The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) states:
Information literacy has progressed from the simple definition of using reference resources to find information. Multiple literacies, including digital, visual, textual, and technological, have now joined information literacy as crucial skills for this century.
(AASL, 2007)
As we have entered the 21st century, there is a continued concern among teachers and parents that the standard curriculum does not prepare today’s students to deal with the massive amount of information available.
With the recent focus on accountability and testing, often teachers do not feel they have time or the knowledge to focus on information literacy. Often, this task falls to the school librarian. AASL is aware of this and has recently released their Standards for the 21st-Century Learner to be found at: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf
These standards specifically address benchmarks in the following areas.
- Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.
- Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge.
- Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society.
- Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.
(AASL, 2007)
In rural areas, this can create an issue as school librarians are increasingly being replaced by para professionals. In these areas, the public library may be best able to support the schools in this effort.
My intention through this blog is to present resources to help school and public librarians understand the importance and scope of information literacy and to offer ideas on how to work with students on these issues.
Citation:
American Association of School Librarians. (2007). Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/standards.cfm
