What is Information Literacy?

“Information literacy is the ability to think critically and make balanced judgements about any information we find and use. It empowers us as citizens to develop informed views and to engage fully with society.” - CILIP

Within five key contexts:

  1. Everyday – when people find information online
  2. Citizenship – helping people to understand the world around us
  3. Education – developing critical thinking skills at all stages of education, from school to higher education
  4. The workplace - Contributing to employability
  5. Health – finding reliable sources of health information

Why do we need it?

“The creation of an Information Society is key to social, cultural and economic development of nations and communities, institutions and individuals in 21st century and beyond. Information Literacy should be an integral part of Education for all, which can contribute critically to the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”  - The Prague Declaration, 2003.

Choose your sources


Google only catalogues a tiny percentage of the internet – estimates vary from 0.4% up to 18% and "only 6% of the information on the internet has an educational purpose" (Maureen Henninger, Don’t just surf the ‘net: Effective research strategies, UNSW Press)

How does the SLA support?

We provide training, Guidelines, meet-ups and discussions around all the areas of work around school libraries. you can explore our current events on our calendar, or browse our products in our Shop. 

Helpful resources

Impact of School Libraries on Learning

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Teaching Retrieval - Skills Overview

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University sites offering resources

Most university sites have resources for their students. Some of these are ideal for KS4 and KS5 students, some for KS3

Explore these examples:

Support us

As a charity, our focus is on helping those that need it. But that means we need your help too. Whether it's volunteering, fundraising or donations, it makes a huge difference to the number of pupils we're able to support. 

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Training

The School Library Association offers a wide range of on demand and real time training to enhance the personal and professional development of everyone who works in school libraries.

  

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Support our awards

We run various awards that celebrate the people, projects and partnerships that make school libraries great. They are an important way of telling positive stories about school libraries and rely heavily on external support, whether it be sponsorship, prizes, or spreading the word. 

 

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