Information and Digital Literacy at Management Institutes Affiliated to the University of Mumbai

Abstract

The library and information resource centers play a very critical role as they support newline institutions in achieving their goal of producing high quality professionals. In this newline age of digital information, the role of libraries has become even more critical. newline However, libraries have changed their approach from being mere store houses of newline knowledge to facilitators and collaborators in teaching, learning and research newline process. And Information and digital literacy, which has also been described as newline library orientation, instructions, user education, bibliographic services, etc has newline gained prominence. newline Information and digital literacy (IDL) skills have become all-pervasive and effective newline in all sectors like management education, business, entertainment, social life, newline healthcare, communication, governance, and others. The role of librarian has newline become vital for blended professional skills because of the increasing participation in newline teaching, learning, innovations, and extension activities in the management newline institutions. With the increased dependence on library services, it becomes very newline essential that their resources and services contribute directly or indirectly to newline teaching-learning by collaboration with the faculty, students, and researchers and newline also to keep them well informed of academic developments. newline This study examines the perceptions of the management institutions regarding the newline integration of IDL skills in the e-resource and services of the library and academic newline applications of web based tools. This study followed an exploratory approach in newline order to find out new information and arrive at different understanding of the chosen newline area. The study population basically consists of faculty, students and librarians at 65 newline management institutes affiliated University of Mumbai which are spread over various newline zones like Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. newline For collecting data, three categories of people from the above institutes, namely newline Students, Faculty and Librarians were approached. Study covers user and librarian newline perceptions on important things like research platforms, important digital research newline xvtools in the area of plagiarism, data collection, data analysis, visualization, etc. The newline existing scenario of information and digital literacy and the preferred areas of newline training, nature of delivery and duration of IDL are also examined. newline This study has revealed the importance of information and digital literacy newline programmes in higher educational institutes, especially management institutes. Based newline on the data analysis and subsequent findings recorded, recommendations are made newline by the researcher. These recommendations are applicable to all institutes of higher newline education and more so to management institutes. newline This study merits significance in higher education scenario due to the perceived newline benefits of information and digital literacy. The outcome of this study will help newline librarians across management institutes as it investigates and recommends ways and newline means to provide information and digital literacy for student capacity building. It will newline also contribute procedures through which management institutes can improve the use newline of e-resources, thereby achieving a better return on investment on expensive newline databases. This study also provides ways and means to prepare lifelong learners as newline the research skills gained through their student-life will be useful to them in their newline future professional life also. newline Keywords: Information and Digital Literacy, Management Education-India, newline Libraries - Web-based tools and services, Digital literacy, Management Institutes. newline