Information Literacy 101

Information Literacy

In previous posts I've mentioned various types of literacies. As a librarian I'm the most familiar with Information Literacy. Well...what is it and why should we as educators care about it? Why are Librarians so passionate about it?

Various Definitions:

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) defines IL as: the set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information.

Shapiro and Hughes (1996) define Information Literacy as: "A new liberal art that extends from knowing how to use computers and access information to critical reflection on the nature of information itself its technical infrastructure and its social cultural and philosophical context and impact."

IL and Library Instruction

I have mixed feelings about information literacy. I believe that library instruction is useful and librarian have skills and knowledge valuable to sorting through the mass of information available. But, are librarians going about information literacy instruction in the most effective way?

What are your experiences with library instruction and information literacy? How do you feel about the concept of information literacy? Libraries are providing lots of instruction. What is the quality of that instruction? How sound are the pedagogical principles upon which the instruction is based?

Check out the ACRL Information Literacy website:
http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/acrlinfolit/informationliteracy.htm

Multiple Literacies

Blog Topics
For the remainder of this class I'll be blogging about various literacies -- media, visual, and information literacy. I'm currently working on a paper about incorporating visual literacy and visual learning in library instruction. As I find good resources, articles, etc. I'll discuss them on my blog.

Today's Article -- Expanding the Concept of Literacy
Daley, E. (2003). Expanding the concept of literacy. EDUCAUSE Review, 38(2), 32-40.

Daley comments on how technology is changing the traditional (if erroneous) definition of literacy from print based reading and writing to include a variety of concepts and competencies.
She lists 4 main arguments for this expanded definition of literacy:

1. ubiquitous nature of multimedia screen language
2. multimedia screen language can construct complex meanings without text
3. The types of communication and collaboration possible with multimedia screen language are very different from those possible in a text only environment
4. Truly literate people will be able to communicate in the multimedia language of the screen

Key Points:

• Most general education curricula do not include basic knowledge of media communications
• Educators need to look beyond a print only basis for communication and understand that media communication is here to stay

What are your thoughts and or experiences with incorporating various literacies into instruction? Can higher education learn from K-12 education regarding a more holistic, incorporated view of literacy?