information literacy

it's a place to store things I might need again

• According to the American Library Association, Information Literacy
  • is the set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information.
  • However, because the term is often confused with computer literacy, there are many different definitions of information literacy. A comprehensive definition of the term would include: In a narrow sense,
  • the practical skills involved in effective use of information technology and information resources, either print or electronic.
• In a broader sense, it
  • is a new liberal art which extends beyond technical skills and is conceived as the critical reflection on the nature of information itself, its technical infrastructure and its social, cultural and even philosophical context and impact.
• A full information literacy curriculum would include:
  • Tool literacy - The ability to use print and electronic resources including software
  • Resource literacy - The ability to understand the form, format, location and access methods of information resources
  • Social-structural literacy - Knowledge of how information is socially situated and produced. It includes understanding the scholarly publishing process
  • Research literacy - The ability to understand and use information technology tools to carry our research including discipline-related software
  • Publishing literacy - The ability to produce a text or multimedia report of the results of research
• Quoting the ALA again,
  • Information literacy ... (gives) us the skills to know when we need information and where to locate it effectively and efficiently.
  • The sheer abundance of information, however, will not in itself create a more informed citizenry. A complementary cluster of abilities is necessary if information is to be used effectively.

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