Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Narratives of Information Literacy in South African Township Schools

  • Conference paper
Information Literacy. Lifelong Learning and Digital Citizenship in the 21st Century (ECIL 2014)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 492))

Included in the following conference series:

  • 3952 Accesses

Abstract

This paper explores and reports on narratives of information literacy in two high-poverty primary schools in an urban South African setting. The study forms part of an initiative by the Academic Literacy Research Unit (ALRU) at the University of South Africa that consisted of integrated longitudinal reading and literacy projects in schools in a deprived community. The authors are currently involved in a post-project phase that involves monitoring two of the school libraries (School X and School Y). Information literacy issues and the lack of school libraries remain critical issues that must be dealt with. The paper highlights the importance of delivering information literacy in innovative ways in the South African primary school system and furthermore points out features that should be included in an informal training programme for school librarians.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Howie, S., Van Staden, S., Tshele, M., Dowse, C., Zimmerman, L.: PIRLS 2011 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, South African Children’s Reading Literacy Achievement Summary report. University of Pretoria, Pretoria (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Equal Education: We can’t Afford Not to: Costing the Provision of Functional School Libraries in South African Public Schools. Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Khayelitsha (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Olën, S.I.I.: The School Media Centre in the Curricula for Initial Teachers’ Training. Thesis (DLib) – University of South Africa (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Wessels, N., Knoetze, H.: Using Family Literacy in a Multifaceted Intervention Strategy to Establish School Libraries in Disadvantaged Communities. Innovation 33, 44–58 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Wessels, N., Knoetze, H.: Collection Development in High-poverty School Libraries in Multilingual Environments. Mousaion 26(2), 290–303 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Pretorius, E.J., Mampuru, D.M.: Playing Football Without a Ball: Language, Reading and Academic Performance in a High-poverty School. Journal of Research in Reading 30(1), 38–58 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. IFLA. National Forum on Information Literacy (2005), http://portal.uneso.org/Alexandria_proclamation

  8. Bruce, C.S.: Information Literacy Programs and Research: Reflections on Information Literacy Programs and Research: An International Review. Australian Library Journal 60(4), 334–338 (2011)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  9. Bundy, A.: Information Literacy: The Key Competency for the 21st Century (1998), http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1419&context=iatul

  10. Bester, M.: Die Skool en die Opleiding van Biblioteek- en Inligtinggebruikers. School Media Centre 13(2), 42–45 (1981)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Underwood, P.: South Africa: A Case Study in Development Through Information Literacy. White paper prepared for UNESCO, the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, and the National Forum on Information literacy, for use at the Information Literacy Meeting of experts, Prague, The Czech Republic (July 2002), http://www.nclis.gov/libinter/infolitconf&meet/papers/underwood-fullpaper.pdf

  12. UNESCO/IFLA: Information Literacy: An International State-of-the-art Report. Second Draft (2007), http://www.infolitglobal.info

  13. South African Department of Basic Education: National Guidelines for School Library and Information Services. Department of Basic Education, Pretoria (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Hart, G.: Project Work as a Vehicle for Information Literacy Education in a Circuit of South African Primary Schools. Paper Presented at the 66th IFLA Council and General Conference, Jerusalem, Israel, August 13-18 (2000), http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla66/papers/074-133e.htm

  15. Shinew, D.M., Walter, S. (eds.): Information Literacy Instruction for Educators. Haworth Information Press, New York (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  16. FW de Klerk Foundation: Our Education System is in Crisis (2012), http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/our-education-system-is-in-crisis-1.1355362

  17. De Jager, K., Nassimbeni, M., Underwood, P.: Libraries, Literacies and Learning: Retrospect and Prospects. In: Bothma, T., Underwood, P., Ngulube, P. (eds.) Libraries for the Future: Progress and Development of South African Libraries: World Library and Information Congress, 73rd IFLA General Conference and Council Durban, Durban, August 19- 23. LIASA, Pretoria (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Zinn, S.: Have Trained School Librarians Made a Difference for School Libraries in South Africa? Innovation 33, 21–35 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Hart, G., Zinn, S.: The Conundrum of School Libraries in South Africa. In: Bothma, T., Underwood, P., Ngulube, P. (eds.) Libraries for the Future: Progress and Development of South African Libraries: World Library and Information Congress, 73rd IFLA General Conference and Council Durban, August 19- 23, LIASA, Durban (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Sturges, P.: Access, Literacy and Relevance: A Recipe for Effective African Librarians. Discover the World @ Your Library (July-September 2005)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Wessels, N., Mnkeni-Saurombe, N.: Teachers’ Use of a School Library in a South African Township School: Closing the Literacy Gap. SA Jnl. Libs. & Info Sci. 78(1), 45–56 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Neuman, W.L.: Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, 7th edn. Pearson, Harlow (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Mnkeni, N.P., Nassimbeni, M.: The Effectiveness of Teacher Librarians in Primary Schools: The Experience of the Melani School Libraries in the Eastern Cape. Mousaion 26(1), 27–39 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Information Science, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

    Nicoline Wessels, Nampombe Mnkeni-Saurombe & Hannalie Knoetze

Authors
  1. Nicoline Wessels
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nampombe Mnkeni-Saurombe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hannalie Knoetze
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Information Management, Faculty of Letters, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey

    Serap Kurbanoğlu

  2. Department of Information and Communication Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

    Sonja Špiranec

  3. University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Esther Grassian

  4. University of California Los Angeles, USA

    Diane Mizrachi

  5. University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK

    Ralph Catts

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this paper

Cite this paper

Wessels, N., Mnkeni-Saurombe, N., Knoetze, H. (2014). Narratives of Information Literacy in South African Township Schools. In: Kurbanoğlu, S., Špiranec, S., Grassian, E., Mizrachi, D., Catts, R. (eds) Information Literacy. Lifelong Learning and Digital Citizenship in the 21st Century. ECIL 2014. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 492. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14136-7_32

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14136-7_32

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-14135-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-14136-7

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation