Reference and Information Service Section Conference and Exhibition 6-8 September 1999, Sydney Hilton, Australia

Changing Paradigms, New Partnerships: Information Literacy Programs in Educational libraries.

The paper presents the case for a new paradigm for academic libraries - one which has as its basis a partnership with teachers to ensure that students develop the information competencies essential in an age of expanding print and electronic information. This paradigm places teaching and learning at the heart of library and information services. It allows a shift from the view that the library has a support or handmaiden role to a view in which the library and teaching staff are partners in the educational enterprise. When this paradigm is adopted reference and information services are integral to teaching and learning programs and library education programs are relevant to the curriculum. A key element of this shift is that information literacy skills are taught as a process and in a curriculum context.

Beth McLaren, Manager, Sydney Institute of Technology Library.