History of the "Information Literacy" in the U. S., Based on Official Papers of the Library Organizations

Abstract

This study reviews the definitions and instructional methods of "information literacy" in the U. S., through the official papers of the library organizations that started the movement. As early as the 1970's, toward the age of sudden increase of information, the importance of instruction on information literacy became apparent in the field of libraries. In 1989, the Final Report of the ALA Presidential Committee on Information Literacy defined "information literacy" and the definition has been widely referred to. Around that time, people started to develop methods for information literacy instruction and the "process approach" based on the process of information retrieval became popular. In 1998, the AASL and the AECT published the new school library standard "Information Power : Building Partnerships for Learning", which defined information literacy instruction as the center of the school library media program.