Information Literacy describes the way we engage with and create information. It's the ability to identify when you need information, find the information you need through searching and critical evaluation, and then apply that information to your situation. Here are some examples of information literacy contexts:
You've saved up and are ready to buy a car. Do you buy or lease one? New or used? Who do you trust to sell you a good car? Do you ask your friends and family which car dealers they trust? Do you read online reviews? How do you get a car loan? Do you consider biking or taking public transportation instead?
You want to start a garden. How do you decide where, when, and what to plant? Do you read seed packets or talk to a neighbor with an amazing garden? Do you watch TikTok videos or find a gardening book at the library? Do you do all these things and more? How do you know when you've found enough information to take a step towards planting that first seed? If your garden fails, do you give up on it or try something new next time? Do you share your growing knowledge with anyone? How would you share it?
You have to present a research project to your class. You pick a topic, you find information, you binge Netflix in denial, you work more on your project... do you need to change your topic if you can't find the information you need? Do you check in with your instructor or a librarian? At some point you have to put together all the evidence you've found. Then decide what the most important information is to share with your class!
You're already practicing and using information literacy skills daily! Applying them to your academic world may feel like a big deal, but it's possible. In ENGL 1010 you'll learn about how you can combine your information literacy skills with other literacies to have a successful academic career.
