New skills for librarians: exploring Mon’s eight basic literacies for the new normal

• Main Authors: Abdala, Maria Pretty Lay T., Calilung, Roilingel P.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_clis/2022/Schedule/9
• Institution: De La Salle University

Purpose. During the COVID-19 pandemic, libraries provided vital community support hubs for information and broadband access. In March 2020 as K-12 schools and universities closed or shifted to all-online classes, libraries offered wireless hubs supporting classes and homework that served as lifeline for those lacking home broadband digital access (American Library Association, 2021). Libraries and library staff taught people to use technologies, provided distance education test proctoring, and offered expanded access to online books, articles, and databases. As people sought information about sewing masks and making homemade hand sanitizer, some library marker spaces 3-D printed face shields for health services providers in their local communities (Balzer, 2020). This study aims to describe the understanding and level of competence of librarians on the eight basic literacies as new normal agenda for librarianship education. These literacies include health literacy, science literacy, civics literacy, cultural heritage literacy, teaching literacy, technology literacy, financial literacy, and emergency services literacy with the view of proposing a capacity building plan for librarians. Research Questions. The study will answer the following questions: 1) What is the level of familiarity and competence of librarians on the following literacies: health literacy, science literacy, civics literacy, cultural heritage literacy, teaching literacy, technology literacy, financial literacy, and emergency services literacy? 2) Is there a significant difference on the level of familiarity and competences of librarians on Mon’s Eight Basic Literacies? 3)What training program can possibly be formulated to improve librarians’ skills based on Mon’s Eight Basic Literacies? Methodology. Quantitative research design particularly descriptive method will be employed in the study. Participants will be selected using fishbowl technique following a set of inclusion criteria: 1) must be a member of the PLAI-CeLRLC in good standing; and 2) must be in the profession for not less than five years. Data to be gathered will be analyzed and interpreted using descriptive statistics primarily frequency distribution, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Results. Beyond the core library mission of supporting reading literacy, libraries are well situated to play a greater role in supporting community needs in health, science, civics, emergency — technology and teaching skills, preparedness, and culture heritage and some financial knowledge. success in which also require The Eight New Literacies for librarians will help to better prepare future generations of librarians for a COVID affected world. Originality or Value of the Paper. Limited or lack of studies have been conducted on the eight new literacies for librarians particularly in the Philippine setting.