book I will make you a gift of a story on World Book Day on 23rd April.
  • 200,000 Reading Friends books were given to adults as a gift on World Book Day 2014.
  • Providing a network for 150,000 volunteers, actively involved in reading and storytelling.
  • 3,500 young people campaign for reading as reading scouts in schools.
  • 36,000 teachers from all types of schools are actively involved in the Stiftung Lesen’s teachers’ club.
  • 5 million young families receive Reading Starter Sets by 2018.
  • 400,000 youth receive more than 1,5 million magazines due to the project Magazines in schools.
  • 18 million books arrived in families with children during several Happy-Meal Book Campaigns.
  • Well-known reading ambassadors enthrall children and young people.

National Reading Day

Annual event on the 3rd Friday in November is the largest reading festival in Germany. It involves almost 100.000 voluntary readers, ethuses over one million listeners and thus strengthens reading culture in Germany.

Consequently the National Reading Day is the Stiftung Lesen project that generates most media attention.

We are part of:

EU READ – A consortium of European reading promotion organizations, exchanging knowledge, experiences and concepts, developing new strategies for the promotion of reading

Elinet:

  • European literacy network of 79 partner organizations from 28 European countries
  • Exchanging policy approaches, good practice, and initiatives
  • Raising awareness of the importance of literacy
  • Funding Institution European Commission, General Directorate Education and Culture

Topics we are focused on:

  • Digital Reading as empowerment of reading promotion
  • Reading and Movement: conceptions to combine two topics which are underdeveloped for a lot of children and youngsters
  • Reading and demographic change: changing societies, changing needs, changing volunteers

 

Contact Person: Sabine Uehlein, Managing Director Programs and Projects, Stiftung Lesen

Römerwall 40, D-55131 Mainz

Tel.: +49 6131 2889024, email: Sabine.Uehlein@stiftunglesen.de

www.StiftungLesen.de

 

 Netherlands

Presented by Ingrid Bon

National Programs for all age groups by CPNB (cooperation between publishers, booksellers and VOB, National Public Library Organization) put in a calendar:

  • National Reading Aloud days (baby and toddlers) (last week January)
  • Poetry week (1st week of February)
  • Book Week (adults) (2d week of March)
  • Netherlands Children’s Jury (March-June)
  • Children’s Book Week (October)
  • Netherlands Reads (November)
  • Fathers for reading (2014)
  • Several Literary Prizes for children’s literature and adults

Special Themes like:

  • Spirituality (January)
  • Sports books (3d week of April)
  • Audio books (3d week of May)
  • Exiting books (thrillers and detectives) (June)
  • Summer reading (adults) (July/August)
  • History (October)

Besides these programs public library have their own library activities:

  • Program for 0-4 (Boekstart, Boekenpret, VoorleesExpress, Boekstart in de Kinderopvang);
  • Program for primary school: Library at school;
  • Program for secondary school: Library at school VO;
  • National Reading Aloud Competition (children from grade 6,7,8; age 10-12);
  • Read2Me (reading aloud competition first grade secondary school); and
  • National Reading aloud Competition for future teachers, students.

On several levels there is a sense of urgency on illiteracy and low literacy.

Libraries working together with municipalities, Foundation Reading and Writing and working places.

 

Russian Federation

Presented by Yulia Melentyeva

Key initiatives related to reading and literacy, implemented in Russia in 2014.

  1. In Russia,2014was announcedat the state levelas the Year of Culture.

In this regard, the problem of reading, as an integral part of the culture was recognised as of high importance. Across the country, throughout the year, especially in the big cities campaigns were run (ongoing) in support of reading. these included Time to Read, To Live and Read, Reading is Fashionable, Read! Think! Create! and others. These campaigns involved not only libraries, but also schools, bookstores, theatres, museums, parks (eg. park them, Gorky, ENEA), Metro, ground transportation and media, including electronic media and the Internet. Subjects related to reading, were woven in all the significant events of the country, such as the celebration of City Day, Victory Day and the first of September.

  1. Work onthe creationof referencelists ofOne Hundred Books – an initiative put forward by President Putin in 2012.

On the Internet, there is a debate that should be included in these lists, on what grounds, etc. At the local level in cities, towns, creative unions (writers, journalists, and others.) proposals for specific recommendations of lists of authors and there works works. Work is also an analysis of the positive and negative aspects of organized reading.

  1. May2014. PetersburgInternationalBook Salon

This event was attended by dozens of countries, included 200 different events, and was attended by Russian and foreign publishers, booksellers, librarians, writers, parents and ordinary readers. Among the organizers was the Russian Library Association, Russian Reading Association, the Scientific Research Centre of Book Culture Russian Academy of Sciences, Scientific Council for Reading (RAW), almost all the libraries of St. Petersburg, SPburgsky University and dr.organizatsii .This was quite a momentous see strany.http: / /spbinternationalbooksalon.ru/ru/

  1. ScientificCouncil forReadingRAW

RAW has actively maintained ongoing scientific research in this area since 2010. This group held a round table on the theme The situation is reading today. Reading in the culture of everyday life. This eventis verysignificant, because the discussionhighlights some ofthe most importanttheoretical aspects ofreadingthatin turn,have a verypronouncedpracticalapplication.The emphasis onthe theoreticalaspects ofreadingallowedthe headof the ScientificCenterfor Readingof the RussianAcademy of Sciences, member ofthe IFLA Standing Committee ofthe Literacyand Reading Section, Doctor, ProfessorYulia Melentevoy toform aresearch teamand beginwork on the “Dictionary” on the issue ofreading.The implementation of thismassive task, will be useful notonlyto Russian researchers.

  1. Significant eventsin different cities ofRussia:

The Yekaterinburg library Gorky was a momentous event: readers independently collected 10,000 to a library catalog E-Readers. http://pro-books.ru/news/companynews/14448

  • March, 2014, The book and reading in the cultural space of Russia, the Committee on Culture of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the Russian Book Union and the Russian Library Association, round-table http://www.rba.ru/content/news/vid_news_str.php?id=2920

March, 2014, The concept of support and reading development in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia): first results, problems and prospects of implementation, in the National Library of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), scientific and practical conference, http://www.nlr.ru/cms_nlr/centr/vid_news_centr.php?id=2526

May 2014, Reading in the XXI century: traditions and trends (to the 115th anniversary of the Sverdlovsk Regional Universal Scientific Library, Belinsky), was held in Yekaterinburg Russia scientific-practical conference http://conference.uraic.ru/Section/2014-05-29-chtenie-v-21-veke-info

The phenomenon of literary anniversary: pro

ICT program for African universities

Enhancing librarians’ ICT skills for research enablement in African universities: a Carnegie-funded CPD programme

 

Applications for the fourth intake of the Carnegie-funded Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme, which is aimed at enhancing ICT skills for research enablement in African universities opened on 1 February 2015 and closes on 13 March 2015. The The programme will begin on 23 May 2015 and ends on 20 June 2015. Academic librarians and LIS faculty in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda are eligible to apply for admission to this programme. Eight four-week training sessions will take place over a period of three years. 32 participants will be selected for each intake. 

 

This four-week residential training programme with both practical (70%) and theoretical (30%) components will cover the following

topics:

1.     Setting the context: Libraries, ICTs and research 

2.     Leadership and innovation

3.     Information literacy

4.     Social media for research discoverability in an academic environment

5.     Mobile technology and mobility

6.     Managing and organising information

7.     Personal Information Management

8.     Open Scholarship and Open Science – Publishing

9.     Open Scholarship and Open Science – Institutional Repositories

10. Open Scholarship and Open Science – Understanding and using research data management

11. Digitisation

12. Evaluating website architecture

13. Cloud services and storage

14. Virtual research environments

15. The next generation librarian

 

This is a fully funded programme which will take place in Pretoria, South Africa. The funding covers books and other academic expenditures, flights, accommodation, and a daily stipend while in Pretoria. All participants are expected to reside in the accommodation provided in Pretoria for the duration of the programme.

 

Grant exclusions:

·       Visa applications, personal expenses (for example medicine, laundry, phone calls, etc.)

·       ICT equipment such as laptops, modems, internet access top-ups etc.

·       Travel to and from the airport in your home country

 

Application for the third intake closes on 13 March 2015. No late applications will be considered. (There will be a fifth intake in November 2015, as well as three further intakes in 2016.)

 

For additional information on the programme content, eligibility and selection criteria, application procedures, important dates, etc., please see http://www.up.ac.za/en/information-science/article/21563/carnegie-cpd-programme.

 

All correspondence or enquiries: Joan de la Haye at Carnegie-cpd@up.ac.za.

 

Lyon Declaration update

The Lyon Declaration in 2015

IFLA is very happy to announce that with the start of 2015, the Lyon Declaration has received support from over 500 library, ICT and development, institutions and organisations. This worldwide and cross-sector uptake underlines the importance of the Lyon Declaration and furthermore the importance of access to information for future development.

Please see the full Declaration and the signatories for more information. You can also find 19 translations of the Declaration online.

 

What’s next?

During the next nine months leading up to the UN Special Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2015, IFLA will concentrate its efforts to ensure that access to information remains within the new development framework. We will also work on indicators with our coalition partners. These indicators will enable UN Member States and the UN to measure the impact of access to information on development over the next 15 years. The IFLA Statistics and Evaluation Section is closely working with IFLA and its partners on formulating the indicators.

In order to achieve this, IFLA will participate in a range of high level meetings leading up to the Special Summit on Sustainable Development (September 2015) and will work closely with other stakeholders, national ministries and UN Member States.

Furthermore, several IFLA Sections have prepared briefs on how the Lyon Declaration is relevant to their professional environment. These will be available shortly.

 

Get involved

·         Sign and add your voice to the call at the United Nations;

·         Organise meetings with policy makers in your country and use theToolkit created by IFLA in order to make the voice of the library community heard on a national level;

·         Translate the Lyon Declaration into your language and share it with colleagues in your own country;

·         Encourage others in the library and development sectors to sign the Lyon Declaration;

·         Promote the principles of the Lyon Declaration throughout your network and ensure that the message gets spread as widely as possible.

 

Background

The Lyon Declaration on Access to Information and Development calls upon United Nations Member States to make an international commitment through the post-2015 UN development agenda. The Declaration proposes to ensure that everyone has access to, and is able to understand, use and share the information that is necessary to promote sustainable development and democratic societies. It was prepared by IFLA and a number of strategic partners in the library and development communities.

 

Library of Congress literacy award application

We are pleased to send you the 2015 application package for the U.S. Library of Congress (LOC) Literacy Awards (see 2015 application in the attachment). There are 3 separate awards: The Rubenstein Prize, The American Prize, and the International Prize, which are all described on page 2 of the attached application package. Page 1 provides the instructions for completing the application. Pages 3, 4, and 5 are the application.

Last year The $50,000 International Prize was won by the Mother Child Education Foundation in Istanbul Turkey; in 2013, PlanetRead based in India was the winner. In addition to recognizing the winners, the LOC also publishes and distributes a Best Practices booklet, showcasing other programs that had applied for the grant, such as READ Nepal in 2014.

This is a good opportunity for increased visibility internationally, and of course a chance to win a monetary award that can be used as you wish.