Social Information Literacy

The implication of people’s Lay Information Mediary Behavior (LIMB) is the need for a new approach to the delivery of information literacy — an approach we coin Social Information Literacy. In addition to comprising the core elements of traditional information literacy — “to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use information” (National Forum on Information Literacy, 2010) — Social Information Literacy premises that individuals be attuned to the information situations of others, that they have the skills to surface people’s information needs, and know how to optimally provide information (i.e., the right information, in the best format, in the right way at the right time), while utilizing personal information management systems. Social Information Literacy thus promotes 21st century skills by extending traditional information literacy to reflect people’s broader range of everyday life information behavior.

(Technology & Social Change Group, TASCHA; University of Washington Center for Information & Society) http://cis.washington.edu/research/socialinfolit/