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Information Literacy

Subject Guide

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Karen Niemla
Contact:
222 Hammermill Library
501 E 38th St
Erie PA 16546
(814) 824-3871

Information Literacy

Are you faculty?
To schedule an information literacy instruction session for your class, contact us here, or ask a librarian for more details.

 

Information Literacy is the broad ability to understand where information comes from, how to find it, what value different information resources may have respectively, and how to use information to produce new ideas. Being information literate means being able to:

  • decide how large or small the focus of a research project should be
  • identify authoritative resources, and understand different kids of authority
  • locate resources in a variety of formats
  • effectively use research tools
  • properly cite resources
  • produce new, original information

Additionally, your attitude is also as much part of Information Literacy as your skills are. Hard work, persistence, creativity are key to the research process, and being able to recognize your limitations and ask for help is an asset, not a shortcoming. To learn more about Information Literacy, see the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education from The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL).