Re-framing information literacy for social justice

Abstract

Currently in the United States, debate ranges over the purpose of higher education, and whether colleges should focus on job skills and preparing a workforce, or the extent to which they are responsible for developing citizens prepared to fully participate in a democratic society. The New ACRL Information Literacy Framework provides a conceptual approach to teaching and learning information literacy in higher education. The frames outline broad ideas and knowledge areas, many of which lend themselves to social justice interpretations, which could align with a socially responsible curriculum. This paper examines the development of the Framework and analyzes each frame from a social justice perspective, ending with a proposal for a new frame on information social justice.