Continuing the Conversation: Questions about the Framework

Abstract

This essay raises questions about the future of information literacy in higher education, given the prevalence of the Information Literacy Competency Standards in the library profession for the past 15 years, and the heated debate that took place regarding whether the Framework for Information Literacy and the Standards could harmoniously co-exist. We do not have answers to these questions, but we offer our perspectives on how the Standards have served academic librarians in the past and on how we envision the Framework and the Standards working together to further information literacy instruction. Our conclusion is that the Framework and the Standards serve different purposes and have different intended audiences and are thus both valuable to the profession.

Embracing Challenges in Times of Change: A Survey of the Readiness of Academic Librarians in New Jersey for Transition to the ACRL Framework

“…11, NO. 1, 2017 However, there is general agreement that the Framework is a valuable tool for revisiting how we teach IL, and for exploring evolving information habits, contexts of information creation, and the needs of students in a changing higher education landscape (Bombaro, 2016;Burgess, 2015;Carncross, 2015;Christensen, 2015;Dempsey, et al, 2015;Drabinski, 2016;Foasberg, 2016;Jacobson & Gibson, 2015;Oakleaf, 2014;Pagowsky, 2015;Seeber, 2015;Swanson, 2017;Witek, 2016). Drabinski sees the Framework as "one point and platform in the ongoing scholarly conversation about IL, one that draws on work within and beyond our field" (p. 384).…”

“…Others agree that the Framework's theoretical and philosophical language is useful when talking to students (Bombaro, 2016), faculty, and others in higher education (Echavarria-Robinson, 2015) about information literacy concepts. Dempsey, et al (2015) conclude that "the Framework and the Standards serve different purposes and have different intended audiences and are thus both valuable to the profession" (p. 164).…”

“…The relevance of the Framework at the community college level is addressed in the literature (Craven, 2016;Dempsey, et al, 2015;Reed, 2015;Swanson, 2017). Reed (2015), by mapping knowledge practices of the Framework to the performance indicators of the Standards, finds that not all frames are applicable at that level.…”

“…Reed (2015), by mapping knowledge practices of the Framework to the performance indicators of the Standards, finds that not all frames are applicable at that level. Dempsey, et al (2015) report that faculty at a NJ community college described Framework concepts as "wordy, confusing, and irrelevant to the work done by community college students" (p. 167). Craven (2016) adds that "many community college librarians live in a results-driven world" (p. 3), and "for the purpose of communicating value in concise, compelling terms in a results-driven environment, it (the Framework) is a bug" (p. 4).…”

“…Significant strides were made working with faculty and administrators to integrate information literacy (IL) competencies into curricula, and to develop structured paths as students progressed through their academic careers from community college and beyond. Dempsey, et al (2015) outline these accomplishments as:…”