The term "information literacy" describes a set of abilities and skills that facilitate effective gathering and use of information. In today's information rich environment such skills are vital for an individual's personal, professional, and academic life.
The most widely used definition of information literacy was produced by the American Library Association1 :
To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information.
Other definitions include the following from the Society of College, National and University Libraries2:
Information literate people will demonstrate an awareness of how they gather, use, manage, synthesise and create information and data in an ethical manner and will have the information skills to do so effectively.
More recently the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals3 described information literacy as:
The ability to think critically and make balanced judgements about any information we find and use. It empowers us as citizens to reach and express informed views and to engage fully with society.
It is also important to note that information literacy skills are just one aspect of the overall skills and attributes that students should develop during their academic journey, for example, students will be developing digital and media literacy skills.