Information Literacy Mission & Program Overview
Our core mission is to encourage the development of information literacy in individuals. We define information literacy as the “ability to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information” (American Library Association, 1989). These skills contribute to the ability to think critically and they are vital life-skills for all individuals in our society.
We encourage this development in the following ways:
- By collaborating with our university colleagues from all departments and units to integrate information literacy into academic programs
- By promoting the use of library resources in all formats
- By providing instruction formally or informally, in-person or via technology across distances
- By evaluating the effectiveness of our approaches and constantly renewing our own skills
American Library Association. Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. Final Report.(Chicago: American Library Association, 1989.) http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/whitepapers/presidential.htm
What is information literacy?
In
short, information literacy (IL) is the ability to know when
information is needed, and find, evaluate, and use the appropriate
information. We take our definition from the American Library Association's Presidential Report.
Why do my students need to be information literate?
Information
literacy is more than just an academic skill-it is a life skill that
students will need in both personal and professional contexts. With the
proliferation of information sources, students need guidance more than
ever in learning to critically evaluate their information needs and the
information they receive to meet those needs.
How does U of L Libraries fit into the picture?
The IL program is based in the Libraries because information finding
skills in the academic context begin in the library. We see the library
as the starting point, but we feel that the teaching of information
literacy can and should be a part of all disciplines. In partnership
with teaching faculty, we are working toward the integration of IL
instruction into all subject majors at U of L. Our mission statement addresses this succinctly.
Why doesn't U of L offer a separate IL class?
While
stand-alone information literacy courses certainly have their place and
students can benefit from them, we believe students receive the maximum
benefit when information literacy is placed in its disciplinary context
and taught from that perspective.
