Skip to Main Content

Information Literacy

This guide offers information literacy resources that faculty can use in the classroom.

In essence:

 
Information literacy skills "transcend disciplinary boundaries and enhance learning across different fields and programs".
Saunders, D. (2012). Faculty perspectives on information literacy as a student learning outcome. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 38(4), 226-236.
"We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely.
Wilson, E. O. (1998). Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge. United Kingdom: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

What IS information literacy?

Information literacy defined:

  • The American Library Association states, "To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information."  American Library Association Presidential Committee. (1989).  Presidential committee on information literacy: Final report [White paper]. https://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/whitepapers/presidential
  • "Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning."  American Library Association. (2015, February 2). Framework for information literacy for higher education.  http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework

WHY is information literacy important?

Information literacy skills are important because they:

  1. increase critical thinking
  2. combat fake information
  3. create a more informed democracy

Spisak, J.R.. (2020). School librarian perceptions of the importance of information literacy. School Libraries Worldwide, 26(1), 151-164. 

Watch the short video below to learn why students need information literacy skills to be successful in the real world.
Watch the short video below to see academic and real world examples of when a person uses information literacy skills.
Subjects: Research Basics