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Instruction Librarians' Toolkit

Information Literacy Defined

"Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning."

-- Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. American Library Association, 2015.

“Information literacy is being able to draw upon different ways of experiencing the use of information to learn.”

-- Christine Bruce. Informed Learning, 2005.

The Gist of the Framework

The Framework provides a holistic set of learning goals instruction librarians can draw from to develop curricula that attend to students'  greater role and responsibility in creating new knowledge, in understanding the contours and the changing dynamics of the world of information, and in using information, data, and scholarship ethically.

It draws heavily from the concept of metaliteracy, which demands behavioral, affective, cognitive, and metacognitive engagement with the information ecosystem. Special focus is placed on metacognition, or critical self-reflection, as crucial to becoming more self-directed in that rapidly changing ecosystem.

Because the Framework is not meant to be a prescriptive set of standards, putting it into practice may seem difficult. To address this, ACRL has launched the Framework Sandbox as a resource for ways to use the Framework in instructional settings. Check back routinely as new content is added.

The Six Frames

There are six frames, each consisting of a threshold concept central to information literacy and a cluster of knowledge practices and dispositions describing what learners who are developing their information literate abilities should do, think, or feel (see terms glossary below). The following table provides an abstract of each frame and a list of related questions for developing lessons and exercises. Follow the links embedded in each frame for the full description and list of related knowledge practices and dispositions.

THE FRAMES
THE QUESTIONS THAT LEAD TO LEARNING

AUTHORITY IS CONSTRUCTED AND CONTEXTUAL
Information resources reflect their creators' expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required.
  • Can learners define different types of authority?
  • Are learners developing an open mind when encountering varied and sometimes conflicting perspectives?

INFORMATION CREATION AS A PROCESS
Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative process of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences.
  • Can learners articulate the capabilities and constraints of the information developed through various creation processes?
  • Do learners understand that different methods of information dissemination with different purposes are available for their use?

INFORMATION HAS VALUE
Information possesses several dimensions of value, including as a commodity, as a means of education, as a means of influence, and as a means of negotiating and understanding the world. Legal and socioeconomic interests influence information production and dissemination.
  • Do learners give credit to the original ideas of others through proper attribution and citation?
  • Do learners respect the original ideas of others?

RESEARCH AS INQUIRY
Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field.
  • Can learners determine an appropriate scope of investigation?
  • Do learners consider research as open-ended exploration and engagement with information?

SCHOLARSHIP AS CONVERSATION
Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and interpretations.
  • Can learners contribute to scholarly conversation at an appropriate level?
  • Do learners see themselves as contributors to scholarship rather than only consumers?

SEARCHING AS STRATEGIC EXPLORATION
Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternative avenues as new understanding develops.
  • Can learners utilize divergent and convergent thinking appropriately when searching?
  • Do learners understand that first attempts at searching do not always produce adequate results?