The Information Literacy Cookbook: Ingredients, Recipes and Tips for Success

Citation

Currie, M. (2009), "The Information Literacy Cookbook: Ingredients, Recipes and Tips for Success", Library Management, Vol. 30 No. 4/5, pp. 350-351. https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120910958048

There are cookbooks and there are cookbooks. Some authors content themselves with basic recipes while others describe the background, cultural settings and culinary possibilities of each delicacy. It is the latter type that the editors of this collection may well have been thinking of in developing their analogy. Each contribution provides an approach to information literacy from the perspective of different types of libraries or different work environments. While all the contributors are English and write from the English perspective, contributors cite US and Australian research and the information provided has international relevance.

In the first contribution, Jane Secker looks at the importance of information literacy in the current digital environment and sets some lofty aims for the book, “… to be both practical and inspiring, combining the best of new technologies and traditional tried and tested methods” (p. 2). Subsequent chapters discuss information literacy in the context of public, health, corporate, school, further education and university libraries.

In his chapter on public libraries, O'Bierne takes a historical approach to emphasise the value libraries have had in educating the public and how this role continues through reference services to educate the digital citizen. The style is discursive without practical tips to stimulate the reader. On the other hand, Millen and Roberts' article on digital literacy in the NHS does provide a range of ideas and tips in implementing IL in health libraries. Jones' article on her experience in UK schools provides useful ideas for developing and managing an IL program. Each specific perspective, however, has useful information for other environments.

Each author has tried with varying success to incorporate the cookbook analogy. In some cases this provides a natural platform for discussing ideas while in others the comparisons seemed somewhat forced. I also found the constant referencing of culinary terms to add little to the main ideas presented.

In keeping with the aim to be a practical guide, many chapters include Top Tip sections. While different tips will be useful to different readers, a number of them already seemed somewhat dated, such as the recommendation that librarians have access to a computer to familiarise themselves with the digital environment through such activities as solitaire. Many also present a similar message of working with the clients to either promote the service or gain ideas while others are quite wordy, which detracts from their value in highlighting key ideas.

Overall the book offers many useful ideas that could be taken up and implemented in libraries. However, perhaps indicative of the pace of change, the contributors make little or no reference to current issues affecting information literacy such as the impact of Web 2.0 technologies. Many of the ideas presented are also covered in many other references. While I found the text readable and interesting, I could hardly say I was inspired.