Walt certainly has generated a lot of comments lately. I was catching up on my aggie reading and noticed some commentary on the commons-blog regarding a definition of the term Information Commons. But I lost focus on the thread when I saw Walt remark that “At this point, “information commons” just isn’t a way I pull all of this together, just as I continue to be unconvinced that “information literacy” means much of anything (although a couple of old and dear friends are heavily involved in that movement) and also continue to regard the “digital divide” as more hype than substance. (Geez, have I alienated everyone now?)” (bold emphasis is mine).

I was quite surprised since, in my naive mind, information literacy is a very clean distillation of what appeals to me about librarianship. Sure, the term is so much bibliobabble, much like “Interlibrary Loan,” “Selective Dissemination of Information” or even “database.” To me though, it succinctly synthesizes what I’ve come to regard as a fundamental goal of librarianship.

A quick definition: “…information literate people know how to find, evaluate, and use information effectively to solve a particular problem or make a decision—whether the information they select comes from a computer, a book, a government agency, a film, or any number of other possible resources.” 1989 ALA Presidential Committee on Information Literacy Final Report.

Somewhere along the way in the grande olde days of grad school, I realized that I, first and foremost, needed to become that person myself. Second, I needed to empower others to “use information effectively to solve a particular problem or make a decision.” That was my whole raison d’etre and my driving force as I selected classes and subsequently, a career path.

So I guess I’m mildly stunned to see what amounts to my motto/creed (note blog description) summarily dismissed as devoid of meaning by someone I respect. And I suppose I’m too young to recognize Information Literacy as a movement, rather than an essential, fundamental objective. Maybe I’m just enchanted with its progressive and idealistic ring. All I know is that words and phrases such as these are only useful in so far as they successfully communicates ideas, and the phrase Information Literacy has done a whole lot of communicating to this librarian.