Introduction
Information literacy is a very important factor in any organizational and community setting and as it protects the lives of citizens and enables them to understand how and where to access information. Information Literacy should not be a one-way process but a mutual entity where public safety officials and citizens work as teams in accessing information that protects and guides their daily lives. Public leaders should ensure the safety of their citizens by educating, updating and controlling the process of information literacy through practice, scholarship and leadership. The essay will assess the influence of information literacy on citizens as a public safety measure, suggest and plan action based on the three processes in the conclusion.
Scholarship
Public safety professionals are expected to have all the information to provide answers to citizens whenever an issue arises. They are expected to be equipped with wealthy information ranging from simple everyday processes to emergency management to deal with life and property protection. The information provided by these professionals is not enough such that people have become independent of others for the supply of information. Public safety professionals should therefore be always prepared to deliver solutions to problems whenever needed. Professionals are supposed to be prepared by providing theories inform of public safety scholars and research did to understand them before availing the information to the public (Edmond, 2006, p.1).
The information must be imparted such that the theories provide are easily impacted in citizens daily lives. The theories should also incorporate observable leadership behaviors and practices for effectiveness. This information should be easily accessible in study libraries, information centers, professionals trained to assist in the early stages of public safety careers as it helps the learner have a thorough understanding of the information. Edmond (2006) argues that American public safety is arrogant in nature such that information centers rarely utilize the international community for standard learning. He continues to lament that students in the universities are only taught about the United States and not about other countries and cultures. Therefore information literacy on public safety should make efforts to incorporate international literacy into its curriculum to expand students’ knowledge on what’s happening in the world. Information literacy should cut across different cultures and be able to tackle sociological issues as it increases students awareness of the global nature across national boundaries.
Practice
Public safety professionals are required to put theoretical knowledge into practical use. Knowledge gained through practical application increases its reliability and also aids professionals in conducting daily activities. Information tools are very essential in promoting development and citizens’ safety. For example, in the United States, Philadelphia Police Department accredited the use of mobile data terminals in their patrol vehicles to be the most important and crucial piece of technology since the introduction of radio communication. Essentially, the information tools help public safety professionals to efficiently operate tools that benefit the government and citizens. Without the mobile invention, citizens would be unable to access police assistance fast since radio technology was limited to police use (Edmond, 2006, p.5).
Leadership
Leadership is acquired by balancing areas of scholarship and practice. Edmond (2006) asserts that leaders should integrate scholarship and practice in their professional arenas in order to realize effective professional literacy. In any organizational or community setting, a chain of information literacy must be processed through a top-down process where administrators adopts the information in the concept of the organization, directing its dissemination through training mediums, learning enhancement through practicals and professionals relaying information to the citizens through an administrative complete chain. The author did not specify how he intends to use practicals in leadership in providing information literacy. Citizens should be demonstrated how to use the available information in promoting their safety (Edmond, 2006, p.6).
By comparison, the author’s viewed information literacy to be very crucial to growth and achievement. In scholarship approach, the author emphasizes that theories should incorporate observable leadership behaviors and practices for effectiveness, whereas, in a practical approach, he argues that practical application increases the reliability and aids professionals in conducting daily activities while in leadership leaders, he urged leaders to integrate scholarship and practice in their professional arenas in order to realize effective profession literacy. All three approaches are emphasizing on the cooperation between citizens and professionals to achieve effective information literacy. The three information literacy approaches have been giving different definitions of what they term to be effective information literacy. In the scholarship approach, Edmond argues that students of the United States have limited information on global welfares. This should not limit students to acquiring information as professionals should equip their libraries will all sorts of information for students to choose from, we can not blame a country solely if the scholars do not provide the information to the students.
Conclusion
The public has not been able to easily access information pertaining to their safety and it’s the duty of administrators to ensure that their personnel is well trained to increases practicum and provide reliable information to the citizens. If the public receives and understands the information quickly and precisely, efficiency in public safety operations and citizen’s safety will be increased. Students and the public should be made aware of the event’s happenings in the world despite national boundaries as the wide knowledge gained increases their safety information. As information tools are constantly changing, our public leaders should keep up with the pace to stimulate economic development and more important public safety.
References
Edmond, C.W. (2006). The Influence of Information Literacy on Scholarship, Practice, and Leadership in the Public Safety Sector. Information Literacy in Public Safety, 1-10.