Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Information Literacy


Definition: According to the Association of College and Research Libraries, information literacy can be defined as the ability to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." In simpler terms, it is knowing what data is appropriate and the right to time to apply it.

What does information literacy mean to me? In a nutshell, I consider information literacy a necessity for any functioning human being. It is not simply applicable to the scholarly sort, but is used in all forms of speech, thought, and writing. For example, if you picked up a marvelous fact about polar bears while watching Animal Planet, your mind subconsciously understands that it is appropriate to bring it up during a conversation about Alaska. However, if you were to start babbling about polar bears while your friends were talking about the chronological history of Henry the VIII, you might want to consider completing "Rutger's Riot". Even now as I write this, information literacy is, for the most part, keeping my writing on task and in focus. Without the use of information literacy, many aspects of our lives be entirely different.
Work Cited
"Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education." ACRL. American Library Association, 18 Jan. 2000. Web. 6 Dec. 2012.
Information Literacy Chart. Digital image. To Teach Is To Share. N.p., 7 July 2010. Web. 5 Dec. 2012.