What Is Information Literacy?

Defining Information Literacy

According to the American Library Association’s Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, information literacy is the ability to “recognize when information is needed and . . . locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.” In other words, students who are “information literate” will know what they want (information) and how to get it (through thoughtful research).

 

Let’s think about this definition:  Information literacy is the ability to “[1] recognize when information is needed and . . . [2] locate, [3] evaluate, and [4] use effectively the needed information.”

Guiding Your Research

 1.  RECOGNIZE: What do you think it means to “recognize when information is needed”?
2.  LOCATE: What are the means you’ve used to “locate” information in the past? What additional options does MCC and the Hendrik Meijer Library make available to you?
3.  EVALUATE: What does it mean to “evaluate” information? Why would you want to do this? What criteria would you use to describe good information? What about bad information?
4.  USE EFFECTIVELY: In what ways have you had to “use” information in your classes? In what other ways do you expect to use information throughout your college career?

 

UNESCO Definition 

Information literacy empowers people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use, and create information effectively to achieve their personal, social, occupational and educational goals.