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Information Literacy

What is an Information Literate Student?

An information literate individual is able to:

• Determine the extent of information needed. 
• Access the needed information effectively and efficiently. 
• Evaluate information and its sources critically. 
• Incorporate selected information into one's knowledge base.
• Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.
• Understand the economic, legal and social issues surrounding the use of information.
• Access and use information ethically and legally.

 Why is this important?

Information Literacy is one of the five Student Learning Outcomes identified by the College that is necessary to master before graduation. Information Literacy is a critical thinking skill that is important to use now and in the future in daily life, and as a lifelong learner. Once the principles are understood, it becomes second nature to consider all information you are presented with critically. It helps you with college research and in making educated decisions in daily activities...what car to buy, how you choose to vote, whether information you are presented with is accurate and viable.

These media examples provide another approach to understanding Information Literacy:

Student Performance Outcomes/Objectives

Understand basic research fundamentals to:

• Appreciate the fact that there is a process to searching for information.
• Identify key words or phrases that represent a topic.
• Formulate, broaden and narrow a topic.
• Use Boolean logic (e.g., AND, OR, NOT) to focus research.
• Recognize various formats of information.
• Locate bibliographic and reference sources that are appropriate to a topic.
• Distinguish between popular, scholarly, current and historical resources.
• Distinguish between indexes in various formats.
• Distinguish between online databases, collections of online databases, and gateways to different databases and collections.
• Recognize what the library owns and how to find it.
• Understand how to secure materials not held by the library.
• Use appropriate documentation to cite sources.
• Use information ethically and legally.

Navigate the library by:

• Accessing the Seminole State Library website and exploring its components.
• Becoming aware of basic library policies, procedures and services, including contacting other libraries directly or through Interlibrary Loan/document delivery. 
• Discovering the locations of library collections, service desks and other physical features of the building.
• Using the LINCCWeb online catalog. 
• Searching for a known item by author and title, or by subject and keyword. 
• Correctly interpreting catalog information. 
• Accessing journals by title. 
• Searching for periodical holdings.

Search online databases, printed indexes and abstracts for full-text or applicable citations in magazine, journal and newspaper articles by:

• Searching online databases by subject, keyword, author and title. 
• Searching printed indexes and abstracting services by subject, author and title. 
• Using help screens in various databases to assist in research. 
• Understanding different interfaces for basic and advanced searching in some databases. 
• Recognizing the search functionalities common to most databases. 
• Determining means for recording or saving information (printing, e-mailing, saving to a disk, photocopying, etc.).
• Recognizing that some materials are not available online or in digitized form and must be accessed in print or other formats (video, microforms, etc.).

Use the Internet to:

• Connect to research-oriented resources.
• Evaluate the contents, credibility, design and navigational features of websites.

The Library adheres to the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education as approved by the Association of College and Research Libraries on Jan. 18, 2000. ACRL defines information literacy as:

"...the basis for lifelong learning. It is common to all disciplines, learning environments and levels of education. It enables learners to master context and extend their investigations, become more self-directed and assume greater control of their own learning."