What is Information Literacy
(Toupes, 2010)
What is Information Literacy?
Information literacy is a term that you might not hear much, but it is an integral part of what you do as a college student.
Much of the definitions used to describe information literacy comes from the American Library Association (ALA) and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).
At WCCC, when we discuss information literacy, we're concerned with how you:
- Find information
- Evaluate the information found
- Use the information in your assignments ethically and legally
Why is Information Literacy Important?
For college students, information literacy is part of a larger set of skills, which includes critical thinking, critical reading, reasoning, and critical writing. These are skills that promote and enhance all learning. Wilson (2015) notes that the advantages of being information literate include:
- Better critical and creative thinking skills.
- Develop higher-order thinking skills essential for excellence in the school and the workplace.
- Individuals are able to communicate in knowledgeable, logical, and defensible ways regarding their work.
- Enhanced ability to effectively participate in problem solving and decision making (p.8).
Information Literacy at WCCC
Information literacy is something you'll use in your classrooms every day at WCCC. You'll be asked to write assignments, research topics, find reliable sources, and then use those sources responsibly. The following modules are set up to help you navigate this process and to be more successful as a student at WCCC.
Keep in mind that if you have any questions about this process, please make sure to ask those questions! You're your own advocate for your education, so it is important to ask questions along the way.
If you need help with anything related to the information literacy process, the best place to get help is the WCCC Library!
​References
Information literacy. (2018). Retrieved
from https://www.wesleyan.edu/libr/infoforyou/infolitdefined.html#
Toups, D. (2010) Research guides: Information literacy certificate program:
Home schedule of classes. Retrieved from http://libguides.tccd.edu/infolit
Wilson, G. (2015). 100% Information literacy success. Stamford, Cengage Learning
