Definition
Information
literacy has been defined as "... the ability
to locate, evaluate, and use information to become
independent life-long learners." #1
In the United States, those of us at institutions of
higher education are aware of how rapid, ongoing
developments in digital technologies and the
increasing availability of electronic resources of all
kinds have changed the way that we communicate, gather
information, and do research. These changes have
an impact on all of us, whether we're looking for
information on how to buy a reliable used car or
whether we need to locate research articles in a
particular field of study. Information
literacy is related to - yet distinct from - computer
literacy, or knowing how to use computers and
software, and the related issue of information
security. (A recent ISU Miller Grant supported
the development of a series of information
security teaching modules, which can be useful to
review.) Because computers and related
technologies are central to the changes in scholarly
communication and doing research today, information
literacy builds off of computer literacy, and
knowledge of how to use computers efficiently and
ethically. However, it's important not to equate
an individual's facility in using
computers and software packages with
the ability to understand how
information is produced, organized, or
accessed, nor with the critical
thinking necessary in the evaluation,
incorporation, and ethical use of
information.
Know & Access
One problem researchers at most institutions of
higher education in the U.S. face today is the wealth
of choices we have, in terms of where to look or
search to find our information. Students and
researchers need to know how
and where to get started. They
need to be able to articulate what
they need to know, and what type of
information is needed. There may be
multiple databases that cover aspects of our
particular topic, or resources that may include
different types of materials relevant to our
subject. A library catalog, for example, is
likely to include records to books, microfilm, videos,
cd-roms, and other items owned by (or, increasingly,
accessible through) that particular library.
Periodical indexes will provide coverage of the
contents of specific journals and magazines;
increasingly, indexes may include full-text articles
along with bibliographic citations. The web is
another popular source for locating information on
many topics, but often it simply is not the
"best" choice for many research
topics. It's important to realize that while
using the web may seem to be "easier" than
going to a library either in person or via the
Internet to do research, the web may often provide
inaccurate or inferior information, especially for
research purposes.
A person who is "information literate" is
not only aware of these different choices, but
understands the differences between the many resources
at hand. He or she is able to make informed
choices about information access, such as which resource(s) to use,
which ones are likely to provide the
necessary information, how to use
them to best advantage, either singly or in
combination, and for what purpose(s). An
information literate person uses the web when
appropriate, not simply because "it's
easier." Finally, an information literate
person understands how to interpret bibliographic
citations, call numbers, and other abstracted
information and use it to access the desired book,
article, or piece of information.
Evaluate
This is one of the key areas of information
literacy. All too often, inexperienced (or
frustrated!) researchers may want to select and use
those resources that are easiest to find, regardless
of whether or not the information is truly relevant,
accurate, complete, up to date, or otherwise
authoritative. It's important to realize that
all information must be thoroughly evaluated before
it's used, either for research or even casual personal
interest. The Instruction Commons has developed a
guide that teaches the main points of evaluating
web resources, which can be used as a basis for
evaluating all kinds of resources.
Use
information
There are
two aspects of using information
that are relevant to information
literacy. The first is critical
thinking, and incorporating the new
information into one's body of
knowledge. An information
literate person is able to make use of
new information effectively in
written, oral, and digital
communication modes.
Use
information ethically
The second
aspect of using information
focuses on the
ethical use, distribution, copying, or
manipulation of other people's ideas, words, and
creative works through accurate and consistent citing
of one's sources. There is a common
misconception on many campuses that information and
publications of all kinds may be used freely as long
as they're used "for educational
purposes." In most instances, this is
an over-generalization that attempts to get beyond
such issues as copyright clearance, public performance
rights for videos and other visual media, and the ease
of cutting and pasting off of the web. Copyright
clearance or getting permission to use someone else's creative
work or intellectual property need not be a complicated issue, but those
decisions must be respected. See the Copyright
Clearance Center's useful guide titled
What is Copyright? for more information. Similarly,
style
manuals exist to teach students and researchers
how to properly and consistently credit someone else's
work, when it is used or cited in your own papers,
presentations, and creative work.
1. Commission on
Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS). Criteria for Accreditation, Section
5.1.2 [Library and Other Information Resources]
Services. 10th ed. Dec. 1996.
Formerly available online at the following URL:
http://www.sacs.org/pub/coc/cri70.htm#SECTION_IV
Some of the information on this page came
from the following sources, all of which are
excellent places to learn more about the topic of
information literacy:
ACRL
Information Literacy
Includes a full discussion of what is meant by
information literacy and how this ties in with
computer literacy, sound research skills, and
critical thinking. Includes detailed
information literacy standards and outcome
measurements
Institute for Information Literacy
Sponsored by the Association for
Research and College Libraries (ACRL), a division of
the American Library Association. Includes
detailed information on IIL, its projects and
partnerships, and related links elsewhere.
Information
Literacy Sites
Article and bibliography of websites, compiled by librarians
Esther Grassian, UCLA, and Susan E. Clark,
University of the Pacific. Websites include
model programs and tutorials, electronic journals,
reports, and other sources of information on the
topic. Published in C&RL News, February
1999 Vol. 60 No. 2.
