Information literacy skills are fast becoming a
global priority as society moves into the digital
environment. However, although the subject has
generated a vast body of literature, it remains an
underdeveloped domain in sub-Saharan Africa, with few scholars demonstrating a keen interest in, and focus on, the subject. This has unfortunately limited a fuller understanding of how information literacy is
conceptualized and delivered in developing country
contexts. The study reported here investigated the
teaching of information literacy skills in selected
Community Junior Secondary Schools (CJSS) in the city of Gaborone, Botswana. Data were gathered from a sample of 30 teacher-librarians via face-to-face
in-depth interviews with the aid of a five-question
interview schedule. The key findings of the study were: (1) respondents had varying interpretations
of what constituted information literacy skills, (2)
a variety of skills were taught under the rubric
information literacy skills; (3) by and large, the teaching of information literacy skills was done by teacher-librarians and subject teachers, (4) the main approaches in teaching information literacy
skills involved library orientation and the use of the
English Language Period, and (5) respondents cited
three challenges, namely, the absence of an enabling
environment or an office dedicated to school libraries,
an exam-oriented curriculum and shrinking financial
resources. Several recommendations are made for both future research and the Ministry of Education
in Botswana.