- Library
- Services
- Information Literacy
- Information Literacy
Information Literacy
What is Information Literacy?
Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. American Library Association. 2006.
"Information literacy is a survival skill in the Information Age. Instead of drowning in the abundance of information that floods their lives, information literate people know how to find, evaluate, and use information effectively to solve a particular problem or make a decision---whether the information they select comes from a computer, a book, a government agency, a film, or any number of other possible resources." ACRL's Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report, 1989.
Library patrons today must have both research skills and technical skills in order to access many of the library's electronic books and journals. The American Library Association further defines these information literacy skills as:
Tool literacy - The ability to use print and electronic resources including software and online resources.
Resource literacy - The ability to understand the form, format, location and methods for accessing information resources.
Social-structural literacy - Knowledge of how information is socially situated and produced. This includes understanding the scholarly publishing process.
Research literacy - The ability to understand and use information technology tools to carry out research, including the use of discipline-related software and online resources.
Publishing literacy - The ability to produce a text or multimedia report of research results.
Information Literacy for Faculty and Administrators. American Library Assocation. 2011.
Information Literacy Instruction
In order to help library users locate, evaluate, and use information for their research and assignments, the Library offers library-specific instruction services. Please see our Information Literacy Instruction page for more details.
For help designing assignments that make use of Library resources, see our Planning a Library Assignment page.
Tutorials
The Library offers access to a number of useful video and interactive tutorials. Please see our Tutorials page for a complete listing.
Visiting Groups
The Library is available for public use and welcomes the use of its facilities by outside groups. Please see our Procedures for Visiting Groups page for additional details on scheduling a visit.
Librarian and Faculty Resources
For resources that relate to information literacy, assessment, and the scholarship of teaching and learning, please see our Resources for Faculty and Teaching Librarians page.
Last Updated: 27 September 2011
