Information literacy in the workplace: A qualitative exploratory study

Although increasingly recognized as a future skills issue, the use of information in the workplace is a little studied area within library and information research. A substantial 'pedagogic' literature of learning in the workplace exists, however, and this was critically reviewed to generate a repertoire of issues which could in turn be used to inform a research project. This repertoire was supplemented by advice from the Scottish Information Literacy Project's partners and contacts including those working in Adult Literacies. These issues were used to generate research questions for an interview-based project which, it was hoped, would generate both action points and further research questions. With the help of partners a range of interviewees was identified, mainly in the public sector. Information usage in the workplace, as the pedagogic literature predicted, proved to be a form of social interaction with people, both within and outside the organization, being generally the prime source of information. Other sources included intranets, electronic resource data management systems, a limited range of Internet sites and a small number of printed sources. Recommendations include the need to establish contacts with chambers of commerce, skills agencies and trade unions. Public libraries should explore the possibility of developing information literacy training programmes.