Faculty Toolkit: Information Literacy & Library Instruction

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) division of the American Library Association defines Information Literacy as a set of abilities enabling individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." (Association of College & Research Libraries [ACRL], The Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, 2000)

ACRL broadened the definition of information literacy when they published the "Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education" in 2015: 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. ((Association of College & Research Libraries [ACRL], 2015)

ACPHS librarians are committed to promoting information literacy and collaborating with faculty to incorporate information literacy across the College curriculum.  

Information literacy skills enable students to navigate the overwhelming amount of information, recognize misinformation and potential bias and ultimately find relevant and credible sources to meeting their information needs.

Students who receive information literacy instruction enjoy several benefits. A 2017 survey* of 42,000 students in 1,700 courses at 12 major research universities showed that:

• Retention rates were higher for students whose courses included IL instruction
• Students whose courses included IL instruction reported higher average first-year GPAs than those whose courses did not
• Students who received IL instruction successfully completed 1.8 more credit hours per year than students who did not

*https://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/issues/value/findings_y3.pdf