From Information Literacy to Democratic Competencies: A Collaborative School Library Model for Democratic Education

Abstract

This poster presents a case from Posung High School in Seoul, Republic of Korea, demonstrating how the integration of information literacy and debate-based learning expanded the school library’s role as a core learning space for cultivating democratic competencies. In this model, the teacher librarian and subject teachers collaboratively designed project-based learning activities that connected curricular and extracurricular learning around the theme of a sustainable society. Students explored and evaluated reliable information on social issues, such as vegetarian school meals and youth political participation, and participated in structured debates in which they argued both sides. Through this process, they practiced democratic consensus-building and developed the capacity to propose constructive solutions.

The project expanded beyond one school into an inter-school forum involving four local high schools, thereby creating a community-based public debate platform.

This case demonstrates how school libraries can function as transformative platforms connecting learning with society. By fostering information literacy, critical thinking, and collaborative communication, they promote students’ civic engagement and support their development as informed and responsible democratic citizens.