Information Literacy Education in Italian Libraries: Evidence from an Italian University

User instruction, bibliographic instruction and information literacy education traditionally has not represented a strategic function in the Italian university library, as the main roles have been those of resource buyer, storage, and metadata producer. During the 21st century, more attention was paid on educating library users to become information literate, with reference to frameworks and models coming from other countries (ACRL, SCONUL ... ). Nowadays, around 25 % of Italian university libraries have set down instruction programmes, with different approaches that include bibliographic instruction, IL instruction, and user education. Most of the programmes are devoted to develop information skills in using OPACs, databases and other electronic resources and citation management programmes. In a few cases, more complex information literacy programmes, with the aim of helping a student develop a more profound vision of how experiencing information, are offered. From the point of view of managing courses there is a variety of different solutions: some courses are part of the curriculum of a student, with or without credits, while others are not compulsory and may allow credits. All the possible collaboration between professors and librarians in teaching information literacy may be found, though sometimes there may be no collaboration at all. An important point in understanding information literacy education in the Italian universities and schools is to be aware that the didactic model in Italy is a traditional one, based on frontal lessons and examinations. A student is not used to present research papers to be evaluated. In universities, the only research activity that is compulsory is that of the final dissertation. This didactic model affects negatively the perception of the importance of information literacy education as a means of learning (Ballestra, 2010). Despite this situation, some positive evidence can be found concerning the university libraries effort in information literacy so that a new vision can take place. In this article we present the case study of a university library, that of Biblioteca Mario Rostoni in Cattaneo University LIUC. AR 2749