First, let’s start with a definition of information literacy. According to Webster’s Dictionary…just kidding, I won’t do that to you. However, it helps to start with a general idea about the topic here. The simplest way to describe it is as a group of techniques, approaches, and actions that we take when we are evaluating the reliability of the information we are encountering. And if you’re still with me, you probably have some idea of how increasing one’s information literacy could be useful when reading more than just the news or trying to “do your own research” on some particularly controversial topic. So what are some things you can keep in mind if you are looking to expand or polish the mental tool kit that you rely on? Let’s start with some general frameworks to keep in mind, and then I’ll recommend some specific resources to explore. If you want a more academic approach, you can use this free Coursera course on basic information literacy to increase your information literacy. Led by librarians and a teaching expert from the State University of New York system, you can learn to identify your own information gaps, evaluate information for accuracy and reliability, and devise appropriate research strategies. There are also courses with LinkedIn Learning (called Information Literacy) and Future Learn’s Learning in the Network Age for under $50 each. If you want to read more about the so-called “attention economy,” try this piece with seven books about the attention economy. For this, I like to repurpose some writing advice that I read years ago from Robert Boice’s Professors As Writers. To paraphrase some of what Boice wrote (which I acknowledge was for a very different set of issues, but which can be applied well to information literacy too): 1) start before you are ready, 2) be mindful as you practice, and 3) stop before you are finished. This is still some of the most difficult advice to apply to learning information, to writing, or even to living the harder parts of one’s life. If you’re looking for an approach to finding information about a complex topic like COVID-related research, try Jessica Pryde’s piece on how to do your own research. It gives you an introduction to some reliable ways to find information through your public library or (if you must) Google Scholar. There are also some games you can try online. Most are aimed at students, but adults might also find them worth trying. The BBC has made one called BBC iReporter, or there is another called Harmony Square where you can play the role of media troll. Finally, try iCivics.org’s NewsFeed Defenders game for clear steps to evaluate the reliability of information found in social media, presented in an interactive way. Honestly, sometimes I wish information literacy were a less relevant topic. For example, why are we making people “do their own research” on health topics that can be so absolutely life-altering? Why are we making basic care and information inaccessible to so many? SIGH. But you and I both know that this is the reality in so many places around the world. We have to keep moving forward and continuing to teach ourselves and others around us how to evaluate the information we must seek out on a regular basis. If you find that this isn’t enough for you, check out these 10 books about bad information. Thanks to that list, I’ve added some new titles to my TBR and most likely you will too. And just in case you need an uplifting break, read 32 reasons I became a librarian and let it restore some of your faith in humanity.
