Challenges of International Librarians: Knowledge Sharing from Filipino Librarians Working Across Asia

Abstract

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Student Learning and Information Literacy Committee (SLILC) recently published a white paper on Global Perspectives on Information Literacy: Fostering a Dialogue for International Understanding with a chapter focused on Asia and Oceania. In that chapter Dorner (2017) has argued that some teaching tools developed by Western countries may not be appropriate for Asian countries. In particular he noted that Sri Lankan and Vietnamese academic librarians have a lower status compared to academic staff and that this kind of perception may lead to an unsuccessful working relationship that would in turn hinder student learning since Information Literacy (IL) involves working closely with faculty, teachers or tutors. Librarians have always struggled to be recognized as part of the team to hone student academic performance. This paper will provide information literacy strategies and partnerships involving Filipino librarians working across Asia. As Filipino educators with their own cultural backgrounds and limitations, how can they best fit in their international working environment? How do they initiate collaboration with the faculty members and teachers? What were the cultural challenges and factors before and during the implementation of an IL program and how were they able to cope with it? What IL standards or models are they following to make their IL programs effective? How supportive is the administration in their programs? These are just some of the questions that the paper will try to answer in the three Asian countries described below.