Foundations of information literacy

CHICAGO — It’s not hyperbole to conclude that in today’s world, information literacy is essential for survival and success; and also that, if left unchecked, the social consequences of widespread misinformation and information illiteracy will only continue to grow more dire. Thus its study must be at the core of every education. But while many books have been written on the subject, “Foundations of Information Literacy,” published by ALA Neal-Schuman, is the first text to examine information literacy from a cross-national, cross-cultural, and cross-institutional perspective. It’s written by Natalie Greene Taylor and Paul T. Jaeger, who previously collaborated on “Foundations of Information Policy.” From this book, LIS students and practitioners alike will:

• learn about information literacy in a wide variety of contexts, including academic and school libraries, public libraries, special libraries, and archives, through research and literature that has previously been siloed in specialized publications;
• come to understand why information literacy is not just an issue of information and technology, but also a broader community and societal issue;
• get an historical overview of advertising, propaganda, disinformation, misinformation, and illiteracy;
• gain knowledge of both applied strategies for working with individuals and for addressing the issues in community contexts;
• find methods for combating urgent societal ills caused and exacerbated by misinformation; and
• get tools and techniques for advocacy, activism, and self-reflection throughout one’s career.

Examination copies are available for instructors who are interested in adopting this title for course use. An e-book edition of the text will be available shortly.

Taylor, PhD, MLS, is an associate professor and coordinator of the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program at the School of Information of the University of South Florida. She has published articles in more than two dozen scholarly journals, her research has appeared in American Libraries and other professional journals, and she has coauthored five books, including “Libraries and the Global Retreat of Democracy: Confronting Polarization, Misinformation, and Suppression.” She is coeditor of Library Quarterly. Jaeger,PhD, MLS, JD, MEd, is a professor at the College of Information Studies and codirector of the Museum Scholarship and Material Culture program at the University of Maryland. He is the author of more than 200 journal articles and book chapters, as well as twenty books. His research has been funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Science Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others. He is coeditor of Library Quarterly. In 2014 he received the Library Journal/ALISE Excellence in Teaching Award.

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