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ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education

These standards were reviewed by the ACRL Standards Committee and approved by the Board of Directors of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) on January 18, 2000, at the Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association in San Antonio, Texas. These standards were also endorsed by the American Association for Higher Education (October 1999) and the Council of Independent Colleges (February 2004).

Information Literacy Defined
Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information."

Standard One - Know
The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the information needed.

Standard Two - Access
The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.

Standard Three - Evaluate
The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.

Standard Four - Use
The information literate student, individually or as a member of a group, uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.

Standard Five - Ethical/Legal
The information literate student understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally. American Library Association. Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. Final Report .(Chicago: American Library Association, 1989.)