Information Literacy at Roger Williams University

An information literate person is able to
 "recognize when information is needed 
and have the ability to locate, evaluate,
and use effectively the needed information."
-American Library Association
Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. Final Report.
(Chicago: American Library Association, 1989.)
A March 1998 Progress Report from the National Forum on Information Literacy (NFIL).
Proposal for Library Instruction Plan

What is Information Literacy?

Information Literacy is the set of skills needed to recognize an information need and to find, retrieve, analyze, and use the information effectively. Information literacy is common to all disciplines and all learning environments. It is the basis of lifelong learning and the foundation of a democratic society.

As the American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy (January 10, 1989, Washington, D.C.) says "Ultimately, information literate people are those who have learned how to learn. They know how to learn because they know how knowledge is organized, how to find information, and how to use information in such a way that others can learn from them. They are people prepared for lifelong learning, because they can always find the information needed for any task or decision at hand."

Association of College & Research Libraries Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.

Standard One: The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the information needed.

Defines and articulates the need for information.
Identifies a variety of types and formats of potential sources of information.
Considers the costs and benefits of acquiring the needed information.
Reevaluates the nature and extent of the information needed.

Standard Two: The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.
Selects the most appropriate investigative methods or information retrieval systems for accessing the needed information.
Constructs and implements effectively-designed search strategies.
Retrieves information online or in person using a variety of methods.
Refines the search strategy, if necessary.
Extracts, records and manages the information and its sources.

Standard Three: The information literate student critically evaluates information and its sources, incorporating selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.

Summarizes the main ideas to be extracted from the information gathered.
Articulates and applies initial criteria for evaluating both the information and its sources.
Synthesizes main ideas to construct new concepts.
Compares new knowledge with prior knowledge to determine the value added, contradictions, or other unique characteristics of the information.
Determines whether the new knowledge has an impact on the individual's value system and takes steps to reconcile differences.
Validates understanding and interpretation of the information through discourse with other individuals, subject-area experts, and/or practitioners.
Determines whether the initial query should be revised.

Standard Four: The information literate student, individually or as a member of a group, uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.

Applies new and prior information to the planning and creation of a particular produce or performance.
Revises the development process for the product or performance.
Communicates the product or performance effectively to others.

Standard Five: The information literate student understands many of the economic, legal and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally.

Understands many of the ethical, legal and socio-economic issues surrounding information and information technology.
Follows laws, regulations, institutional policies, and etiquette related to the access and use of information resources.
Acknowledges the use of information sources in communicating the product or performance.

Information Literacy Goals and Objectives

The information literate student will:

Goal 1: Recognize and articulate the need for information.
Objective 1: Formulate questions based on the information need
Objective 2: Define or modify the information need to achieve a manageable focus
Objective 3: Identify key concepts and terms that describe the information need
Objective 4: Recognize the need for information in creative and analytical thinking

Goal 2: Understand how information is designed, stored, and organized.
Objective 1: Define sources of information
Objective 2: Delineate formats of information
Objective 3: Describe the organization of information

Goal 3: Identify and select the most appropriate investigative methods or information retrieval systems.
Objective 1: Determine what kind of information is needed (e.g. statistical data, narrative)
Objective 2: Select the most appropriate research tool

Goal 4: Develop and implement effective search strategies.
Objective 1: Formulate an effective search strategy
Objective 2: Conduct the search using appropriate research tools
Objective 3: Evaluate search results, and revise search strategy as necessary

Goal 5: Identify, locate, and retrieve information.
Objective 1: Record relevant information and its sources
Objective 2: Determine location of information
Objective 3: Use information in various formats
Objective 4: Access and use information ethically and legally

Goal 6: Analyze, evaluate, and synthesize the information.
Objective 1: Examine the content and the structure of the information
Objective 2: Articulate and apply criteria for evaluating both the information and its sources
Objective 3: Synthesize information to construct new concepts

Goal 7: Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.
Objective 1: Integrate new and prior information in the creation of a product
Objective 2: Communicate the product effectively to others
Objective 3: Acknowledge the use of information sources

Goal 8: Assess the information seeking process and product.
Objective 1: Reflect on successes, failures and alternative strategies
Objective 2: Evaluate the process and product within the context of the information need