Adoption of Critical Information Literacy Approaches in Delivery of Reference Resources: A Case Study of Selected University Libraries in Kenya
Abstract
Critical Information Literacy (CIL) questions efficiency of Information Literacy, interrupts unfair systems, and builds student-driven IL instruction. This study investigated adoption of CIL practices in reference resources and explored how they can improve access to resources by students in selected university libraries in Kenya. This study used mix method. The researcher used inclusion and exclusion criteria table to identify the universities, students and librarians. The researcher adopted a census approach to involve all the 445 respondents comprising of 431students and 14 university librarians. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected using questionnaires and interviews respectively. Quantitative and qualitative data was analyzed using SPSS and Atlas Ti respectively. The study found that the references resources had several shortcomings such as budgetary restrictions, inadequate support, complicated reference requests, inadequate resources, time constraints, technological challenges, lack of confidence in using reference resources, information overload, negative attitude towards reference services, underuse of tools and poor communication. The study made the following are recommendations: awareness creation on reference resources, improvement of reference resources, enhancing student’s ICT skills, faculty and library collaboration, establishment of feedback mechanism and that universities librarians should offer support to users by holding regular seminars, conferences, and workshops that bring together students and librarians.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/edulib.v15i1.75319
DOI (PDF): https://doi.org/10.17509/edulib.v15i1.75319.g31873
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