Library Instruction Department Guide

The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education is structured around six core principles. Each frame includes knowledge practices, which are demonstrations of learners' growing understanding, and dispositions, which cover the attitudes and values associated with information literacy. Together, these elements create a comprehensive framework that integrates various aspects of information, research, and scholarship into a unified whole. Please see A Beginners Guide to Information Literacy and ACRL Framework for a more thorough explanation. 

Since we can't cover everything, it's important to have a clear focus on the key areas you want to highlight.

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Information resources reflect their creators' expertise and credibility and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Experts understand that authority is a type of influence recognized or exerted within a community.

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Who’s the Expert? – Credibility

• Evaluate the reliability of sources based on context and creator.
• Understand that authority varies across different communities.
• Recognize the influence of personal and cultural perspectives on credibility.

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Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences.

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How is Info Made? – Development

• Identify different formats and processes of information creation.
• Understand the impact of creation methods on the final product.
• Recognize the cyclical nature of research and information production.

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Information possesses several dimensions of value, including as a commodity, as a means of education, as a means to influence, and as a means of negotiating and understanding the world. Legal and socioeconomic interests influence information production and dissemination.

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Why Does Knowledge Have Power? - Empowerment

• Recognize information as a tool for education and influence.
• Understand the ethical and legal implications of information use.
• Value information as a resource for personal and academic growth.

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Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers, in turn, develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field.

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How Does Curiosity Fuel Learning? - Exploration

• Formulate questions that drive the research process.
• Understand research as an ongoing, continual process.
• Develop strategies to refine and expand inquiries based on findings.

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Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and interpretations.

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What’s Your Contribution? - Dialogue

• Engage with scholarly materials and contribute original ideas.
• Recognize the value of diverse perspectives in academic work.
• Participate in the ongoing exchange of knowledge within a field.

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Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops.

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How Do You Search Like A Pro? - Strategy

• Develop effective search strategies tailored to specific needs.
• Use various tools and methods to locate reliable information.
• Evaluate and refine search approaches based on results.