According to the Association of College and Research Libraries’ “Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education,” information literacy is “the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.”
Put more simply, information literacy means understanding how authority is constructed, recognizing bias and commercial intent, and using information to create new knowledge, all as ethically and responsibly as possible (What Is Information Literacy and Why Does It Matter? Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies). In today’s world of mis- and disinformation, AI-generated clickbait, and deepfakes, it is vitally important for people to think critically about what they are seeing presented as fact and constantly evaluate information.
Information literacy encompasses scholarly and general sources, from internet pages to books, media, and artificial intelligence. Anything that conveys information should be critically evaluated before being accepted. Clarkson Libraries has a number of resources to help students develop these skills, and our librarians are always happy to meet with anyone who has questions!
More Resources
- Defining Information Literacy – The Chicago School University Library
- Information Literacy – University at Albany’s University Libraries
- Information Literacy: Concepts and Teaching Strategies – The Ohio State University’s Teaching & Learning Resource Center
- Information Literacy – American Library Association
- Information Literacy – Oberlin College Libraries