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The NEW National Standards for Information Literacy:

   The NEW National Standards for Information Literacy: 

        School librarians are represented nationally by AASL (American Association of School Librarians), a division of ALA (American Library Association). On June 25, 1998, AASL unveiled the first-ever such standards at the annual ALA convention in Washington, D. C. (Previous principles have been presented as 'guidelines', and have been more program oriented and general. See INFORMATION POWER: GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAMS, ALA and AECT, Chicago & Washington D.C., 1988.) The current standards are specific and relate directly to individual student outcomes. An example:

Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively. Success Indicators:

  1. Information for practical application
  2. Integrates new information into one's own language
  3. Applies information in critical thinking and problem-solving
  4. Produces and communicates information and ideas in  appropriate formats 

        The new publication's subtitle reflects another new emphasis -- collaboration: INFORMATION POWER: BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS FOR LEARNING, ALA and AECT, 1998. It is designed for ALL educators to help students develop print, nonprint and electronic information literacies. The standards and their related "success indicators" can assist in identifying links between student information needs, curricular content and learning. Succeeding chapters suggest avenues of implementation. A table of contents follows:

  • Preface
  • Introduction
  • Part One Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning
    • Chapter 1 The Vision
    • Chapter 2 Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning (excerpt) 
  • Part Two Building Partnerships for Learning
    • Chapter 4 Learning and Teaching
    • Chapter 5 Information Access and Delivery
    • Chapter 6 Program Administration 
    • Chapter 7 Connections to the Learning Community 
  • Appendixes
    A. Library Power 
    B. ICONnect 
    C. Students and Policies:  ALA Library Bill of Rights; ALA Access to Resources and Services in the School Library Media Program; ALA Confidentiality of Library Records; ALA The Freedom to Read; ALA Access to Electronic Information, Services, and Networks; AECT Code of Ethics;  AECT Statement on Intellectual
    D. Student Performance Assessment 
    F. Contributors 
    G. Index

A shorter publication, INFORMATION LITERACY STANDARDS FOR STUDENT LEARNING, ALA and AECT, 1998,  is available for distribution to principals and for other advocacy needs. 

The Information Power site (http://www.ala.org/aasl/ip) includes overviews and excerpts from five chapters.  It also contains Information Power products ordering information, as well as a simple "Request for Permission" form to facilitate use of material, including a logo. 

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