Information Literacy
Information literacy refers to a set of integrated skills and practices focused on the discovery, evaluation, and interpretation of information; a critical understanding of how information is produced, valued, and distributed; and the ethical use of information to create new knowledge.
In general terms, information literacy encompasses how information is produced, disseminated, accessed, evaluated, and valued, including ethical questions about information production, organization, and access.
At a time of information abundance and advances in technology, such as generative artificial intelligence, as well as the rapid distribution of misinformation and disinformation, we see information literacy as essential to our educational mission at Oberlin and our students’ personal, academic, and professional lives.
Our Vision
The college’s learning goals align with the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education (Association of College & Research Libraries, 2017) in their focus on creating, evaluating, using, and sharing new information.
The Framework includes:
Concepts: how are different types of information valued or how are sources determined to be authoritative
Dispositions or habits of mind: maintaining an open and critical mind, persistence and adaptability in the research process, or seeking multiple perspectives during information gathering
Skills: how to develop a research question and search strategy or how to use databases
Oberlin librarians mapped the College’s learning goals to the Framework and have found many shared relationships between them. We envision these frames as concepts that can be introduced to students during their first year and built upon throughout their time at Oberlin.
This model encourages faculty and librarians to work together to promote information literacy through in-class instruction sessions, one-on-one research consultations, and public programming.
Resources
To assist faculty with integrating information literacy skills and concepts, we have developed guides that provide overviews of specific topics, along with possible in-class exercises:
First-Year Seminars
Information Literacy Topic Guides
Information Literacy Learning Outcomes at Oberlin
The following outcomes are centered on six core information literacy concepts and are designed to build progressively from the First-Year Seminar through a student’s time at Oberlin.
While these core concepts reflect shared understandings by experienced researchers of research and scholarship, they may remain unclear to novice learners. We view developing these concepts as central not only to academic and professional practices, but also to lifelong learning.
Core Information Literacy Concepts
Authority is Constructed and Contextual
Students who grasp this concept can examine information sources and ask relevant questions about origins, context, and suitability for the information need to identify credible and relevant information sources in multiple contexts.
Information Creation as a Process
Understanding different formats of information and the related creation processes can help students determine when and how to use a specific information source and help them make informed decisions regarding the appropriate format(s) for their own information creations.
Information Has Value
Understanding this concept will help students make sense of the legal and ethical guidelines surrounding information (and the reasons they exist) and make informed decisions both as information consumers and as information creators.
Research as Inquiry
Understanding this concept will help students recognize that research requires patience, persistence, and flexibility and will prepare them to make sense of the ambiguous nature of their search results rather than seeking a single "right" answer.
Scholarship as Conversation
Understanding this concept will help students better evaluate the relevance of specific information sources, to make sense of many of the requirements of scholarly practice, and better understand the expectations around their own role in the conversation.
Searching as Strategic Exploration
Students who understand this concept will be able to make appropriate decisions about where and how they search for information in different contexts.
First-Year Seminar
Authority is Constructed and Contextual
Recognize indicators of authority for different types of information sources (scholarly, news, opinion, primary sources, etc.)
Define different types of authority (subject expertise, societal position, lived experience, embodied, etc.)
Identify the key components of a scholarly, peer-reviewed article
Information Creation as a Process
Identify the characteristics of different information sources (scholarly articles, news, images, AI-created, etc.) and explain how the creation process influences their structure and content
Compare and contrast information formats to determine which is most appropriate for the audience, purpose, or academic discipline
Evaluate the credibility, relevance, and purpose of information based on its format and the context in which it was created
Information Has Value
Recognize the complexity of information access (financial, legal, ethical, and social barriers)
Recognize when ideas need to be attributed to others and what is “common knowledge”
Research As Inquiry
Construct an initial research question of an appropriate scope for an assignment or purpose
Describe multiple perspectives while maintaining an open mind and curiosity
Scholarship as Conversation
Understand that scholarship is a conversation in which meaning is created and debated over time
Describe how conversations vary across disciplines, including the types of sources used, methods of research, and citation styles
Searching as Strategic Exploration
Employ strategies to broaden and narrow search results (Boolean operators, phrase searching, truncation, etc.)
Distinguish among search tools (such as Search.Libraries, disciplinary databases, and AI-based tools)
Identify concepts, keywords, and phrases using brainstorming and other techniques
Seek guidance from experts, such as information professionals
Years 1 and 2
Authority is Constructed and Contextual
Describe traditional notions of granting authority within disciplines or professions
Explain the use of specific sources by explaining how their authority supports the research question or topic
Information Creation as a Process
Apply knowledge of creation processes (peer review, editorial oversight, etc.) to produce original work in a format that best supports the message and audience
Create information in various formats for diverse audiences, considering how choices about medium and platform influence meaning and impact.
Recognize differences between AI-created information and traditionally published sources (e.g., peer-reviewed, edited, or curated)
Information Has Value
Examine information privilege and how the production and dissemination of information shape access
Apply different conventions for citation or attribution between disciplines (e.g., APA vs. Chicago)
Research As Inquiry
Produce a research question based on curiosity, information gaps, or existing conflicting information
Demonstrate persistence, adaptability, and flexibility as part of the inquiry process
Describe how AI tools can support brainstorming or initial question development while recognizing their limitations
Scholarship as Conversation
Analyze how creators respond to, support, or challenge each other's ideas through published work
Consider the historical and societal context—and contemporaneous response— of resources and how they were created
Use sources purposefully to situate research questions and original ideas within the context of existing conversations
Searching as Strategic Exploration
Adapt search terms and techniques to refine a search strategy based on information gaps and evolving research questions
Design complex search strategies that use controlled vocabularies, multiple databases, finding aids, or descriptive metadata
Identify AI-based search tools and describe how they differ from traditional search engines or databases
Year 3 and Above
Authority is Constructed and Contextual
Critique systemic biases in knowledge production in different contexts
Analyze AI and other technologies and their impact on learning and the information landscape
Information Creation as a Process
Acknowledge one’s role as a creator and the potential of one’s work to inspire further inquiry
Analyze how the information creation and dissemination process can privilege certain voices and perspectives while marginalizing others
Information Has Value
Analyze and critique how written, aural, and visual information carries meaning
Weigh the costs of organizing, maintaining, and storing information (e.g., time, staff, space, environmental)
Evaluate the legal, ethical, economic, and social implications surrounding the use of information (e.g., copyright, privacy, AI)
Research As Inquiry
Design a research plan using various research methods, based on need, circumstance, and type of inquiry
Interpret, analyze, and synthesize information from different or contradictory perspectives to form new knowledge
Scholarship as Conversation
Contribute to a scholarly conversation in various forms (poster presentation, music, video, undergraduate journal, etc.)
Analyze how power and authority shape participation in scholarly conversations how inclusion of marginalized or underrepresented voices reshapes the conversation
Searching as Strategic Exploration
Create a comprehensive search strategy using advanced disciplinary search techniques or AI tools
Design and refine research strategies based on reflection and evaluation of past approaches
Additional Resources
- Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (Association of College and Research Libraries)
- Music Companion to the Framework (Music Library Association)
- Framework for Visual Literacy for Higher Education (Association of College and Research Libraries)
- Guidelines for Primary Source Literacy (Society of American Archivists, Rare Book and Manuscript Section, Association of College and Research Libraries)