Navigating a Shifting Landscape: Information Literacy in Higher Education

Abstract

Since the concept of information literacy was founded in the 1970s, new ways of conceptualizing information literacy have been continually introduced to the field. Supporting the assessment movement in higher education, the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education played a major role in how information literacy was defined for several decades. However, even during this period other ways of conceptualizing information literacy derived from research findings and theoretical explorations were presented as alternatives. Other information-related literacy models and theories, such as digital literacy and media literacy, were introduced as well. More recently, the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education has guided instructional programming in libraries, while critical information literacy has also come to the forefront of teaching practice in librarianship. Outlining these changing ideas of information literacy, this chapter explores how these developments have informed the work of instruction coordinators, including myself, in shaping information literacy programs.