OPEN SOURCE , INFORMATION LITERACY
AND ALBANIAN LIBRARIES
Athina Basha
atenabasha@gmail.com
Tirana, Albania 3-4 May 2014

OVERVIEW
The presentation will cover some findings on the :
• The new paradigm and how to deal with it,
• What is Information Literacy
• State of understanding of Media and Information Literacy,
• State of infrastructure in different libraries in Albania
• Open sources and the role of libraries and other related institutions on
how to assist all levels of users and academic staff in using information
properly in professional and daily life decisions,
• Some recommendations.
Keywords : Libraries, Open Sources, Media and Information Literacy, Life Long Learning,
Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Library Infrastructure, Training, Curricula.

INFORMATION LITERACY IN ALBANIA:
The Role of Libraries in Fostering and Practicing Policies of Literacy, Life
Long Learning and Information Literacy Education
Master thesis
Thesis Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Polona Vilar Athina Basha (Furxhi)
Co-supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Ivanka Stricevic
Ljubljana 2014
UNIVERSITY OF LJUBLJANA
FACULTY OF ARTS
DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
AND BOOK STUDIES

“New” Paradigm of Information Literacy
• Is clear to all now that computers, Internet and the
supportive infrastructure have changed significantly the
way information is stored and transmitted. But in order
to have full benefit of the potential the information has, it
is not enough to have the skills for using computer and
media devices. Here comes the “new” paradigm of
information literacy. (Horton, 2008).

Why to explore IL understanding in Albania ?
When we started
• No articles or research in Albanian language on IL
• No official agreement on the IL term
• No formal information and library education programmes at
the university level
• 40 years of world experience in IL , what about Albania?
• Basic human right-access to information…
• Basic life and IL skills=economy grow, poverty decline
• Adopting to dev. of Info Age requires high degree of IL skills
• OECD research in 20 dev. countries, 1 in 4 do not posses IL skills

Information Literacy (IL)
& Life Long Learning (LLL)
• IL is more than a set of skills, it is a process
• Facilitates social inclusion through education
• To meet the continuous changes in work methods
• IL skills facilitate academic success, labor market
• IL people have learned how to learn
• IL people know how knowledge is organized, how to find information and
how to use information in such a way that others can learn from them.
• IL people are prepared for LLL, because they can always find the
information needed for any task of decision at hand

Information Literacy means
the set of skills, attitudes and knowledge
• to know when information is needed,
• to help solve a problem or make a decision,
• how to articulate that information need in searchable terms
and language,
• search efficiently for the information,
• retrieve it, interpret and understand it,
• organize it,
• evaluate its credibility and assess its relevance,
• communicate it to others if necessary,
• utilize it to accomplish bottom-line purposes

Literature Review
THE INFORMATION LITERACY CONCEPT & FINDINGS
• Paul Zurkowski (1974):
• IL is the catch phrase for the entire trans literacy system that
includes Visual, Digital, Media, Cultural, Critical, 21st Century
Workplace, Metal, Mobile, Global etc.
• Bangkok Thailand Findings
• Australia
• The American Association of School Libraries (AASL)
• UK-England-The Leeds University Library (2012)
• Padua University

Literature Review
IL Practices and Findings
Examples: Regional
UNESCO-CEI workshop in Ljubljana (2006)
TT Workshop in Ankara (2008)
• most of the countries in the region do not have specific IL policies
and strategies
• with few exceptions (Slovenia, Croatia, Turkey), the majority of
the universities in South-East European countries do not provide
Information Literacy courses or programmes for acquiring basic
information competencies for their students...
• an insufficient focus on IL in education;
• an insufficient support for the library sector;
• limited cross-country, regional and global cooperation;
• a lack of firm evidence of existing IL skill levels;
• and poor Information Literacy skills in the workplace…

Padua University
according to Ferrante (2012):
• In 2011 about 900 students were trained in library
resources and research activity facilities … and…for the
first time the Library System of Padua University is
offering “Information Literacy classes” and not just
“induction classes”. For the first time an Academic
Library is able to issue a kind of “licence”: the Library
gives a “pass”, a minimal but mandatory permit that
allows the student to start his research with his
supervisor.

Ideally, one should become information
literate, and practice those habits and
skills over one’s entire lifetime.
In short, Information Literacy must not
be seen as standing alone, as if it were
some arcane technical subject that one
could learn and then forget about. Also,
literacy should not be viewed as a single
high point on a scale of learning that can
be reached, like scaling a ladder, and then
the learner can sit back and feel content
and self-satisfied because a personal goal
has been reached. Rather, there is no
“upper limit” to literacy because it is a
continuum, more like a voyage that must
be undertaken over one’s lifetime
(Horton, 2008).

UNDERSTANDING INFORMATION LITERACY

Technology and media preferences: results from some
user studies in Albanian public libraries.
Time : Surveys conducted in Fier Public Library + few
libraries in Tirana during 1995-2012
Focus:
• Study the state of awareness on MIL
• The role of libraries in increasing their
capacity in fostering use of technology
• Media and practicing polices of LLL and
education

The Role of Libraries in the Technology Era
Surveys conducted in Fier Public Library + few libraries in Tirana during
1995-2012
Survey
New Service
for Children
Preference
survey
Shaping Our
Opinions
Library
Infrastructure

The Role of Libraries in the
Technology Era
• The surveys done in Fier Public Library and
few libraries in Tirana during 1995-2012, will
bring a contribution to a greater
understanding of the situation in most of the
public libraries in Albania and the impact that
information, media, and new technologies
have in our daily life.

Results show that Albania needs :
• a better understanding of the Information Literacy concept, its
benefits and requirements,
• the integration of IL in curricula,
• creating the right infrastructure in schools and libraries to
support the new technologies and
• take the utmost care for further education and training of the
librarians , teachers library users.
• National Plan and strategies…
• Etc.

Sektori i librit shqip Albaninan book departementSektori i gjuhes se huaj Foreing book departementSektori I femijeve Children’s departementQendra e Informacionit dhe e Trajnimit Information & Training Center
BIBLIOTEKAT NDËRTOJNË KOMUNITETIN.
Komuniteti ushqen familjet.
Familjet forcojnë vlerat.
Vlerat pasurojnë jetën.
Jeta kërkon lirinë.
Liria respekton dijen.
Dija ushqen të kuptuarit.
Të kuptuarit prodhon ide.
Idetë mbështesin komunitetet.
Komunitetet kanë nevojë për bibliotekat.
BIBLIOTEKAT NDËRTOJNË KOMUNITETIN.
ALA 1999
LIBRARIES BUILD COMMUNITY
Communities nourish families.
Families strengthen values.
Values enrich life.
Life seeks freedom.
Freedom respects knowledge.
Knowledge feeds understanding.
Understanding generates ideas.
Ideas sustain communities.
Communities need libraries.
LIBRARIES BUILD COMMUNITY.
ALA1999

Information and Training Center:
A Turning Point for Modern Standards
Realised in 2003 in Fier Public Library

Information and Training Center:
A Turning Point for Modern Standards
Purpose and Objectives:
The purpose of the Public Library of Fier is to:
provide citizens and community groups with free
access to information; train citizens on new
technologies; create new human capacities to use
technology; to encourage active citizen participation in
decision-making; to facilitate use of the library as a
center of community learning, so that information and
technology will be available to all people, regardless of
economic status.

Why is the Public Library of Fier a suitable place
for the implementation of the Information Center?
• For years, the library has been interested in having an information center. It
was a challenge to establish one in Fier.
• Information Centre is the next logical step in the evolving role of the library.
We offer citizens open access to all materials in all of the departments (open
access was previously not the norm in our and in other public libraries in
Albania).
• The library has suitable space and furniture.
•The permanent site of the library is very favorably located on the main
street and 5 minutes walking from the city center.

Why is the Public Library of Fier a suitable place
for the implementation of the Information Center?
• About 300 people visit the library every day.
• The community is interested in more information – printed and electronic
materials (according to the 2002 Survey)
• The library has good relations with local government, Department of
Education, NGOs, media, Information Office of the Municipality Hall.
• The library conforms to the Law of Libraries (Year 2000).
• The library is a source of pride for the community.

Partnership with local schools to improve
learning proccess and teacher training, using
CDs, video and Internet to illustrate different
methods of learning
Traditional “Story time”, combined with
digital information
Improvement in the quality of traditional activities
through introduction of electronic information.
P

• Employment training and opportunities
• Distance learning and correspondence
courses
• ETC.
• Information for education opportunities in universities in Albania,
as well as abroad
Information and Training Center offers useful information on:
• Local institutions and agencies
• Health

To increase the
number of people
using the library
To increase the
community’s
awareness of their
right to useful
information in
their daily lives

Fier Public Library Albania
The children’s section has about 30,000
books in Albanian and foreign languages.
A successful activity in this section is “Story Time”.

Electronic Resources for Albania

COMSORTIUM

What about Albania &
the Future of Electronic Resources?
“people everywhere can create, access,
utilize and share information and
knowledge, to achieve their full potential
and to attain the internationally agreed
development goals and objectives”

People can be information literate in the
absence of ICT, but the volume and variable
quality of digital information, and its role in
knowledge societies, has highlighted the
need for all people to achieve Information
Literacy skills. For people to use IL within a
knowledge society, both access to
information and the capacity to use ICT are
prerequisites. IL is however, a distinct
capacity and an integral aspect of adult
competencies. (Catts and Lau, 2008).
Information Literacy skills and ICT

“The mobile environment has changed the way people interact with
information. They access, they evaluate, they use it differently…This is one
of the burdens and responsibilities, that we have to help people to use
these devices effectively…First we have to become comfortable among
ourselves…” (Miller, R.K, 2012)
The Future of Open Labs and Library Users
“Mass Open Access Learning…Life Long Learning (LLL), free choice Learning,
this is what Library has been about…Libraries are the ideal partner for that
sort of movement we see now…Libraries can take the leadership in this
transformation in education and open resources and LLL” (Miller, R.K., 2012).

Message to Alb. Open Labs and OSCAL Conference participants
Talented youth may be consulted
about Information Literacy and
its impact in all fields of life and
to collaborate with experts in
Media, Information Literacy and
Library Science for creating
proper applications and online or
mobile tutorials in the Albanian
language and continue further
research in the field.

Thank You!

References
• Basha, Athina, Polona Vilar, and Ivanka Stricevic. DisCo 2013 : New technologies and media literacy
education, 8th International Conference. Ed. Jan Beseda and Zbynìk Machát. Center for Higher Education
Studies; Creative Commons CC-BY-SA 3.0, 24 July 2013. Web. 24 July 2013. <http://disconference.eu/wp-
content/uploads/2013/8thDisCoReader2013_New%20tehhnologies%20and%20media%20literacy%20edu
cation.pdf>.
• Catts, Ralph, and Jesus Lau. Towards information literacy indicators: Conceptual framework paper. Paris:
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008. Web <http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-
information/resources/publications-and-communication-materials/publications/full-list/towards-
information-literacy-indicators/>.
• Horton, F. J. (2008). Understanding Information Literacy: A Primer. Paris: UNESCO.
http://www.ifla.org/publications/understanding-information-literacy-a-primer
• IZUM and Akademia e Shkencave te Shqiperise. (n.d.). ERA 2012 Consortium and the EIFL Cosortium of
Albanian Libraries. In Electronic Resources for Albania=Burimet Elektronike per Shqiperine. Retrieved
October 16, 2013, from http://www.akad.edu.al/era/default-en.htm#2
• Free images online and from http://oscal.openlabs.cc/