Information literacy is important for today’s learners, it promotes problem solving
approaches and thinking skills – asking questions and seeking answers, finding information,
forming opinions, evaluating sources and making decisions fostering successful learners,
effective contributors, confident individuals and responsible citizens.
It is at the core of the Curriculum for Excellence and Literacy across learning
experiences and outcomes.
“Children and young people not only need to be able to read for information; they also
need to be able to work out what trust they should place on the information and to identify when
and how people are aiming to persuade or influence them." Curriculum for Excellence (2009)
They need to be able to identify what is real and relevant not just for school but for
learning, life and work.
Information literacy skills have been around for quite some time in different guises and
several frameworks and definitions have been produced both nationally and internationally.
Shigeru Aoyagi, Chief, Division of Basic Education, UNESCO, stated that: “For all societies,
Information Literacy is becoming an increasingly important component of not only literacy
policies and strategies, but also of global policies to promote human development.” UNESCO
(2003)
Towards an Information Literate Society Information literacy is knowing when and why you
need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical
manner.”
CILIP (2004) Information Literacy Definition
