Monday, October 17, 2011

So much to learn, so little time

(Note: For the rest of October 2011, National Information Literacy Awareness Month, Armacost Library blog will showcase guest and regular writers. They were all asked to respond to the question "What does information literacy mean to me?")

Information literacy is really not about libraries. It is not information management, library use, research – NO -- none of these.  It is about learning, it is about teaching yourself what you need to know. Information literacy means developing the ability to learn how to learn, and how to keep on learning.

It is about learning your options so that you know how to solve a problem or make a decision based on information. How to know what information is valid and which is best for the purposes you have in mind and how to present your thoughts based on this reliable information and the knowledge gained from it.

In a world that changes constantly and where so much information is everywhere, being information literate means you can find, judge, and analyze, critique, use information to know what you need to know, to feel secure that you have exhausted the possibilities and will make an informed decision, that you have the information to move towards a solution to a problem: buying a car, choosing a college, identifying a symptom, diagnosing an illness, investing money, starting a business, writing a report, planning a trip... Wherever your path takes you -- have what it takes to know!

Become information literate and continue to learn so that you will know!

-- Gabriela Sonntag, Armacost Library Director

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