Defining Information Literacy

Information literacy is the bread and butter of the teacher librarian. There are many definitions of information literacy. They fall into two broad categories: the behaviourists and the socioculturalists. The behaviourists believe that information literacy is a set of observable skills that can be learned and assessed. The socioculturalists believe that the most important aspect is the context of the information need and that the actual behaviours utilised will vary depending on the social context in which the information need arises. (Combes, Fitzgerald, & O’Connell, 2019).

Behrens (1994) explains that understanding of information literacy developed from the 1970s, when it was described merely as knowing the techniques and skills for using information tools to solve problems (IIA 1979), through the 1980s when the actual skills were defined and described as recognising a need for information, locating it, evaluating it, organising it and using it effectively to solve problems or make decisions, and into the early 1990s where it became seen as part of a broader definition of literacy, and the importance of a co-operative approach to the teaching of information literacy between librarians and teachers was established. The following is a summary of her article: Behrens, S. J. (1994). A conceptual analysis and historical overview of information literacy. College & Research Libraries, 55(4), 309-322. All references are cited therein.

1970s

Zurkowski (1974) says that people who are information literate have learned the skills for using a wide range of information tools and primary sources in developing information-solutions to problems.

Burchinal (1976) introduces the idea that efficiency and effectiveness in the use of information is important for information literacy and states that there is a set of skills required in locating and using information for problem solving and decision making. However, he stops short of describing what those skills actually are.

Hamelink (1976) focuses on critical thinking and individual interpretation of news events, describing the need for citizens to draw their own conclusions about current events rather than rely on the explanations given by “Institutionalised public media”

IIA (1979) removed the idea that information literacy only applied in the workplace, describing an information literate as a “Person who knows the techniques and skills for using information tools in molding solutions to problems.”

1980s

IIA (1982) linked the ability and willingness of people to use new technologies with the ability to access information, arguing that the “information naïve” (those unable or unwilling to use the technology) had limited access to information.

Horton (1982) described computer literacy as understanding the abilities and limitations of the new technology, but wrote that information literacy goes beyond computer literacy. It involves increasing awareness of the knowledge explosion and the ways in which computer aided handling technologies might help to identify, access and obtain sources of information.

Demo (1986) stated that information literacy forms the common pre-requisite for life-long learning.

Tessmer (1985) argued that information literacy extends beyond locating information to include understanding and evaluating the information located.

Kuhlthau (1987) wrote that information literacy involves recognising a need for information, locating that information, managing large amounts of information and keeping uptodate with new developments in technology as they became available.

Olsen and Coons (1989) described information literacy as having the ability to locate, retrieve, generate, manipulate and use information in decision making, utilizing electronic processes.

Breivik (1987) included references to developing information technologies in her description of information literacy as acquiring, evaluating, storing, manipulating and producing information.

Breivik and Gee (1989) believe that the library has a vital role to play in developing life long learners within the undergraduate cohort, arguing that the library and librarians provides the opportunity and skills for specialised, field-specific knowledge to be generalised and applied to real-world problems and contexts. They considered that the teaching of information literacy was a whole community responsibility; including the library, whole university and wider community under this umbrella.

ALA Presidential Committee on Information Literacy (1989) produced perhaps the most widely acknowledged definition of information literacy, stating that “In order to be information literate, a person must recognise that information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information.” They added organising the needed information once it is found.

1990s

Campbell (1990) describes literacy as the “integration of listening, speaking, reading, writing and critical thinking”. She includes in her description numeracy and the cultural knowledge that allows a literate person to choose and understand language appropriate to a particular situation. She argues that literacy allows people to use language to enhance their ability to think, create and question.

Breivik (1991) argues that a partnership between librarians and teachers can allow for complementary assistance in providing resource-based learning

References

Behrens, S. J. (1994). A conceptual analysis and historical overview of information literacy. College & Research Libraries, 55(4), 309-322.

Combes, B., Fitzgerald, L. and O’Connell, J. (2019). Information Literacy. In ETL401: Introduction to Teacher Librarianship. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_42381_1&content_id=_2899468_1