Information Literacy
Information Literacy is the set of skills needed to conduct research, locate authoritative sources and evaluate their usefulness for any given topic. Put simply, Information Literacy can be thought of as learning how to learn.
The American Library Association’s website indicates,
“The beginning of the 21st century has been called the Information Age because of the explosion of information output and information sources. It has become increasingly clear that students cannot learn everything they need to know in their field of study in a few years of college.”
Further, the Association of College & Research Libraries states, “Information literacy 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.
The concept of Information Literacy may seem too broad and overwhelming. Why should students learn all this? Because we want to remove the obstacles to creativity which are caused by lack of understanding of the research process.
This is not just for college students but all of us, as professionals, in the workplace and in our personal lives. Being information literate ultimately improves our quality of life as we make informed decisions when buying a house, choosing a school, hiring staff, making an investment, voting for our representatives, and so much more."
Additional information on the topic of Information Literacy can be found here:
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Association of College & Research Libraries (A division of the American Library Association)
Self-Test |
ARCC ILT
© 2013
Anoka Ramsey Community College Library
Information Literacy Tutorial
Send comments or questions regarding this site to:
Barbara Sandarin, Librarian/Faculty