Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to “recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.”
(American Library Association. Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. https://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/whitepapers/presidential)
To be information literate, one needs skills not only in research but also in critical thinking and problem-solving.
National University's institutional learning outcomes (ILOs) include demonstrating research literacy skills in support of lifelong learning.
National University Library is committed to ensuring students have the skills and behaviors they need to develop a deeper understanding of research within their discipline. Information literacy is a building block for lifelong learning, and it encourages and informs problem-solving and critical thinking. NU Library's instructional team trains students how to locate, use, and evaluate information to inform their research, use appropriate resources to produce high-quality information products, and respect the original authors through proper attribution of their work.
Information literacy training equips NU graduates with both specialized and adaptable information skills, preparing them for the workforce. Graduates can efficiently locate and critically assess information for sound decision-making, essential for individual and team projects. These abilities foster ongoing learning and support their professional, personal, and academic growth throughout their lives.
Employers are not only interested in academic learning but also in soft skills like communication, time management, and critical thinking. Information literacy is crucial for future employees because it allows individuals to effectively find, evaluate, and utilize information needed to perform their job duties, make informed decisions, adapt to changing work environments, and contribute to innovation, essentially making them more valuable and productive employees in today's data-driven world.
The NU Library has created ten student learning outcomes (SLOs) to ensure NU students and graduates are equipped with the information literacy skills needed in both their academic and career journeys. These SLOs were created after reviewing the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy, as well as digital literacy, metaliteracy, media literacy, and artificial intelligence (AI) literacy frameworks.
These SLOs are used to create NU Library webinars, tutorials, infographics, handouts, and more, and can be used by faculty to select the appropriate information literacy training for course assignments and research projects.
The NU Library offers tutorials and videos covering every aspect of the research process. Each tutorial and video maps to one of more of the information literacy student learning outcomes. Become a research expert today! Available on-demand, 24/7.
NU librarians are available to make online class presentations in Zoom that are tailored to your course research needs and help meet a variety of the information literacy student learning outcomes. Request instruction for your course today!
As always, the library is available to answer any question you have about information literacy, the research process, databases, and more! Contact us via email, chat, phone, or text. You can always view our FAQs for answers to many research questions.