Library Instruction & Information Literacy @ St. Thomas: Framework 3: Information Has Value

The value of information takes many forms: it is a means for educating individuals and influencing ideas and a tool for negotiating and understanding the world. Learners who understand this concept understand their rights and responsibilities when creating and using information; they will recognize how information can be used to effect change or for civic, economic, social, or personal gains.

Learning Outcomes

Students can:

• Credit the work of others through proper attribution and citations
• Articulate the purpose and characteristics of copyright, fair use, open access, and the public domain
• Decide where and how to publish their own information while protecting their intellectual property rights

Students will:

• Make informed choices related to the privacy and publication of their personal information
• Recognize that information has the power to influence individuals' understanding of an issue
• Recognize why some individuals or groups may be underrepresented or marginalized within systems that create and distribute information
• Recognize disparities in access to information
• Value the skills, time, and resources needed to produce knowledge ​

(Adapted from MacPhaidin Library/Stonehill college)

• Time is money. Ask students to blog for a week about their life of information, noting their information needs and the associated costs of getting that information. What are the associated costs if they cannot find the information, and what are the cost benefits of getting the information? For example, if a student cannot find a FAFSA form in time, or how to complete it, or the details to provide within the form, they lose out on scholarships.
   
• Ask students to find several images that would enhance the project or paper on which they are working. Then ask them to determine which can be used without asking permission. What would they need to do to use this material?
   
• Ask students in professional or career-focused programs to consider what individuals or organizations make money distributing information relating to that profession or career. Have students discuss the usefulness and potential risks behind this information.
   
• Ask students to determine what information they can find about themselves or a relative online, and to assess whether steps should be taken to control this personal information.

(Adapted from Emory Libraries & Info Technology)