From Gatekeepers to Guides: Librarianship in an Era of Self-Directed Information Seekers (Published)
The role of the librarian has undergone a profound transformation globally, moving from the classical identity of gatekeeper, that is, the authoritative custodian and filter of information, toward that of a dynamic guide and research collaborator. In the Nigerian academic library context, this shift has been uneven, marked by professional inertia and inadequate digital adaptation in the face of rapidly evolving user behaviours. This paper examines the conceptual and practical dimensions of this transition, drawing on Kurt Lewin’s Gatekeeping Theory (1947), Malcolm Knowles’ framework of self-directed learning (1975), Thomas Wilson’s Information Behaviour Model (1981, 1999), and Marc Prensky’s concept of the Digital Native (2001). Through a qualitative conceptual review of relevant scholarly literature and policy documents, the paper interrogates the gap between the information-seeking realities of modern Nigerian university students and the professional responses of their librarians. It argues that survival and sustained relevance demand a deliberate, courageous reimagining of the librarian’s professional identity, from custodian to collaborator, and from gatekeeper to guide.
Keywords: Information literacy, Nigerian academic librarianship, digital natives, embedded librarianship, gatekeeping theory, professional transformation, self-directed information seekers
Teaching Strategies on Global Language (Review Completed - Accepted)
In this article, I will discuss some advantages and disadvantages of Teaching and learning are the two sides of a coin. The most accepted criterion for Measuring good teaching is the amount of student learning that occurs. There are consistently high correlations between students’ ratings of the “amount learned” in the Course and their overall ratings of the teacher and the course.
Skills and knowledge are not separate, however, but intertwined. In some cases, knowledge helps us recognize the underlying structure of a problem. For example, even young children understand the logical implications of a rule like “If you finish your vegetables, you will get a cookie after dinner.” They can draw the logical conclusion that a child who is denied a cookie after dinner must not have finished her vegetables. Without this familiar context, however, the same child will probably find it difficult to understand of which the cookie rule is an example. Thus, it’s inaccurate to conceive of logical thinking as a separate skill that can be applied across a variety of situations. Sometimes we fail to recognize that we have a particular thinking unless it comes in the form of known content.
Keywords: Critical thinking, High correlations, Information literacy, Teaching Strategies, Thinking scientifically.