Peter Godwin

Academic Services Manager, in Learning & Information Services at London South Bank University. He has been a member of the SCONUL ACIL (Advisory Committee for Information Literacy) and is now a member of the new Working Group on Information Literacy. His particular interests have been in defining levels of Information Literacy and in how to engage academic staff in Information Literacy.

His theme was "Keeping up with the Google generation: the challenge for Information Literacy teachers." Students continue to seek quick answers and instant gratification in their information searching. Google and other search engines are a natural solution. Now Google Scholar adds to the possible demise of systematic searching of specific "library" databases. Federated searching as a library solution often still appears cumbersome and unsatisfactory. Librarians need to embrace all the new solutions of searching, assisting the growth of Google Scholar and promoting it alongside subject databases and federated searching at the appropriate level. Only then can we hope to engage our users and help them to develop the skills they need now and in later life.

Downloads

• Keeping up with the Google generation: The Challenge for Information Literacy teachers
  (PowerPoint prsentation)
• Audio file of Peter Godwin's Information Literacy presentation
  (MP3 file, size 10.6 MB, duration 22 mins)