Information Literacy

Information literacy empowers people with critical skills to find, evaluate, use, and create information. Whether you’re looking to teach information literacy skills or boost your own information literacy, these resources can help. Learn more about how to use the resources on this page.

Why Teach Information Literacy Skills?

Our information environment is made up of the people, organizations, and systems that collect, process, disseminate, and act on information. Thanks to modern technology, we have access to more information than ever before. That can make it hard to figure out what’s true, who to trust, and how to act on the information we read.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, one in five, or more than 43 million, U.S. adults lack the skills needed to compare and contrast information, paraphrase, or make inferences about material they read. By teaching information literacy skills, you can bridge this gap and give everyone the skills they need to make sense of information and separate fact from fiction.

How Is Information Literacy Related to Digital, Health, Financial, and Science Literacy?

On this website, in addition to the basics of information literacy, you can find resources on digital, health, financial, and science literacy. While all of these topics fall under the general umbrella of information literacy, they address specific types of information, and people need more specific skills to navigate them effectively. This website may expand in the future to cover more information literacy-related topics.

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Featured Resource

Creating Informed Learners in the Classroom: Facilitator Handbook

Created by Purdue University

Learn how to incorporate information literacy topics into your curriculum and teach students to use information in creative and effective ways.

Explore the Handbook

Explore More Information Literacy Resources

Information Literacy Basics

Looking for a basic introduction to information literacy? These resources are a great place to start.

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What Is Information Literacy?

Created by Brooklyn Public Library
Videos and other resources to help people identify, find, evaluate, and use information effectively

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Literacy Clearinghouse

Created by the American Library Association (ALA)
A collection of resources to foster literacy skills (including information, digital, health, and financial literacy) for people of all ages

A man sits at a table in his living room and reviews information in a binder.

Literacy Resources

Created by ProLiteracy
Research articles, webinars, and other resources for adult literacy instructors

Lessons

Use these lessons to teach key information literacy skills.

Creating Informed Learners in the Classroom: Facilitator Handbook

Created by Purdue University
A handbook designed to help educators incorporate information literacy skills in the classroom

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Empire State Information Fluency Continuum

Created by the School Library System of New York State (SLSA)
Continuum of essential information literacy and inquiry skills for K–12

Games and Interactive Activities

Make information literacy fun with these games and activities.

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Information Literacy Resources

Created by Smithsonian Libraries
A collection of interactive resources dedicated to helping people of all ages learn to think critically about how they identify, find, evaluate, and use information

Research and Data

Explore research on topics related to information literacy.

A blue gradient map of the United States.

U.S. Skills Map: State and County Indicators of Adult Literacy and Numeracy

Created by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
Map that estimates levels of adult literacy and numeracy across the country

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Literacy Gap Map

Created by the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
Map that traces the relationship between adult literacy, health, income, and education across the country

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American Communities Project

Created by the American Communities Project
A project that uses data and reporting to study cultural, socioeconomic, and political changes transforming local communities in the U.S.

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Explore Census Data

Created by the U.S. Census Bureau
A central hub to explore data collected by the U.S. Census, which can help in understanding different aspects of your community and how it compares to others

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Data.gov

Created by the General Services Administration (GSA)
A central hub for the U.S. Government’s publicly available data, featuring data visualizations and research tools, which can help with exploring issues relevant to your community and interpreting data

Community-building Resources

Use these resources to build community engagement and connect with others who are working to advance information literacy.

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Community Engagement Playbook

Created by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
A playbook outlining a step-by-step approach to building community engagement

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Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) Literacy Community

Created by Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT), a program of California State University Long Beach
An online community of faculty, library staff, administrators, and other stakeholders to share resources to enhance the quality of ICT teaching and learning

Information Literacy in the Real World

Find out how libraries, museums, and educational institutions across the country are advancing information literacy.

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Social Wellbeing Report

Created by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
Find out how museums and libraries across the country affect the wellbeing of their communities

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Museums and Libraries as Community Catalysts for Change

Created the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
Explore case studies and conceptual frameworks for libraries, archives, and museums seeking to spark change in their communities

A young woman sits with her mother at their kitchen table to review information on an ipad.

Libraries Combating Disinformation: From the Frontline to the Long Game

Created by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Open Learning Library
Find out how Montana librarians have helped community members search for information effectively

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Data Literacy with, for, and by Youth

Created by the Pratt Institute
Learn how informal educational organizations can empower young people in a data-centric world

Evaluation Resources for Professionals

Use these tools to evaluate the impact of information literacy-related projects in your community.

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Evaluation Resources

Created by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
A variety of program planning tools and evaluation definitions, methods, and case examples

The Program Manager’s Guide to Evaluation

Created by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
A manual on planning and implementing a program evaluation

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Toolkit to Measure Your Museum’s Social Impact

Created by the Utah Division of Arts & Museums and Thanksgiving Point
A guide for museum professionals to collect and analyze social impact data with helpful tips, checklists, best practices, and ready-to-use materials and language