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Chapter 1 Information Literacy Chapter 1 explains the importance of information literacy and the usefulness ofinformation literacy skills, which are necessary for student learning and for life aftergraduation. This chapter will cover the following topics:1.1 Why information overload? With the advent of the Information Age there is too much information for us to absorb.The increase in publishing, the growth of news and other media, the advances in worldwidecommunications and the explosion of information on the Internet contribute to the sense thatfinding the needed information is just about impossible.1.2 What is information literacy? Information literacy is defined as being able to “recognize when information is neededand have the ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information.” (AmericanLibrary Association, 1989) Why is information literacy important? Information literacy is important because we are surrounded by a growing ocean ofinformation in all formats. Not all information is created equal: some is authoritative, current,reliable, but some is biased, out of date, misleading, and false. The amount of informationavailable is increasing. The types of technology used to access, manipulate, and createinformation will expand. How will we use information literacy skills? Information literacy skills are used for academic purposes, such as research papersand group presentations. They're used on the job—the ability to identify, find, evaluate, anduse information is an essential skill. Consumer decisions, such as which car or vacuum cleaner topurchase, are critical. We also use these skills by participating fully in a democratic society. What are the qualifications of information literate students? Information literate students can locate materials in a variety of formats (online, textbased, video, etc.); revise their search strategies if they cannot find the information theyneed; evaluate and organize information; and they are developing essential 21st century skillsfor lifelong learning.GE1201 Information Literacy Skills 1

1.3 A Strategy for Using Information Literacy Skills The following flowchart shows a strategy for using information literacy skills.(Iannuzzi, Mangrum, & Strichart, l999, p. 9) Finding Informationplaces to GO Library Internettools to USE Library Catalogs Abstracts & Indexes World Wide Web (WWW) Online Card Print Electronic Databases Catalog Catalog Indexes (e.g. CD ROM,WWW)what to GET Book and other Articles in magazines, Web pages materials owned journals, and by the library newspaperswhat to DO with it Evaluate and Select to use effectively12 May 2011 GE1201Information literacy skills/Supatra S. 7 The library is the first place we should go to find information. The library has tools touse to identify materials found there. The library also has tools to use to identify information insources not owned by the library. Most of the tools in the libraries are in electronic format, such as online catalog andelectronic databases. Some libraries may still have card catalog and print indexes. In the library we can get books, magazines, journals, and other materials that containinformation. Most of the books and other materials in libraries are in print format, althoughnewspaper and journal articles increasingly are being made available in electronic format. The Internet is another place we can go to find information. The Internet is aworldwide network of large computers. The WWW is the most important tool to use to find information on the Internet. Onthe WWW you get web pages that contain information. There are 3 major tools to use to identify and locate information: Library Catalogs,Abstracts & Indexes, and World Wide WebGE1201 Information Literacy Skills 2

1. Library Catalogs  List materials found in the library.  Describe each item and tell where it is located.  Most libraries have an online catalog in which the information is entered into a computer.  Some libraries have a card catalog in which the information is typed on 3 X 5 cards and arranged alphabetically in file drawers. 2. Abstracts & Indexes  are sources used to identify citations in periodicals and newspapers.  are found in two formats: 2.1 Print abstracts and indexes are available in many subject areas are found in bound volumes Each volume covers a certain period of time. 2.2 Electronic databases are available in many subject areas include information only from 1960 to the present include a summary of the article as well as the full text 3. World Wide Web  is a popular way to explore the Internet  Information on the WWW is organized on web pages.  The first page in a set of web pages is called the home page.  Anyone with access to the WWW can create a web page and publish information on the Internet.1.4 Information Literacy Skills & Research Information literacy skills are necessary to conduct good research. They allow you tosift through the large amounts of information in order to select the best information in supportof your research. ReferencesAmerican Library Association. Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. (l989). Final report. Chicago: American Library Association.Iannuzzi, Patricia, Mangrum, Charles T., & Strichart, Stephen S. (l999). Teaching information literacy skills. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.GE1201 Information Literacy Skills 3