Information Literacy

The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) has developed a Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, in which they describe information literacy as "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" (2015). They designed it to help educators think through what information literacy is and how to help students become information literate. The resource revolves around six "frames," or "core concepts." They are:

1. Authority Is Constructed and Contextual

2. Information Creation as a Process

3. Information Has Value

4. Research as Inquiry

5. Scholarship as Conversation

6. Searching as Strategic Exploration

Each concept is explored in some detail alongside what they term "knowledge practices" and "dispositions." The former are practices that allow learners to deepen their understanding of each frame, while the latter articulate the relevant affects, attitudes, and values involved in becoming information literate.

The document includes appendices devoted to faculty implementation and administrative support of the Framework.

The ACRL also has developed information literacy standards for specific disciplines. A few are included below.