Rethinking the 2000 ACRL Standards: Some Things to Consider

Abstract

I propose three "rethinks" to consider in recasting the ACRL Standards for information literacy for the coming decades. First, rethink the concept of information need. Second, rethink the notion that information literacy is composed of a set of abilities for "extracting information." Third, rethink the holistic process of learning from a variety of sources of information that is central to information literacy. The necessity for these "rethinks" are grounded in my extensive studies of students' experience in the information search process that reveal an evolving, dynamic, holistic process incorporating a series of feelings (affective), thoughts (cognitive) and actions (physical) as described in the six stage model of the ISP (Kuhlthau, 2004). The challenge is to begin with the premise that information literacy enables a person's deep thoughtful process of learning from a variety of sources that is essential in a dynamic information environment.Rethinking the 2000 ACRL Standards: Some Things to Consider

Keywords

• information search process; feelings; reflection;learning