Connecting Information Literacy and Social Justice: Why and How

Abstract

Libraries have a long, though not uncomplicated, history with social justice and social advocacy. The new ACRL Framework for Information Literacy, which is more conceptual and flexible than the original Standards, offers an opportunity for librarians to approach teaching and learning from a social justice perspective. Indeed, the Framework integrates social justice and anti-oppression into some of its frames. This essay will examine the reasons for approaching information literacy from a social justice perspective and will analyze the opportunities and limitations of the new Framework with regard to social justice issues. It concludes with a proposal for a new frame, "information social justice," that could be added to the existing Framework.