Information Literacy: Experiences of the Finnish University Libraries

Kaisa Sinikara,

Director of Information and Library Services

University of Helsinki, Finland

Kaisa.Sinikara@helsinki.fi

The UK 17.-19.2007

Content

Some facts and figures – Finnish university libraries´network University of Helsinki

Information Literacy & Finnish academic libraries Information Literacy as a part of strategies Integration into the Bologna process Collaboration is essential Assessing IL skills Promoting IL Conclusion

University Libraries’ network in Finland

Active collaboration (21 university libraries)

National services provided by the National Library

Linnea2 Consortium (Voyager – the library system)

FinELib Consortium (Nat. Electr. Library), Metalib/Ex

Libris portal and SFX

The Council for Finnish University Libraries

Strategy 2003-2007 Strategy 2007-2012

Vision : Finnish university libraries – the heart of the

infrastructure of high-level research and teaching. http://www.nationallibrary.fi/libraries/council.html Main projects

Competence map (to 2010) Collection mapping Information Literacy – joint development A Study on Financing Structures and Practices Quality and Impact assessment

Basic facts : University of Helsinki

Established in Turku in 1640 Transferred to Helsinki in 1828

Degree students 38 000 Teachers,researchers 3 700 Other staff 3 800

Degrees 2005 4 300 doctorates 400

Libraries on four campuses HU

Kumpula CampusFaculty of Science

students 7 000, staff 1 000

Kumpula Science Library

ViikkiCampusFaculty of Agriculture

and Forestry, Faculty of Biosciences,Faculty of Pharmacy,

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

students 6 400, staff 2 500

Viikki Science Library

Meilahti CampusFaculty of Medicine

students 2 300 staff 1 500

HUCH 10 000

National Library of Health Sciences

City Centra CampusFaculty of Theology,

Faculty of Law,Faculty of Arts,

Faculty of Behavioural Sciences,

Faculty of Social Sciences

students 22 000, staff 3 000

National LibraryUndergraduate Library

five faculty libraries

Information Literacy & Finnish academic libraries

A long tradition of library instruction but varied ways

Past 10 years

Learner-centred & problem-based learning model

E-library increasing fast

New demands on the libraries

Curriculum Plan for Information Literacy: a Joint Virtual University Project of the Finnish University Libraries 2004-2006

The project coordinator: the University of Helsinki http://www.helsinki.fi/infolukutaito/english/index.htm The aim of libraries:

to inform decision makers at all levels and to integrate IL into academic studies and to test the implementation of IL with different projects

A framework: Information Literacy Compentency

Standards / ALA 2000 Learner-centred point-of-view; What kind of skills the

students need?

IL as a part of the strategies: the national level

The Ministry of Education; the Dev. Plan for

Education and Research 2003-2008 Libraries contributing the development of teaching

and study methods and for their part to ensure that

graduates have good information literacy

A strategy of the Council of Finnish University

Libraries 2003 – 2006 (new: 2007-2012) Right timing and good marketing needed A shared vision important

Strategies at the University level incl. IL

Integration into the Bologna process

New degrees at the Finnish universities 1.8.2005- Recommendation for universities for including IL

compentency in the new degree structures drawn up by the steering group of the national IL

project and shared with the coordinators of the Bologna process

in the universities in June 2004

A survey 2005 – libraries reported usefulness of the

recommendation The joint website has given visibility at the national and

international level

Collaboration is essential (1)

Libraries´ networks on the

national level A network of specialists Seminars and conferences The website

Collaboration on the

university level Faculties and teachers, IT

department & libraries

teaching the students The teachers´ IL education

Collaboration is essential (2)

International networks and collaboration NordINFOLIT: http://www.nordinfolit.org/ Steering group: all Scandinavian countries Summerschool Seminars Creating Knowledge

EnIL IFLA IL section (Eva Tolonen from Finland) Collaboration with Croatia, Slovenia Contacts with The US, Australia etc.

Assessing IL skills

Assessing the quality of all academic skills (background) The national IL project has launched a joint question bank Questions are divided into four categories

Defining the topic

Selecting information topics

Information retrieval: planning and executing information searches

Evaluating and using information (sources)

Questions are divided also into three levels

New students – Basics in IL

BA level – IL in intermediate level studies

MA level – IL in advanced level studies

Creative Commons Attribution

Assessing IL skills (2)

The test can be used for the measurement of the baseline

level in order to direct students most proper teaching

groups Feedback important

Updating Responsibility to update the question bank shared by

the IL specialists and Tritonia Library in Vaasa Responsibility to update the software: the Finnish

Virtual University

How to promote IL?

Libraries should play an active role Good collaboration with the teachers and administration

and IT departments Key persons and leaders of the universities The Ministry responsible for education and research The Parliament members European university and library networks and

organisations

Thank you for your attention!

Kaisa Sinikara

kaisa.sinikara@helsinki.fi

University of Helsinki

Finland

IL-website

http//www.helsinki.fi/infolukutaito

UH Libraries:

http//www.helsinki.fi/kirjastot/eng