The Importance of Information Literacy

Information literacy skills are used for academic purposes, such as research papers and group presentations. They are used on the job—the ability to find, evaluate, use and share information is an essential skill. They are also used in consumer decisions, such as which car or vacuum cleaner to purchase, are critical. Last but not least, they are used by informed citizens in participating fully in a democratic society through voting (Kenney, 2007).

Information literacy is conceivably the foundation for learning in contemporary environment of continuous technological change. As information and communication technologies develop rapidly, and the information environment becomes increasingly complex, educators are recognizing the need for learners to engage with the information environment as part of their formal learning processes (Kenney, 2007).

Information literacy is critically important because growing ocean of information in all formats is everywhere. Not all information is created equal: some is authoritative, current, reliable, but some is biased, out of date, misleading, and false. The amount of information available is going to keep increasing. The types of technology used to access, manipulate, and create information will likewise expand (Lauer & Yodanis, 2012).

Information literacy can be defined as the ability to ferret out the answer to questions, the ability to explore a subject and to come away with an understanding of that subject. The Presidential Committee on Information Literacy (2009) provides another definition that information literacy knows how to learn. Information literacy is a critical element in numerous aspects of life. Indeed, as might be expected, information literacy has a definite influence on sc...

... middle of paper ...

...tion literacy makes that a reality.

References

Kenney, Brian. (2007, Jul). Getting it together: sure, collaboration is good, but we need data--and we need it now. School Library Journal, (53)7, 9(1).

Lauer, S. R., & Yodanis, C. L. (2012, July). The international social survey programme (ISSP): A tool for teaching with an international perspective. Teaching Sociology, 32(3), 304.

Outing, Steve. (2007, Jul). It isn’t Easy Knowing Who You Can You Trust. Editor & Publisher.

Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. (2009, Jan 10). The Importance of Information Literacy to Individuals, Business, and Citizenship. Washington, D.C. Presidential committee on information literacy: Final report. (2009, January).

Zabel, Diane. (2012, Jan). A Reaction to "Information Literacy and Higher Education". Journal of Academic Librarianship, (30)1, 17(3).