The American Library Association (ALA) joins President Obama in highlighting the importance of ensuring all Americans have the skills necessary to effectively navigate the Information Age.
Yesterday, the president issued a statement proclaiming October 2009 as National Information Literacy Awareness Month and calling “upon the people of the United States to recognize the important role information plays in our daily lives, and appreciate the need for a greater understanding of its impact.”
The president’s statement also makes the key point that [our emphasis] “though we may know how to find the information we need, we must also know how to evaluate it.”
{Here's the full text of the paragraph, note the mention of libraries.]
"Though we may know how to find the information we need, we must also know how to evaluate it. Over the past decade, we have seen a crisis of authenticity emerge. We now live in a world where anyone can publish an opinion or perspective, whether true or not, and have that opinion amplified within the information marketplace. At the same time, Americans have unprecedented access to the diverse and independent sources of information, as well as institutions such as libraries and universities, that can help separate truth from fiction and signal from noise.
“In libraries across the country, librarians are helping the public achieve this goal,” ALA President Camila Alire said. “During this month of awareness, ALA encourages more Americans to visit their local libraries to take full advantage of the services they provide to help the public develop strong information literacy skills.”
Alire also said robust broadband is the critical underlying infrastructure needed to effectively navigate the Information Age. ALA commends the president on the $7.2 billion for broadband included in the stimulus and specific inclusion of libraries (public computer centers) as key hubs for information literacy.
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