The American Library Association defines information literacy as a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." The Association of College and Research Libraries' (ACRL) describes information literate individuals as those who are able to:
On January 18, 2000, ACRL approved the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, which consists of five standards and a series of performance indicators and learning outcomes that can assist educators in their efforts to enhance and assess students' information literacy skills. Since that time, discipline-specific standards have also been developed for Anthropology and Sociology, Literature, Political Science, and Science and Technology, highlighting the ways that information literacy can be integrated into the disciplines. Christy Stevens |
