information literacy

Definition
Ability to define problems in terms of their information needs, and to apply a systematic approach to search, locate, apply, and synthesize the information and evaluate the entire process in terms of effectiveness and efficiency.

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. 1. Information literacy is the ability to recognize the extent and nature of an information need, then to locate, evaluate, and effectively use the needed information. (Plattsburgh State Information and Computer Literacy Task Force, 2001) 2. An information literate Plattsburgh State graduate will be able to recognize when information is needed, and to locate, evaluate, effectively use, and understand ethical issues related to information in its various formats. This definition of information literacy conforms to the Information Literacy Initiative Committee of the SUNY Council of Library Directors, and the ALA definition, as well as that found in the Middle States Standards for Accreditation. (Plattsburgh State Library Faculty)

Further Definitions of Information Literacy

Information Literacy constitutes the abilities to recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate, effectively use, and communicate information in its various formats. (SUNY Council of Library Directors, Information Literacy Initiative Committee, Final Report, September 30, 1997) 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. Producing such a citizenry will require that schools and colleges appreciate and integrate the concept of information literacy into their learning programs and that they play a leadership role in equipping individuals and institutions to take advantage of the opportunities inherent within the information society. (American Library Association, Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, Final Report , January 10, 1989) Each institution should foster optimal use of its learning resources through strategies designed to help students develop information literacy - the ability to locate, evaluate, and use information in order to become independent learners.... It is essential to have an active and continuing program of library orientation and instruction in accessing information, developed collaboratively and supported actively by faculty, librarians, academic deans, and other information providers. (Commission on Higher Education; Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education; Standards for Accreditation, 1994 edition) Information Literacy constitutes the abilities to recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate, effectively use, and communicate information in its various formats. (SUNY Council of Library Directors, Information Literacy Initiative Committee, Final Report, September 30, 1997) 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. Producing such a citizenry will require that schools and colleges appreciate and integrate the concept of information literacy into their learning programs and that they play a leadership role in equipping individuals and institutions to take advantage of the opportunities inherent within the information society. (American Library Association, Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, Final Report , January 10, 1989)

Information Literacy Defined

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." 1 Information literacy also is increasingly important in the contemporary environment of rapid technological change and proliferating information resources. Because of the escalating complexity of this environment, individuals are faced with diverse, abundant information choices--in their academic studies, in the workplace, and in their personal lives. Information is available through libraries, community resources, special interest organizations, media, and the Internet--and increasingly, information comes to individuals in unfiltered formats, raising questions about its authenticity, validity, and reliability. In addition, information is available through multiple media, including graphical, aural, and textual, and these pose new challenges for individuals in evaluating and understanding it. The uncertain quality and expanding quantity of information pose large challenges for society. The sheer abundance of information will not in itself create a more informed citizenry without a complementary cluster of abilities necessary to use information effectively. Information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning. It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. It enables learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more self-directed, and assume greater control over their own learning. An information literate individual is able to: y y y y y y Determine the extent of information needed Access the needed information effectively and efficiently Evaluate information and its sources critically Incorporate selected information into ones 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 For many years educators have heard about a variety of literacies--print, visual, computational, cultural, computer, scientific--and their importance in every child's education. Each of the literacies prescribes a process by which the learner can more easily negotiate the content unique to a particular area of study. Each of the literacies operates in isolation of the others, and each has its own vocabulary and conventions for study. Information literacy, on the other hand, is a potential tool of empowerment for all learners, reached through a "resource-based" learning approach. Briefly defined, information literacy is an individual's ability to: --recognize a need for information; --identify and locate appropriate information sources; --know how to gain access to the information contained in those sources; --evaluate the quality of information obtained; --organize the information; and

--use the information effectively. (Doyle, 1992) Information literacy programs encourage shifts in the roles of teachers and learners. Such changes are essential to prepare learners to live and work in an informationcentered society. BENEFITS OF INFORMATION LITERACY For Students: Information literacy--and the resource-based learning programs that foster it-counteracts the information dependency created by traditional schooling, where students must rely on the teacher to dispense information. It requires active learning. Students take more control of their learning, and the teacher is freed from the role of omniscient expert. Yet the teacher becomes more important in the role of facilitator of interaction at the small-group or individual level. The final product of resource-based learning is usually a paper, presentation or exit performance. Regardless of where and how information literacy skills are acquired, they are applicable in any school, play, or work situation. Resource-based learning accommodates varied interests and ability levels. Students don't need to read exactly the same materials on the same topic when they are identifying their own approaches to a theme or topic of study. When teachers encourage students to do their own research, students take responsibility for their learning, and they retain more of the information they have gathered for themselves. Information literate students are more effective consumers of information resources. They learn to recognize that information is packaged in a variety of ways, that it is packaged using a variety of techniques, that it serves a variety of interests, and that it contains a variety of value messages. Information literate students are more critical when they make decisions about the resources they use.
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