how the concept of legal information literacy can provide a suitable platform for developing a legal information literacy paradigm for Nigeria.
The challenge to undertake this study was necessitated by the need to further investigate the transfer of information literacy skills from formal legal education to the workplace in Nigeria.
Having completed an exploratory study at Masters level, it was considered that the topic could benefit from deeper exploration informed by the research so far undertaken. From the findings of the study, an information literacy model was designed for the restructured legal education
programme of the Nigerian Law School for the purpose of enhancing legal education and practice in Nigeria.
However, criticisms of the concept are rooted in arguments which suggest that such
conceptualisations of the term tend to place more emphasis on the individual rather than groups;
are pre-occupied with the measurement and assessment of skills and seem to ignore the
environment or context in which learning occurs. Further, some commentators argue that much of the literature of information literacy practices tends to exclude the ideological, historical and cultural context of information knowledge and production (Tuominen, Savolainen & Talja, 2005:
330). In this regard also, Lloyd and Williamson (2008: 5) observe that variations in the experiences of information literacy in the workplace specifically are consistent with Paul Zurkwoski’s initial attribution of the concept as one that is related to issues of complexity of information use within a specified context. Tuominen, Savolainen and Talja (2005: 329), also agree with this view when they state that information literacy can also evolve in the course of conducting specific work related tasks. Bruce (2000: 92) adds that the expanding territory of information literacy research requires that more suitable theoretical frameworks, which
encourage user oriented outcomes that are relevant to professional practice, should be explored.
Todd (2000: 164) also proposes that a more holistic theoretical framework for information literacy than is articulated in the educational context will provide a greater focus on the user and provide insight into people’s information behaviour.
1.8.2. Legal information literacy
The emergence of information literacy within the past few decades has triggered considerable debate about the role of information in developing a knowledge driven economy specifically in higher education. This has also given rise to a number of related concepts aimed at developing an awareness of the importance of information within specific disciplines. In recent years,
commentators have noted a convergence of literacies with information literacy being the focal point of other related disciplines (Hoffman and Blake, 2003: 226-227). In the legal field, the current landscape of legal information, which encompasses a range of materials to a collection of more than one format, has redefined legal research with a focus on and about the materials of law (Hanson, 2002: 577). The changing legal information environment has had a profound influence on legal research especially with respect to the issue of skill acquisition. Complex tasks in research now require formulating new approaches and creating ways of looking at the evidence in a case (Shavers, 2001: 411). Technological innovations have not only created better
opportunities for legal education with regard to access to a wide range of resources, but also require better skills. In view of this, the concept of legal information literacy has become important as the best instructional approach to legal research and writing.
As with other related concepts of information literacy, legal information literacy refers to the ability to find, use, analyse and critically evaluate legal information. Its uniqueness however, lies within the disciplinary context of the legal profession itself, that is, the form, organisation, access and distribution of legal materials which intrinsically has been central to the development of law as a discipline (Hanson, 2002: 572). Hanson (2002: 565), in an analysis of legal materials notes that in law, the principle of legal reasoning proceeds largely by drawing analogies between the past and the present; the doctrine of stare decisis3 emphasises finding cases that modify a principle, enunciate a new principle, settle a doubtful question or are distinctively instructive to serve as a precedent in solving a particular case. Consequently, the volume of decided cases which may serve as potential precedents have contributed to the current volume of the legal literature thereby creating ever greater challenges in managing legal information. Also, the emergence of Computer Assisted Legal Research (CALR) and other electronic case finding tools have necessitated the development of various information management techniques for legal information resources in order to facilitate greater access to resources. It is within this context that the concept of legal information literacy has become relevant to the study of law,
particularly legal research.
1.8.3. Workplace information literacy
Information literacy initiatives undertaken in the workplace context in the United States, South Africa, Singapore, Europe and Australia, have revealed that information literacy is economically necessary and is one of the essential competencies for solid job performance (Cheuk, 2002: 1). In an educational setting, information literacy is conceived of as a tangible process that requires the attainment of certain skills and competencies for independent lifelong learning. Workplace information literacy gives an alternative view as it provides a context for developing collective competency skills which may not be reliant solely on formal educational settings (Lloyd, 2005a:
82-83). Changes in the global business environment mean that the contemporary workplace
3 Latin terminology which means “to stand by the things decided”. It is the doctrine of precedent under which a
court must follow earlier judicial decisions when the same issues are raised again in litigation (Garner, 2009: 1537).
setting requires the employee to develop the ability to access, manage and use a wide range of information delivered in a variety of formats and through multiple channels (Cheuk, 2002: 2).
Lloyd, in a study of workplace information literacy among fire fighters in Australia, provides a conceptual view of the subject from which she generates a broader definition of the concept of information literacy as:
“Information literate people have a deep awareness, connection and fluency with the information environment. Information literate people are engaged, enabled, enriched and embodied by social, procedural and physical information that constitutes an information universe. Information literacy is a way of knowing that universe” (2005a: 84).
Tuominen, Savolainen and Talja (2005: 329) also agree that information literacy evolves in the course of conducting specific work-related tasks and mundane activities within a complex system of social relationships and work organisation. To this end, it has been suggested that similar initiatives and efforts as undertaken by librarians and academics in higher education to promote information literacy in student curriculum could be used to fill the gap in the workplace context (Cheuk, 2002: 11).