"Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning." —Association of College & Research Libraries.
Put simply, information literacy is a set of skills and practices that encourage you to think critically about the information you find, use, and produce and the processes of discovering, ingesting, and utilizing said information. To be information literate requires practiced habits that engage you in a self-directed, critical reflection about how you learn.
We are simultaneously creators and consumers of information in an ever-changing landscape. Developing information literacy skills will help you evaluate and utilize the various forms of information you encounter more effectively and ethically.
"Otis College graduates will be able to assemble, evaluate, and ethically use information from diverse sources to accomplish a specific purpose." —Otis College Learning Outcomes.
Several librarians from art and design colleges, including Otis, created an Information Literacy course for LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com). In 2017, the course won an award for "Excellence in Electronic Resources."
Try it! It takes about 2 hours to complete. To take the course, sign in to LinkedIn Learning through the Catalog and Databases page.
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