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Information Literacy: Home


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Welcome

Welcome! The purpose of this guide it to introduce library resources and the concept of information literacy.

UCI Libraries: Getting Started!

Where can I find...

Books? Search in Library Search. For search tips, check out the Library Search Help Guide.

Ebooks? You'll also find these in Library Search! Our eBook Collections Guide has more information.

Articles? You can find all types of articles -- newspaper, popular, scholarly, and trade -- through one of the many article databases that are available through the UCI Libraries' subscriptions. To find the right database, take a look at our Databases to Get You Started Guide or a subject-specific Research Guide.

For more help, try our "I Want to Find..." list of guides that highlight our best library resources. Or, you can always ask a librarian!

Information Literacy: Introduction

What is information literacy?

Information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning. It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. It enables learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more self-directed, and assume greater control over their own learning. 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, and access and use information ethically and legally

Definition from the Association of College & Research Libraries' Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.

This guide will also will bring together the latest information on the ACRL FrameworkThe Framework opens the way for librarians, faculty, and other institutional partners to redesign instruction sessions, assignments, courses, and even curricula; to connect information literacy with student success initiatives; to collaborate on pedagogical research and involve students themselves in that research; and to create wider conversations about student learning, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the assessment of learning on local campuses and beyond.

Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education

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