Service Alert
Hege Library & Learning Technologies
Hege Library & Learning Technologies
Information literacy
The ACRL defines 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." (ACRL, 2015, p. 3) Yet it is also more than that. It is a way of thinking that involves several habits that should be developed and refined over the course of a lifetime of learning.
The ACRL suggests that there are five specific abilities that combine to create good habits: knowing when information is needed; finding information efficiently; evaluating its quality; using it effectively and for a purpose; and practicing ethical use of information.
In other words, information literacy skills are used all day, every day. The seemingly unending avalanche of information in the modern world can be overwhelming. Someone who is information literate has the skills to think critically about that information while identifying, finding, evaluating, and using the best possible information at their disposal. A primary goal at the Hege Academic Commons is to help create an information literate community that reflects Guilford College’s core values.
The information literacy landscape
Information literacy resources