View All Pages

What is Information Literacy?

 Information Literacy and You

image of student looking through a circle of books

Photo by Fran Links to an external site. on Unsplash Links to an external site.

Below, you will find a page created by a librarian at Ventura College (and modified for San Diego Mesa College) for students that gives a great explanation of the different types of literacy's that are incorporated in information literacy and why IL is important. Feel free to copy this and use it with your students (attribution information below) and customize it for your institution.

The key to success in college research is to develop and hone your information literacy skills. These skills will prepare you to find and use information not only for college, but also in the workplace and your personal life. Having strong information literacy skills will make you a more thoughtful and effective consumer and creator of information, and will increase your awareness of and resilience toward the psychological, physiological, and sociological effects of living in a society overloaded with information.

"Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning” (“Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education”).

Some of the skills and abilities that fall under the umbrella of information literacy include:

Black circle with white center with a black umbrella icon in the center.

  • research skills
  • critical thinking
  • media literacy
  • digital literacy
  • news literacy
  • algorithmic literacy
  • ethical reasoning
  • civic engagement 

Information literacy acknowledges that students are not just passive consumers of knowledge, but that you are active creators and participants in the information environment. It is a set of skills that aims to help students navigate this landscape, “not just for college courses but beyond—in the workplace, in their personal lives, as lifelong learners, and as news consumers, creators, and voters” (Head et al. 12; emphasis added).

Information Literacy and You

Information literacy is specifically called out as a San Diego Mesa College Institutional Learning Outcome Links to an external site.. 

  • Gather, analyze, evaluate, and disseminate appropriate information using multiple modalities
  • Utilize 21st-century tools effectively, ethically, and responsibly in information acquisition and distribution
  • Cultivate the skills necessary for life-long learning

However, information literacy is infused throughout the other outcomes as well. When you see the terms and phrases "analyze," "interpret," "critical thinking," and "differentiating between facts, influences, opinions, and assumptions." These are all skills and abilities that fall under that umbrella of information literacy.

Also, take a look at syllabi for the courses you are taking. Chances are you will see aspects of information literacy within the course learning outcomes as well.

What does this all mean for you? This means that one of the main goals of your coursework throughout your time at Ventura College is develop your information literacy skills and abilities. Completing this workshop and others in this series will help you to reach that goal.

Recommended Reading

Sources

“Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education Links to an external site.” by the Association of College & Research Libraries Links to an external site. is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Links to an external site.

Head, Alison J., Barbara Fister, and Margy MacMillan. “Information Literacy in the Age of Algorithms Links to an external site..” Project Information Literacy, 15 Jan. 2020. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Links to an external site.

Citations & Attributions

This page "What is Information Literacy" by Kaela Casey is  licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License Links to an external site. and is a derivative of "Information Sources: Traditional Formats Links to an external site." from Introduction to College Research Links to an external site. by Walter D. Butler, Aloha Sargent, and Kelsey Smith  licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, Links to an external site.published by Pressbooks Links to an external site..