"To be prepared for a future characterized by change, students must learn to think rationally and creatively, solve problems, manage and retrieve information and communicate effectively. By mastering information problem-solving skills, students will be ready for an information-based society and technological workplace."
American Library Association's position paper on information literacy

    Information literacy includes both a set of generic skills and competencies as well as skills and concepts that are specific to certain disciplines and subject areas. Different from (but encompassing and employing) computer literacy, and much more than basic instruction in how to use a library, information literacy is fundamental to developing students into successful, lifelong learners.

Information literacy has been defined as the "ability to recognize when information is needed and to locate, assess, and effectively use the needed information."

In January 2000, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) published five Standards relating to the definition of an information literate student. The Standards state that the information literate student:

1. determines the nature and extent of the information needed
2. accesses needed information effectively and efficiently
3. evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system
4. individually or as a member of a group uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
5. understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR ACADEMICS, CAREER, and CITIZENSHIP

Academic Career
    Students in every discipline, whether in Management or History, Earth Science or Psychology, have an abundance of information available to them from a wide and ever-growing variety of electronic and print resources. And students can access many of these resources from their dorm rooms and homes, independent of librarians and faculty. Developing the ability to navigate these resources, evaluate them and use them effectively and ethically is an essential part of their education.

Professional Career
    In today's business environment, success depends not only on what one knows but, even more importantly, on the ability to recognize when a key piece of information is missing and to efficiently, effectively, and ethically find and apply it. In 1991, the U. S. Department of Labor formed a committee called the Secretary's Committee on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) to determine the skills and tasks needed for jobs in the 1990's and beyond. They determined that information literacy was one of the five essential competencies for solid job performance. Nichols College is dedicated to providing the best practically-oriented business education in New England. To succeed, our students must be information literate.

Citizenship in the 21st Century
    Just as the acquisition of information literacy skills will help our students succeed in their academic and professional careers, it will also help them function responsibly and knowledgeably as citizens of the 21st century society. As the SCANS report observed, "Being information literate ultimately improves our quality of life as we make informed decisions when buying a house, choosing a school, hiring staff, making an investment, voting for our representatives, and so much more. Information Literacy is, in fact, the basis of a sound democracy."

INFORMATION LITERACY AT NICHOLS COLLEGE

    One of the goals put forth in the Nichols College strategic plan is to have information literacy "permeate" the curriculum. For this to occur there must be collaboration among classroom faculty, academic administrators, librarians, and other information professionals. In an effort to provide a more structured and systemic process and to ensure that all students graduate with a specific set of competencies and skills we have adopted a two-tiered approach to integrating information literacy on campus. First year students learn basic skills and strategies in general education courses, including the First Year Professional Development Seminars, the Current Issues Symposium, and the Computer Applications courses. Upper-division students will see these skills reinforced along with the introduction of more advanced skills in discipline-specific courses.