Skip to Main Content

Information Literacy: Start here

Why is Information Literacy Important?

"Within today's information society, the most important learning outcome for all students is their being able to function as independent lifelong learners. The essential enabler to reaching that goal is information literacy."

 Breivik, P. (2000). 'Information literacy and lifelong learning: the magical partnership'. In K. Appleton, C. Macpherson & D. Orr (Eds.). Lifelong Learning Conference : selected papers from the inaugural international Lifelong Learning Conference, (pp. 1-6), Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia, 17-19 July 2000. Rockhampton: Lifelong Learning Conference Committee, Central Queensland University. http://acquire.cqu.edu.au:8888/access/detail.php?pid=cqu:1964

What is Information Literacy?

Information literacy is the set of skills that permit an individual to “recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information” [American Library Association. Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. Final Report.  Chicago: American Library Association, 1989. < http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/whitepapers/presidential.htm >]

An information literate individual is able to:

  • Determine the extent of information needed
  • Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
  • Evaluate information and its sources critically
  • Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base
  • Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
  • Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

[Information literacy competency standards for higher education. (2000).  <http://www.acrl.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/standards.pdf>]

Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (Adopted by the ACRL Board on January 11, 2016)

The Framework addresses these six concepts:

  • Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
  • Information Creation as a Process
  • Information Has Value
  • Research as Inquiry
  • Scholarship as Conversation
  • Searching as Strategic Exploration