Defining Information Literacy
Understand what information literacy means, why it matters, and how it applies to your daily life.
Information literacy is not just a school skill — it is a fundamental competency for navigating modern life. Every decision you make is shaped by the quality of information you have access to and your ability to evaluate it.
What Is Information Literacy?
Information literacy is the ability to recognize when information is needed, and to locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information. The American Library Association defines it as a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and effectively use the needed information."
The Information Literacy Framework
- Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
- Information Creation as a Process
- Information Has Value
- Research as Inquiry
- Scholarship as Conversation
- Searching as Strategic Exploration
These six frames from the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy describe how experts think about information. Each frame challenges you to think more deeply about how knowledge is created, shared, and valued.
You practice information literacy every time you evaluate a news story, research a purchase, check a health claim, or assess a social media post. These skills compound over time.
Ready to test your knowledge?
3 questions · Grade 6 level