The Postmodern Shift in Library Instruction

Fifty years ago, prior to the digital revolution, library instruction consisted of a knowledgeable librarian guiding students through the various classes of documents, with examples of recognized authorities. Each bibliographic tool was handcrafted by competent individuals, published by reputable publishers, and recommended by disciplinary practitioners. While working through these various tools was time consuming, and getting access to materials not held locally often proved slow, the student researcher could reasonably assume the sincerity and integrity of the sources. With the digital revolution, much has changed. Now, instead of bibliographic instruction, librarians engage in “information literacy”(IL) training. Rather than point students to authoritative, trustworthy sources, IL instructors have undertaken to empower students themselves to find the information. The purpose of this paper is to argue that this shift is paradigmatic of the postmodern turn, and that the problems of IL education are also the