9B: Confronting Consumption-Centered Instruction in the Library

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, my 501 client happens to be a library. For anyone who will listen, I have raved constantly about how valuable it is for a LIS student like myself to have the opportunity to engage with major issues that a library faces firsthand. As I was listening to a recording of one of my interviews of a library patron for a 501 assignment, I heard a statement that made me confront one of the most pressing issues facing public libraries today. In the recording, interviewer-me was asking the patron interviewee how she used the computers in the computer lab when she remarked, “You know, I only see these computers used for consumption. Never creation.” I didn’t pay attention to this comment until I listened to the interview again several weeks later, and I realized how true of a statement it was. I have mostly seen computer labs, the hub of modern public libraries, be used for social media or (sometimes) disruptive video games. In addition, public libraries rarely have the journal subscription dollars necessary for intensive research, which puts academically-aspiring patrons in a tough bind if they do not have access to an academic library that can afford those resources. This isn’t to say that public computer labs never have their productive and creative capabilities utilized – sometimes they do. But after reflecting on the chapter reading regarding instruction in libraries, I believe it remains to be seen how librarians can effectively instruct patrons on information literacy if a large portion of their user population opts for vacuous entertainment instead of creative production.

In addition, I think a major issue is how our instructional priorities limit the potential of information literacy. As librarians move away from using instruction as a means to educate users on the finite sources within the library, Wendy Holliday notes a shift towards instructing users “by helping them learn the skills to navigate, or keep from drowning, in the sea of information.” [1] If merely directing users or saving them from capsizing is the primary goal, how do we respond when users veer off-course without us noticing? Are we actually preparing our patrons to approach the expanding web of information with critical eyes? A more hands-off approach to information literacy coupled with a trend toward consumptive library usage suggests this is not the case, and not confronting this phenomenon has consequences. Recently, the social media giant Facebook has come under fire by critics who say the platform did not do enough in removing fake news from its feeds during the election, possibly enabling a Trump victory. [2] As instructors on the front lines in ensuring our users have the information necessary to be informed citizens, do we do a good enough job in teaching how to distinguish good sources from bad ones? Can we, as a profession, look ourselves in the eye and say that our information literacy approach is effective in the wake of the 2016 U.S. elections?

Clearly, more work needs to be done in order to educate more patrons to become information-literate individuals, which Paul Zurkowski defines as someone who has “learned techniques and skills for utilizing the wide range of information tools as well as primary sources in molding information solutions to their problems.” [3] Simply helping users navigate the information tides is not enough, librarians must impart the ways and means in which patrons can use the tools at their disposal in order to steer their ship towards more tranquil waters. Additionally, librarians must be at the forefront in demonstrating how these tools are used and when to exercise proper judgment when evaluating potential sources. Educating patrons on critical thinking and how to interpret sources while forming an argument is critically important in an age where falsehoods disguised as facts proliferate without regulation. Indeed, researchers have found that   “students who perceive information seeking as ‘scrutinizing and analyzing’ achieve learning outcomes more effectively than those who view research as fact-finding or seeking evidence.” [4] The more we use our instruction capabilities as librarians to prepare users, the better off we will be in shaping a civically-engaged and empowered population. However, this is only possible by radically reimagining libraries as spaces of creation rather than consumption, and aligning our teaching appropriately.

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[1] Holiday, Wendy. “Instruction.” In Reference and Information Services: An Introduction, eds. Linda C. Smith and Melissa A. Wong. (Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2017), p.102.

[2] Isaac, Mike. “Facebook, in Cross Hairs After Election, Is Said to Question Its Influence.” The New York Times. November 12, 2016. Accessed via http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/14/technology/facebook-is-said-to-question-its-influence-in-election.html.

 [3] Murkowski, Paul G. “The Information Service Environment Relationships and Priorities. Related Paper No. 5.” In Reference and Information Services: An Introduction, eds. Linda C. Smith and Melissa A. Wong. (Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2017), p. 98.

[4] Holiday, “Instruction,” p. 107.