Information Literacy and the Public Library

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Recommended: Information literacy and how it is used today

The American Association for School Libraries defines information literacy as the ability to use many types of reference resources and literacies to find information. The different types of reference resources and literacies include: digital, visual, textual, and technological literacies. The American Association for School Libraries has four main learning standards. The first covers inquiry, thinking critically, and gaining knowledge. The second standard includes drawing conclusions, making informal decisions, applying knowledge to new situations, and creating new knowledge. The third standard asks students to be able to share knowledge and participate ethically. It also requires them to be productive as members of our democratic society. The fourth standard asks students to pursue personal and aesthetic growth. (http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_LearningStandards.pdf)
The importance of information literacy in the 21st century can be seen in the new ways technology is affecting information and the way it is delivered. According to Heider (2009) “research suggests that early information literacy instruction, using informational texts and collaborative, teacher-librarian curriculum planning, promotes critical thinking and increases the ability to problem-solve—two skills necessary for survival in today’s Information Age” (p. 513) Problem solving is a skill that is transferable across disciplines. Heider (2009) also discusses the rapid growth of the amount of information available on the Internet and how this growth is making it increasingly difficult for educators (and librarians) to “prepare students for the future without teaching them how to be effective infor...

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...to foster information literacy skills.

Works Cited

http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_LearningStandards.pdf
Heider, K.L. (2009). Information literacy: the missing links in early childhood education. Early Childhood Education Journal 36: 513-518
Badke, W. (2013). Pushing a big rock up a hill all day: promoting information literacy skills. Online Searcher, Nov/Dec 2013, 65-
Harding, J. (2008). Information literacy and the public library. Aplis, December 2008
McBride, M. F. (2011-2012). Reconsidering information literacy in the 21st century: the redesign of an information literacy class. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, Vol. 40(3), 287-300
Lili, L. & Lester, L. (2009). Rethinking information literacy instructions in the digital age. The International Journal of Learning, Vol. 16, No. 11.

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