The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) defined information literacy:

• Set of key abilities needed for:

  • finding and using information

  • applying higher order thinking skills to assess information

  • using information in ethical and creative ways

  • and promoting respect and empathy in online environments.

  • Include digital, visual, textual, and technological resources

"To succeed in our rapid‐paced, global society, our learners must develop a high level of skills, attitudes and responsibilities. All learners must be able to access high‐quality information from diverse perspectives, make sense of it to draw their own conclusions or create new knowledge, and share their knowledge with others" (AASL, 2009)

There are several terms associated with information literacy. The most popular of the terms include:

• Digital citizenship

• Media Literacy

• Research Skills

• Library Instruction

• Online fluency

• Applied Digital Skills

All related terms apply to the broad term idea of information literacy, but some professionals use different terms to define the type of information literacy lesson being taught. Some professionals mark a difference between digital citizenship (safe and responsible use of technology) and research skills (developing critical thinking skills to find and evaluate information).

• The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) - K-12 standards for high and low-tech deeper learning

• ISTE - K-12, educator, admin, etc., but focused more on digital aspects

• Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) - combines practices of AASL & ISTE to apply to academic integrity for the realm of higher education

• *Mostly* Focus on AASL & ISTE, but ACRL standards will come into play

This section is a bit boring, but the concept of authority is a key aspect to linking information literacy skills throughout a learner's educational career and beyond.

Once a student understands and can apply authority assessment, the skill can be transferrable to all other information literacy skills (e.g. digital citizenship)

ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (2016):

"Authority Is Constructed and Contextual

Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required."

This means we want our learners to know and understand the who, the what, the where, the when, and the why of what they are looking at.

Understanding "authority" is an important stepping stone towards information literacy and giving learners tools to help them evaluate what they're reading or viewing can help them in almost every aspect of life.