An information literate individual is able to:

 Determine the extent of information needed.

 Access the needed information effectively and efficiently.
 Evaluate information and its sources critically.
 Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base.
 Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.
 Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information
ethically and legally.

Information Technology Fluency

I see information technology fluency as forming the basic core of information literacy, and encompassing such skills as
information organization, database searching (e.g., keyword v. subject), web navigation, digital citizenship, and computer
literacy. When students are fluent in these skills, the chance of cognitive overload is reduced when being introduced to the other
facets of information literacy.

While there is a tendency for librarians to focus heavily on information technology fluency skills in beginning IL instruction
(which is important), another approach would be for librarians to partner with technology instructors to ensure that the skills are
fully addressed in the types of required technology-focused courses that can be found in both K-12 and in higher education.

Ways of Thinking

Librarians generally teach ways of thinking about information in the context of evaluating information. However, within
a course, these skills are also being addressed anytime a teacher focuses on critical thinking, critical literacy, and/or disciplinary
literacy. This is why co-teaching and collaboration between librarians and teachers is so very important.

In terms of teaching ways of thinking about information, librarians should keep in mind that students’ beliefs about information
and about knowledge are developmental in nature.

Problem Solving

Solving problems with information puts ways of thinking into practice. This facet of information literacy fits neatly into inquiry-
based, problem-based, or project-based learning, all of which are problem-focused. Lessons that incorporate WebQuests, original
research projects, maker activities, or complex games (to name a few) are examples where problem solving with information
takes place.

Communication

Communication may very well be the culmination of the other three facets of information literacy. Whether synthesizing
information to communicate new ideas in a research paper, a classroom debate, a workplace presentation, or social media,
successful communication within a variety of contexts is the ultimate assessment of an information literate person

The term "information literacy" describes a set of abilities that enables an individual to acquire, evaluate, and use information.
You can think of information literacy as having five components: identify, find, evaluate, apply, and acknowledge sources of
information. Information literacy is a lifelong learning process, something beginning before you arrive at college and developing
as you grow. While each skill is individually important, understanding how they fit together is essential to becoming an
information literate person.

Identify

Find

Evaluate

+
 Apply

Acknowledge

=  Components of Information Literacy

Why is information literacy important?

Every day we encounter an increasingly large and diverse sea of information through the Web, mass media, and published works.
You can find information in many different formats, from an endless number of sources. The quality of information varies
greatly between the available information choices. Just think of a typical internet search; it is common to retrieve authoritative,
current, and reliable sources alongside biased, outdated, misleading, or false sources. Furthermore, an online search is likely to
result in more information than can be effectively handled. The sheer amount and variety of information available to us makes
information literacy competencies important to master!

Information literacy skills are vital to success in your personal, professional, and academic life. In college, you use these skills to
perform well on research papers, projects, and presentations. At work you will likely encounter situations where you must seek
out new information to make logical decisions. In the home, you are constantly faced with deciding consumer issues and forming
opinions on social and political topics. Each situation requires engagement in the information literacy process.

Information literacy is the buzz phrase of the Information Age. In one brief sentence it can be defined as the ability to find
information, to evaluate information, to apply information throughout one’s educational, professional, and personal life.  In other
words, an information literate person can find, analyze, and apply information to whatever situation they may encounter in the
classroom, community, and society at large.

The oppositional nature of Black Studies and the harsh reality of life for African Americans in the U.S. ensure that most Black
Studies majors develop highly developed critical thinking skills. This is the single most important quality of an information
literate person. Yet, critical thinking skills alone are not enough.

Information literacy includes a wide range of research, organizational skills, and ability to apply concepts to a particular
situation. An information literate person is a life-long independent learner who will apply the process to his/her everyday life
decisions at home, work, and in the community. Viewed in this context it is easy to see how the values of Black and Africana
studies can be applied to the development of the information competency process.

Additionally, information literacy skills have become the survival skills for the information-based society that we live in. The
high-tech divide between students that have these skills and students that don’t is key to understanding possible future inequality
and the limited economic role of Blacks within our society.