Developing Information Competencies in The Puerto Rican School Library: A Necessary Exploration

Abstract

This article reports a study conducted in sixteen Puerto Rican elementary, middle and high school libraries. Both the public and private sectors are included. Schools were selected from those public schools that have consistently achieved the standards required by law. Private schools were selected from those recognized as high quality institutions by a group of five education experts using a Delphi approach. The study was oriented to gather information as to the practices of school librarians in their effort to facilitate the development of information competencies (IC) among students. A comparative approach between both sectors was beyond the scope of the study, however interesting similarities and differences became evident. Findings include, a) successful strategies to develop IC, b) the benefits of coordination with the classroom teachers, and c) the need to infuse relevancy and pertinence in the tasks assigned. Particularly innovative or outstanding librarianship practices, however were not part of the findings.