Information literacy and information seeking : A web-based tutorial for adult public library users

Sammanfattning: The application developed in this project is a prototype of web-based tutorial on information seeking and information literacy skills, designed for adult public library users. Its purpose is to respond to the need of broader user education on information literacy skills which seemed to be lacking in public libraries, even though guidance on technical information seeking skills does exist. This tutorial addresses both kinds of skills but the emphasis is on critical approach rather than search technique. The project is based on a review of already existing research on information literacy education and observed lack of such education for adults in public libraries. The prototype is placed speculatively into the context of public libraries in the Helsinki area in Finland, but the aim is that it could be developed further and adjusted to other relatively similar public library contexts. The tutorial is intended to be used primarily as an independent learning tool, although it could be used also in taught sessions.