Alternate Definitions of Information Literacy+ The Association of College & Research Libraries — "Information literacy is a 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." American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy — "Information literacy is 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. To be information literate, then, one needs skills not only in research but in critical thinking." The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) — "Information literacy empowers people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use, and create information effectively to achieve their personal, social, occupational and educational goals." Original definition from Paul G. Zurkowski, Esquire's 30-page Founding IL Document "Report for the Commission" 1974 — "People trained in the application of information resources to their work can be called information literates. They have learned techniques and skills for utilizing the wide range of information tools as well as primary sources in molding information solutions to their problems." Also from Zurkowski — "Information Literacy is techniques and skills for utilizing the wide range of information tools as well as primary sources in molding information solutions to ones problems. Taking information from data to knowledge to understaning to wisdom." Being information literate or not is dependent upon context: Most Inuit people, information literate in the ways of the Arctic, would be information illiterate if dropped into Harvard Yard just as most students from Harvard Yard would be information illiterate if dropped next to an ice hole or a herd of reindeer in the Arctic. Glossary/Definitions/ClarificationsAction literacy- the ability to turn good information into ethical action. Being action literate means that one’s ethical actions are consistently rooted in good information. The actions are helpful. The actions are good. Right actions are carried out even when difficult
Critical thinking- using questions to analyze and create good value from information. Evaluating accuracy/authenticity, access, context, clarity, relevance and refinement of any information are a few examples of questioning that helps achieve good value from information
Disinformation- knowingly providing false/distracting/deceptive data to cause harm
Information asymmetry [phrase coined by George Akerlof, 1970]- in contract theory and economics, information asymmetry deals with the study of decisions in transactions where one party has more or better information than the other. This creates an imbalance of power in transactions [definition by John O. Ledyard]
Information equivalence- information that accurately represents something in a form different from what it represents. A photograph, a schematic and architectural plans are examples. Genome, genes and DNA are other examples
Information overload (overabundance)- whenever available information exceeds ones capacity to evaluate it [Zurkowski, related paper number 5, p. 1]
Misinformation- recklessly sharing innacurate harmful data without first checking its veracity