LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE CURRICULUM IN TOP PERFORMING LIBRARY SCHOOLS IN THE PHILIPPINES: IMPLICATIONS TO INFORMATION LITERACY PROMOTION AND IMPLEMENTATION

Abstract

The need for information literacy (IL) education became more evident because of economic, social, cultural, and technological changes happening around the world. In response to these changes, different nations as well as library and librarian organizations are calling for the establishment of IL standards and the teaching of IL skills. This paper will explore the bases for the need for librarians to teach IL. This paper, in general, will attempt to find out if there is a gap between the library and information science (LIS) curriculum and the expectations on practicing librarians in terms of implementing and promoting IL. This paper will endeavour to provide simple suggestions on how to bridge this possible gap.IL is part of a librarian’s education and training, whether as an elective or part of the core curriculum, in library schools outside of the Philippines for several years already, but in the Philippines, it seems that this is not the case. Many of the Filipino librarians were taught and is continued to be taught using a curriculum which does not foster the concept of IL in the level that it should be. In order to determine whether IL subjects are included in the LIS curriculum, the LIS curricula of the top-performing library schools in the Philippines (based on the licensure examination given by the Board for Librarians, Professional Regulation Commission- Philippines), were gathered and analysed. Specifically, the LIS curricula of the University of the Philippines-Diliman (UP), University of the Santo Tomas (UST), and St. Louis University (SLU) were included in this study.There is a saying that "you cannot give what you do not have". This statement is also similar to: "you can not teach what you do not know". This statement holds true to the teaching of IL skills. Librarians who do not have the training and education of IL will definitely find it difficult to implement and promote IL programs to their clientele.