Study on need and importance of Information Literacy in Nepal: Special emphasis to students of MLisc, TU, Central Department of Library and Information Science and professionals of Kathmandu Valley

Abstract

The present study is a study on "Need and importance of information literacy in Nepal: special emphasis to students of MLISc, Central Department of Library and Information Science, TU and professional librarians of Kathmandu". In the present context where emphasis is given more on getting the accurate information at the needed time. The professionals working as the information providers should be literate. Librarians are the primary information providers so professional librarians and students belonging to the" Department of Library and Information Science" who will pass out as the information scientist must be information literate. This study has been done to find out if the professionals working in libraries and the professionals produced by the Department of Library and Information Science are information literate or not. This study is to see whether they are capable of handling information literacy tools and alongside are they capable of making user aware of the techniques and the tools used in their libraries/information centre. The study has been done also to see if they are capable of giving information literacy skills to their respective users. \n \nThe main objectives of the study is to see if the students of MLISc and the professional librarians are information literate or not having computer literacy, network source literacy, library literacy and tool literacy. \n \nThe study has covered more than 70 respondents which include students and professional librarians. Altogether 100 questionnaires were distributed and only 70 were returned. Twenty seven (39%) are students and forty three (61%) are professionals as the category of respondents. The professionals are involved in TU libraries, governmental organizational libraries and information centers. Ninety nine percent responses have shown that information scientists should be information literate. Altogether fifty five (80%) respondents from both MLISc students and professionals have suggested that the professionals should have the qualities to identify various information resources, manipulate computer data and retrieve in required format, understand visual, symbols and images, perfect in search strategies. All have accepted the catalogues as an essential tool for information retrieval. They are in favor of user orientation is an essential factor for making people information literate. Sixty eight (97%) have responded that abstracting and indexing is as a part of information literacy. Sixty six (94%) have responded that current content services (CCS) and current awareness services (CAS) as weekly basis also help to become the person information literate. Sixty nine (99%) respondents have taken reference service as a part of making users information literate. Majorities have accessed to computer either from their own personal computer of home or from libraries and have used internet daily. Majority of the respondents have used internet for education and are also familiar with the search engines. The number of email and electronic resources users as daily are more than others. Sixty four (91%) respondents have knowledge about visual literacy and only the rest do not have. CDs are most used among other visual literacy tools. Sixty five (93%) respondents have told that they have knowledge about network literacy. Sixty two (89%) respondents have used internet and eight (11%) have used local databases for information retrieval. Sixty-one (87%) have taken internet as easy medium to retrieve information and rest have not. Sixty seven (96%) respondents have told that information literate person should have ethics and he / she should follow the rules and regulations as sole ethics. Majority of the respondents have told to formulate information literate society and to develop information awareness at national level. Most of the respondents have suggested to incorporate information literacy course in Public Services Commission, TU Service Commission and as well from SLC level to Master Degree Level education. They have also suggested that information literate person are the life long learner. So, from the responses, it is concluded that the information literate person should have all the qualities demanded by the changing time to proceed to the destination of his profession. \n

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