Did you know one in five adults in the US has limited
information literacy skills?
This means they have trouble finding, judging and using
information in their daily lives.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services Information
Literacy Initiative wants to change that by providing
resources and training to support library and museum
professionals in their work to close information literacy gaps
in their communities.
I'm excited to tell you more about the many new tools and
resources created for this effort, But first, I think it's
important to highlight the journey that has LED us here.
The United States Congress and the White House, in a bipartisan
effort, asked IMLS to explore ways to improve information
literacy in our country.
Guided by an Information Literacy Task Force comprised of
federal agencies, we set out to help confront the challenges
faced by people of all ages of a lack of information literacy in
many areas, from health and finance to civic engagement and
public safety.
Library and museum professionals play a key role in advancing
information literacy in the United States.
After all, they are trusted educators in communities, and
they have a deep understanding of community needs and
priorities.
That is why IMLS is teaming up with local libraries and museums
to offer financial, health, and digital learning opportunities
for communities.
The resources range from simple, shareable pieces like a
checklist on how to recognize real versus fake information
online to comprehensive lesson plans for facilitating in person
or virtual trainings.
There are also tips on how to recruit local experts for
trainings.
We know the critical role Library Museum professionals
have in closing information literacy gaps in communities,
and this initiative is meant to support them in the important
work that they do every day.
By fostering information literacy, we are empowering
people to find, evaluate, and use information and apply
skillful judgments to make decisions as they address their
daily needs.
So please join us in this information literacy journey
toward building strong, healthy, and more equitable communities.