Definition of Information Literacy

“Information Literacy is the ability to think critically and make balanced judgements about any information we find and use. It empowers citizens to develop informed views and to engage fully with society.”

CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) 2018

A new definition of information literacy from CILIP

Why is Information Literacy important?

Information Literacy enables a person to recognize the value of information and use it to make informed choices in their personal, professional and academic lives.

Information Literacy is a lifelong learning process and mastering this skill will allow us to:

• Identify
• Find
• Evaluate
• Apply
• Acknowledge sources of information

Information literacy is important as it promotes:

• Problem solving and thinking skills
• Research skills
• Evaluation and decision making skills
• Responsible and confident individuals

How to select information

Researchers can find information on their topic using the following search options:

• Card catalogues (Author, Title, Subject)
• List of subject Headings for Vertical File and Newspaper clippings
• Internet searches

These will direct you to:

• Printed resources such as books, magazines, government documents, newspapers
• Audiovisual resources such as DVDs
• Websites, Academic Databases – Subscription and Open Source

Identifying the information you need

• When searching for information, you will need to read about your topic and find keywords used about the subject.
• Start reading in the Reference section of the Media Resource Centre. The Reference section contain many different types of sources such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauri, etc., all of which will supply you with information to start identifying keywords.
• If your topic is about something that is currently happening in the news, e.g. new changes at Customs Department, the best starting point will be to read the latest newspapers.
• It is important to start making notes at this point about the resources you have used, the information you found and where you found it.

What criteria is used for evaluating information?

• Currency
  • When was it written? /When was it produced?
  • When was the information updated?
• Relevance
  • Is the subject matter what you are looking for?
  • What is the level and scope of the information found?
• Authority
  • Who is responsible for the information? /Who wrote it?
  • Can the authors’ credentials be checked?
  • Has this information been used by others?
  • Has this information been reviewed or edited by an expert on the subject?
• Purpose
  • What is the objective of creating this information?
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • Can any bias be detected?
  • Is the information cited correctly?

Moral and legal issues surrounding information use

• Copyright – Researchers must ensure that they acknowledge the sources used in their research.
• Photocopy restrictions – It is an infringement to make excessive copies of a work without permission.
• Computer Misuse – Patrons using computer devices which are the property of the SJPI will be expressly forbidden from using computers for malicious intent such as hacking, the creation or spreading of computer viruses and so on, accessing any websites that promote crime, violence and so on and view or download pornography or any such type of sexually offensive files.
• Plagiarism – Reproducing or replicating another writer’s work, musical composition, etc., without permission and with the intention of claiming it as your own.

For more on Information Literacy see the link below:

http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework