Volume 7, Issue 2, 2013 REFLECTING ON THE STANDARDS [ARTICLE] I L D NFORMATION ITERACY AND IGITAL L ITERACY Competing or complementary? Rosanne Marie Cordell Northern Illinois University ABSTRACT Digital literacy is a more recent concept than information literacy and can relate to multiple categories of library users in multiple types of libraries. Determining the relationship between information literacy and digital literacy is essential before revision of the ACRL Standards can proceed. 177 Cordell, Information Literacy and Digital Literacy Communications in Information Literacy 7(2), 2013 INTRODUCTION sites like Facebook, Google Docs, and YouTube into their syllabi. These educators Every public services librarian knows didn’t want to teach these resources, but intuitively that there is a close relationship they had to do so in the context of the between information literacy and digital content lessons they were creating. They literacy. When a librarian helps a patron wanted to create new learning search for articles in a database, there is an environments, but students needed to be interplay between information literacy able to navigate within and contribute to (which database to search, which terms to those environments. The skills these use, which limiters to employ, how to educators needed their students to use were evaluate the articles in the results, how to not necessarily (but they could be) skills use the information found effectively and they were using outside of academia. ethically, etc.) and digital literacy (how to Students might already have the requisite navigate the library web site, how to get to a skills, or they might not. search page or find the advanced search page, how to find the help files, how to save Librarians involved in research instruction or export the citations and full text, how to (by any name) understand that students need set up an account in a social media site, how to be able to create and store folders and to upload files to that site, how to comment files on a computer or tablet, on campus on others’ postings, etc.). The exact shared drives or courseware such as distinction between information literacy and Blackboard, and on the web. Students need digital literacy has not been determined, but to be able to access and edit files created by we know they are related and suspect that other students and to comment on digital they are not the same thing. creations in ways that contribute to discussions among the students involved in For years academic institutions required a a project. Librarians know that students level of computer literacy for their need these areas of knowledge and skills in undergraduate students, a requirement that addition to knowing about information might be addressed by one department for needs, access, evaluation, use, and social the entire campus or by individual schools implications. The Information Literacy or colleges for their own students and in Competency Standards for Higher compliance with agreed-upon outcomes. Education, hereinafter the Standards, that These computer literacy courses might were developed in past decades are no require students to create and manage files; longer adequate by themselves to describe use database, spreadsheet, and word- all that students need to know in digital processing software; and enter or environments; neither can librarians be the manipulate data in various ways. These ones responsible for teaching all of it. Some courses generally focused on the skills of it must go back to those computer literacy needed to use particular applications for the courses, which should be updated and called coursework required in the students’ digital literacy courses. Maybe some already programs of study. are called that, but the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Over time, educators saw value in adding needs a clear(er) understanding of the social networking sites, wikis, multimedia relationship between information literacy sites and other similar resources to their and digital literacy to review and revise the curricula, and they began to incorporate Standards. 178 Cordell, Information Literacy and Digital Literacy Communications in Information Literacy 7(2), 2013 In 2000, academic libraries were well into learning, personal privacy, and the digital revolution in information storage appropriate stewardship of and retrieval, but we were not yet dealing information; with the integration of online databases with ● uses these skills and the bibliographic software and word processing, appropriate technologies to nor were many academics using social communicate and collaborate media for educational purposes. The writers with peers, colleagues, family, of the Standards document did an admirable and on occasion the general job of not only describing the complexity of public; the information landscape at that time, but ● uses these skills to participate also anticipating what was to come. actively in civic society and “Understanding …social issues surrounding contribute to a vibrant, informed, the use of information…”clearly covers the and engaged community." digital bullying and privacy concerns of the years since 2000. However, the Standards Clearly there is considerable overlap appropriately focused on the scholarly life between these two sets of skills and of undergraduate students and were not knowledge, but they are not identical. The meant to include all areas of life for all Task Force was well aware of the existence citizens. of the Standards and was deliberate in its decision to see digital literacy as distinct In 2013 the American Library Association from information literacy. In fact, its report Office for Information Technology Policy’s states that “Although academic libraries are Digital Literacy Task Force (Task Force) more focused on Information Literacy than examined various efforts to provide digital digital literacy, these two twenty-first literacy instruction and explored the century literacies are closely linked: potential for such instruction before making Information Literacy requires digital literacy recommendations for public policy, ALA, to access appropriate online research and individual libraries to further digital sources, and Information Literacy gives literacy efforts. This Task Force stated that further context to the evaluation skills “A digitally literate person: developed by digital literacy…” (2000, p. 14). ● possesses the variety of skills— cognitive and technical— These two operational definitions beg two required to find, understand, questions: What is the relationship between evaluate, create, and digital literacy and information literacy; and communicate digital information what should ACRL do with this in a wide variety of formats; understanding? ● is able to use diverse technologies appropriately and WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP effectively to search for and BETWEEN DIGITAL LITERACY AND retrieve information, interpret INFORMATION LITERACY? search results, and judge the quality of the information The definition of digital literacy was written retrieved; with full consciousness of the existence of ● understands the relationships the Standards, which had been written more among technology, lifelong 179 Cordell, Information Literacy and Digital Literacy Communications in Information Literacy 7(2), 2013 than a decade previously. Thus, it makes definitions do not mean that digital literacy sense to examine the probable distinctions instruction goes into the depth necessary in made by the Task Force. academic programs. For example, the evaluation of information is required for The digital literacy definition was meant to everyone to function in an open society. We apply to all types of users and in all types of value the right of free expression and open libraries. It suggests a curriculum only in the access to unfettered expression; broadest sense since many of the providers correspondingly, we all need the skills to of digital literacy instruction and distinguish satire from fact, fiction from programming do not identify their history, and scams from honest offers. This programming as a “curriculum,” and the general level of knowledge of the need for lessons they provide are not part of an evaluating sources of information and the institution-wide curriculum that is meant to criteria to use in such evaluation is not encompass clearly-defined student enough for students in academic programs outcomes for an entire program of study. to choose among scholarly sources to Although the language used in the digital identify the best sources for their projects. literacy definition is similar to that used in The criteria they must employ to gauge the the information literacy definition, that is in centrality of a journal to its field or the part because both definitions refer to general relative rank of scholars within a field are educational goals, not because the Task not criteria an adult entirely outside of Force thought digital literacy initiatives academia employs or needs. were necessarily formal curricular initiatives. They might be for some libraries, Fourth, communication with and and they might not be for others. participation in the user’s various communities are significant elements of The Task Force included the ability to digital literacy. One could argue that create information. The Task Force undergraduate students are taught to do the recognized the significant role the creation same with their academic communities, but of information plays in Web 2.0 an undergraduate student does not applications and social media. Academic participate in scholarly communication as libraries did not generally use such an equal to the experts in a field. Rather, applications when the Standards were they are learning how that communication written, but it is not necessarily true that this takes place and what the experts are saying. creation would be included in information These skills can prepare them for graduate literacy standards written (or revised) today. study and, ultimately, to take their place in a A thorough examination of the role that the scholarly community. They do not do so by creation of information might play in a completing a research project in an curriculum appropriately focused on undergraduate course. However, outside of scholarly pursuits is needed before this academia these same adults can participate could be answered. This, in particular, is an as equals in their work, family, and friends area that ACRL might decide properly groups and communicate with community belongs to academic colleagues who are and political leaders as fully enfranchised providing computer/digital literacy citizens. Digital literacy and information instruction. literacy programs have different outcomes in mind. Third, even almost identical skills in the two 180 Cordell, Information Literacy and Digital Literacy Communications in Information Literacy 7(2), 2013 Fifth, The Task Force did not write steps of research. Librarians do not standards for digital literacy. That level of teach the mathematical skills needed detail is best provided by the organizations to understand the statistical tables for the various types of libraries involved in that students might retrieve. digital literacy: ACRL, the Public Library Librarians do not teach the literary Association, the American Association of theories needed to choose among School Libraries, and perhaps the scholarly papers. Librarians do not Association for Library Service to Children, teach the historical facts needed to and the Young Adult Library Services use a chronologically arranged Association for their distinctive user groups. source. Similarly, librarians should The Standards translate each part of that not need to teach students how to definition into separate performance create a folder—online, on a portable indicators and outcomes. The Task Force memory device or computer, or on a could not do this level of work for all the network drive—and save files in that types of users the Report covers. It was also folder, changing the default names of not appropriate for the Task Force to set files to something meaningful and such standards; such work takes the moving files around among folders. collective intelligence and experience of the What other skills and concepts librarians in the various types of libraries. should students already have before they launch into an information The definition of digital literacy overlaps literacy course? What is best left for the definition of information literacy in academic colleagues who teach several places, but they do so as common digital literacy or introductory areas of concern and endeavor, not as computing courses? The portions of competing priorities. the Standards listing outcomes in these areas should be looked at with WHAT SHOULD ACRL DO WITH these questions in mind. THIS UNDERSTANDING? 2. Determine how far into the research process the Standards should The shared and separate areas of digital address. Are librarians expected to literacy and information literacy intended just teach the research, or the for academic librarians to teach must be product, as well? Librarians are defined by ACRL in the context of its already involved in assisting (and, revision of the Standards. It would be thus, in some instances, teaching) inappropriate for a single individual or an students in reference transactions outside agency to impose a viewpoint on how to create a project or product to ACRL, but a few suggestions from the showcase and report their research. author might facilitate this work: Although it is common for other specialists to be available in modern 1. Determine the entry-level reference rooms of any arrangement, technological skills needed for librarians put in long hours at a meaningful participation in an public desk and are often readily Information Literacy program. recognized by students as the “one to Librarians cannot teach all the ask.” Should librarians be adept at concepts and skills needed by using all the multimedia software students to be successful in all the 181 Cordell, Information Literacy and Digital Literacy Communications in Information Literacy 7(2), 2013 and online applications students are information literacy instruction. expected to use for their research However, all graduate students need presentations? Should any of these to develop greater understanding of skills be included in the Standards? research and of the fields they are Where does citation management studying. They need to know the software fit? Should librarians teach history and characteristics of the how to use it? Should its use be literature of their discipline, the included in the Standards? Standards types of reference and research are not lofty and unattainable goals; materials available in it, and the they are benchmarks that types of information and value that Information Literacy programs are other disciplines can bring to their expected to reach. In determining own research. They need to know the whether to include skills for the value and limitations of citation presentation of information, ACRL indexes, how to determine the must keep in mind the skills that centrality of a journal in its field, the librarians would be required to place of collaborative work, cross- master in order to teach these areas. disciplinary areas, and so much There is a limit to the amount of time more. Expanded or separate individual librarians can devote to standards that are developed, perhaps acquiring new (and, perhaps, jointly with disciplinary tangential) technological skills in an organizations, would give guidance already busy work life. Again, and direction to all levels of standards should be written in a way information literacy instruction. that facilitates the conversations with institutional colleagues called for in 4. Review the Standards and outcomes point 1 in order to accomplish what in light of new knowledge about students need without overloading learning. We know that learning is the Standards to the point that developmental, and several librarians give up trying to researchers have written about what accomplish them. this means for research; by reviewing the literature and aligning 3. Expand the Standards to cover the Standards to the levels of higher levels for more advanced learning that are likely to occur in instruction. The term “literacy” undergraduate studies, and creating connotes a basic level of standards appropriate for graduate competency, and standards covering levels, we can educate librarians this level were truly needed when the about learning and facilitate student Standards were written. Many success at the same time. librarians are now teaching information literacy courses at the CONCLUSION graduate level. Graduate students who did not have the advantage of Information literacy and digital literacy are undergraduate information literacy not competing concepts; they are courses may need instruction that complementary areas for students in higher begins at a more basic level than education. Further, digital literacy concepts graduate students who had thorough and skills can provide the fundamentals of 182 Cordell, Information Literacy and Digital Literacy Communications in Information Literacy 7(2), 2013 managing digital environments that students need to succeed in Information Literacy and their other areas of study. What is required of ACRL is to recognize that this relationship exists between information literacy and digital literacy, to define the relationship more clearly for its members, and to see the existence of the digital literacy concept as an opportunity to re- engage academic colleagues in a meaningful discussion of the knowledge and skills students need today. Librarians have an obligation to their institutions to inform broader discussions of curricula whenever we have significant input to offer, and this is such a time. Let’s employ both digital literacy and information literacy in our efforts to provide rich educational experiences for students in higher education. REFERENCES Association of College & Research Libraries. (2000). Information Literacy competency standards for higher education. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/ standards/ informationliteracycompetency#Information Literacydef American Library Association. Office for Information Technology Policy. Digital Literacy Task Force. (2013). Digital literacy, libraries, and public policy: Report of the Office for Information Technology Policy’s Digital Literacy Task Force. Retrieved from http:// www.districtdispatch.org/wp-content/ uploads/2013/01/2012_OITP_digInformatio n Literacyitreport_1_22_13.pdf 183