This was presented at the start of a workshop session at the 2015 World Library and Information (IFLA) Congress on 20 August 2015. The session focused on ideas for implementing the Media and Information Literacy Recommendations http://www.ifla.org/publications/ifla-media-and-information-literacy-recommendations

1. IFLA, Cape Town,
August 2015
Workshop
procedure
Putting the IFLA Media & Information
Literacy Recommendations into practice
in your community, library and country

2. Aims
• Share examples of the recommendations having
already been implemented – successes that can give
us ideas of what we can do in our own countries and
communities
• Develop new ideas of how we can take action to make
the recommendations happen
The IFLA IL Committee will share the material after the
session
Sheila Webber, 2015

3. Headline actions from the
recommendations
1. Commission [encourage and fund] research on the state
of Media and Information Literacy and produce reports,
so that experts, educators, and practitioners are able to
design effective initiatives
2. Support professional development for library,
information, archive personnel in the principles and
practices of Media and Information Literacy and Lifelong
Learning
– i.e. ensuring that education and training of these professionals
includes being taught about MIL and Lifelong Learning
3. Embed Media and Information Literacy education in all
lifelong Learning curricula
– Includes Lifelong Learning programmes; adult learning

4. 4. Recognise Media and Information Literacy and Lifelong
Learning as key elements for the development of generic
capabilities which must be demonstrated for accreditation of all
education and training programs
– This means that MIL must be required by accrediting
programmes (a national, regional or specialist organisation that
accredits degrees or other qualifications) and/or that a learner
has to demonstrate that he/she is media and information literate
in order to gain a qualification. This can be at any level of
education.
5. Include Media and Information Literacy in the core &
continuing education of
– educators
– economic and government policymakers and administrators
– advisors to the business, industry and agriculture sectors
– health personnel
– human services personnel
• This includes initial qualifications (core) and continuing
professional development (through people’s working lives)
And any
groups
you want
to add

5. 6. Implement Media and Information Literacy
programs to increase the employability and
entrepreneurial capacities of women and
disadvantaged groups, including migrants, the
underemployed and the unemployed
– Note that these are groups which may have very
different profiles and needs, so it may be useful to
consider them separately
7. Support thematic meetings which will facilitate the
acquisition of Media and Information and Lifelong
Learning strategies within specific regions, sectors,
and population groups
– Concentrate on meetings which are at a high enough level to
have an influence on policy

6. The process for the rest of the session

7. Question 1 – up to 20 mins
• Question 1. What examples have you got of this already
happening in your country or region (your own examples or
ones you know about)?
• Focus on the action heading on your table
• Your faciltator will ask you each to think of examples and
then share- on Yellow or Blue paper
– If you can’t immediately think of one – that’s ok!
• Share with other people on your table
• Only if you can and want to – share on padlet (now, or
afterwards if you remember examples after the session)
http://tinyurl.com/pk3mnos

8. An example for h7 (Thematic meetings)
• “Information Literacy in Scotland: challenges and
opportunities” Feb 2015
• Organised by the Scottish IL Community of Practice
and the Scottish Library and Information Council
• Invited speakers e.g. from Young Scot; Health & Social
Care Alliance Scotland; Scottish Qualifications Authority
• Part of a campaign of lobbying for information literacy
(most recently made a presentation to a Minister at the
Scottish Parliament)

9. Using padlet
http://tinyurl.com/pk3mnos
• Double click on
the screen
• Fill in the box
– Put the heading number first (1 or 2 or 3 etc.)
– Then put information about your example

10. Question 2 – up to 15 minutes
• Question 2. What still needs to be done in your
country or region (either supporting existing efforts
or creating new initiatives)
• Everyone think of specific things that need to be
done
• Write down one idea per GREEN piece of paper
• Share with other people on the table
• Select ideas to take on to the next stage (in the next
stage groups of 2 or 3 will work on ideas created in
this step – one “action idea” per group 2 or 3)

11. Examples
• H1 – Find out the actual information needs for good
health in a local rural community, so an appropriate
information literacy programme can be developed
• H2 – Get short courses (f2f or online) on MIL and Lifelong
Learning sponsored by the national library association
• H5 – Ensure that all health services personnel are taught
about information literacy and its value to healthcare in
their university education
• H6 – Have a programme of courses aimed at women
entrepreneurs which improves their information literacy so
they can make more informed business decisions

12. Questions 3 and 4 – privately in groups
of 2 or 3
• Step 3 (Question 3: who needs to take action (individuals
and organisations) to achieve what you have identified in
Q2?)
– On orange paper identify who (people/ organisations) needs
to do something in order to achieve the action.
• Step 4 (Question 4: how can you motivate and influence
them (people/organisations mentioned in Q3) to take
action?)
– On pink paper identify what library and information
professionals, national associations and IFLA would need to
do to influence and motivate the people in Q3

13. Example
H1 – Find out the actual information needs for good
health in a local rural community, so an appropriate
information literacy programme can be developed
Agencies
who fund
research
How
Q4
Who
Q3
Agencies
who fund
rsearch
The people
you want to
survey
Local leaders,
elders,
agencies
Agencies
supporting
health
Local
government
Researchers
Presenting
evidence of
link between
IL and health
Friend who
knows that
person
Personal
appeal to
someone
influential &
sympathetic

14. Final step!
• Each group of 2 or 3 present your “action plan” to
the whole table – (action – who needs to take action
– how to motivate them)
• The table decides which one they want to select for
presentation – can be the “most important”, the
“easiest to do” – it’s up to you to decide
• Decide who is going to come up to the microphone
to explain your table’s chosen “action plan” very
briefly

15. For the “how”
• Should/could your library association or IFLA help
with the “how”?
• It might be specific actions (though remember IFLA
has few staff), it may be using guidelines or
statements produced by a library association or
IFLA

16. After the presentations
• Final time for you to think for yourself
about question 5
“what can you or your organisation do
next (practical steps)?”
to achieve any of these actions, or to
learn from the examples presented
earlier?

17. 1. Commission [encourage and fund] research on the state of Media and
Information Literacy and produce reports, so that experts, educators, and
practitioners are able to design effective initiatives
2. Support professional development for library, information, archive personnel in
the principles and practices of Media and Information Literacy and Lifelong
Learning
3. Embed Media and Information Literacy education in all lifelong Learning
curricula
4. Recognise Media and Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning as key
elements for the development of generic capabilities which must be
demonstrated for accreditation of all education and training programs
5. Include Media and Information Literacy in the core & continuing education of
– educators
– economic and government policymakers and administrators
– advisors to the business, industry and agriculture sectors
– health personnel
– human services personnel
6. Implement Media and Information Literacy programs to increase the
employability and entrepreneurial capacities of women and disadvantaged
groups, including migrants, the underemployed and the unemployed
7. Support thematic meetings which will facilitate the acquisition of Media and
Information and Lifelong Learning strategies within specific regions, sectors,
and population groups.

18. This presentation is at
http://www.slideshare.net/sheilawebber

19. Sheila Webber
s.webber@sheffield.ac.uk
http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/
http://www.slideshare.net/sheilawebber
Twitter: @sheilayoshikawa
SL: Sheila Yoshikawa
Orcid ID 0000-0002-2280-9519
Pictures by Sheila Webber