News & Updates

October, Information Literacy, and You..

By Lisa Forrest

October 12, 2015

October is here! Time for cozy sweaters, glorious fall colors, and of course—National Information Literacy Awareness Month. Established in 2009 by President Obama, National Information Literacy Month makes clear that information literacy is critical for an informed citizenry and a democratic way of life (causing librarians everywhere to rejoice!).

But, what exactly is information literacy and why does it matter? The Association of College and Research Libraries (2015) defines information literacy as “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.”

While that definition may sound a bit technical, we needn’t look past our own computer screens to see information literacy in action.  From knowing how to effectively search for reliable information on the Web, uncovering reputable medical or financial advice, discovering the best resources in our academic disciplines, recognizing phishing attempts, understanding bias (and sorting through the sea of conflicting findings to uncover the facts), to calling out an unreliable “news” story on Facebook—information literacy plays into our daily lives in constant and important ways.

Many of information literacy’s core elements form the foundation for Hamilton’s own educational goals. How does information literacy contribute to success in the classroom? Information literacy concepts such as learning how to critically evaluate information can help us select the strongest evidence for our research papers and projects. Information literacy concepts can help us synthesize ideas from a multitude of sources and draw educated conclusions based on these sources. Information literacy concepts can help us understand the legal and socioeconomic factors that influence how information is produced and shared—and support us in defining our own roles as contributors to the information marketplace. In short, the development of these skills helps us to value the process of consuming and creating information—so that we can better understand the world, chase our curiosities, make informed choices, and be a thoughtful user and producer of information (whether that information is a conversation in class, a speech, a blog or Twitter post, or a senior research project). Information literacy skills are not only imperative to academic success, but contribute to success in the workplace, in local communities, and in our own personal lives.

At Hamilton, the Research & Instructional Design team is devoted to helping to develop the information literacy skills of the entire community. From understanding the basics of research to practicing safe online identity management--our team of research librarians, educational technologists, and peer tutors provide instruction on a variety of information literacy topics to individuals and groups. We especially welcome the opportunity to collaborate with faculty and other academic partners to design instructional activities which support information literacy skill development within the curriculum.

To get the conversation started, stop by the Information desk in Burke Library, e-mail the Research & Instructional Design team at askus@hamilton.edu, or use our convenient appointment request form.  Oh, and if you’re wondering—every month is National Information Literacy Awareness Month for us!