Infobase’s Information Literacy Toolkit

Information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning. It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. It enables learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more self-directed, and assume greater control over their own learning. 

Scroll down for resources that support information literacy—and so much more!—at all levels, covering:
Digital Citizenship    News Literacy    Identifying Misinformation    Election Coverage    Critical-Thinking & Research Skills

For more information, contact us at (800) 322-8755 or OnlineSales@Infobase.com.

Redesigning Research: Information NONoverload!

If you want to amp up the research project game and leave behind the traditional PowerPoint and lecture, join librarian Naomi Bates as she navigates through a new perspective on teaching how to research that is based on participation and information NONoverload. In one lesson, students can become engaged in a research project while learning all about how to navigate through information from databases.

The New Basics: Practical Approaches to Media and News Literacy

Educators in today’s world are well aware of the importance of media and news literacy but may feel overwhelmed, intimidated, or even unsupported when contemplating how to incorporate these concepts into their classrooms. School librarians are prepared to advocate for such instruction, but the ever-evolving information landscape may make such instruction a daunting undertaking. Join us for this webinar, where award-winning librarian and teacher Jamie Gregory provides tips on how to navigate that changing landscape.

Serving All Communities: Navigating the Banned Books, Censorship & Intellectual Freedom Debates

A DISCUSSION WITH EDUCATION LEADERS

We are living in a time when freedom of speech, intellectual freedom, and the rights of individuals are vigorously debated daily. Local opinions about what books can be read and what words can be spoken are destabilizing forces in the day to day of educators and librarians across the country. Whether personally agreeing or disagreeing with the political machinations in individual towns and cities, librarians and educators still need to support every student, parent, and community member as their professions require. But how? Watch our panel discussion with library and education leaders where we share firsthand experiences and strategies to navigate these turbulent political times.

Why Asking Why Is Important: Building Inquiry Skills to Battle Fake News

Free Lateral Reading Workshop

LEARN HOW TO USE THIS IMPORTANT STRATEGY!

Teaching Information Evaluation with Lateral Reading, with Jenny Dale, Information Literacy Coordinator at UNCG.

Recent research has shown that lateral reading—the act of leaving a source to learn more about the source—is an efficient and effective first step in evaluating online sources. It helps us understand the sources we come across better because it puts sources in context, and adding this strategy to our source evaluation toolkit can help us identify potential issues with sources and avoid misinformation. Come learn why it’s important and how you can integrate it into your media literacy classes, training sessions, programs, and/or curricula.

WATCH PART 1WATCH PART 2

Practical Strategies for Teaching about Health Misinformation

Health misinformation is rampant in today’s information environment, and it is especially difficult to approach in the classroom. Medical and scientific topics are inherently complex and nuanced. Misinformation can come in many different formats, from memes to viral videos to articles. And certain health and medical topics—particularly vaccines—have become politicized. All these factors create potential pitfalls for educators who are trying to equip their students with critical-thinking skills.

In this webinar, Vanessa Otero—founder of Ad Fontes Media, which produces the famous Media Bias Chart®—covers practical strategies for teaching about health misinformation. She demonstrates how you can help students spot common rhetorical devices in misinformation content and then go over specific, current examples of such content. Analyzing real content will leave you feeling prepared to both tackle medical rumors and conspiracies with your students head-on and teach them how to find reliable health information.

Groundbreaking Whitepapers and Case Studies for All Levels

The Credo IL Strategy Handbook, Second Edition (College)

Credo’s team of librarians have created The Credo IL Strategy Handbook, Second Edition, based on years of working with hundreds of libraries, research into current best practices, and insight from our customers. This updated edition includes a new chapter on teaching information literacy online, discussing curriculum, outreach, and especially student engagement.

No Discovery? No Problem. How One College Library in Quebec Is Building Smart Researchers with Credo Reference (College)

School Library Journal Four Ways to Improve Digital Citizenship Education (K–12)

Digital citizenship skills are essential, and that’s particularly true now that many students are learning online during the pandemic. Yet, a School Library Journal survey, sponsored by Infobase, of K–12 educators and librarians across the U.S. suggests that schools aren’t focusing enough attention on teaching students how to become responsible digital citizens.

School Library Journal Preparing Students for Lifelong Success (K–12)

Many college freshmen lack basic information literacy skills. To get an idea of what stands behind these shortcomings, we worked with secondary school librarians to gain their insight into the literacy gap and its possible solutions. In this white paper, school librarians share how they meet the challenges of teaching Information Literacy. Learn about the importance of IL skills for college prep and how to improve them.

News Literacy Workshop

Check out our free 4-part workshop, which includes skill-building webinars and accompanying blog posts, with news literacy expert Vanessa Otero of Ad Fontes Media.

Rave Review of Vanessa Otero’s Webinars:
“I’ve been in journalism and communications as well as teaching for some years and have never encountered such an excellent teaching resource and workshop delivery. Excellent in every way.”—Rita E. Creane, Writer-Educator

Infographics and Games

Top 9 Information Literacy Misconceptions for First-Year College Students: Infographic

4 Groups Who Benefit from Information Literacy Health Science: Infographic

Top 4 Things School Districts Need to Know About Digital Citizenship Education: Infographic

Classroom & Library Collaboration: Information Literacy Challenges & Opportunities Infographic

Short On Time and Resources: Information Literacy Challenges & Opportunities Infographic

Media Literacy Bingo: Game

Don’t Miss These Webinars and Events

Finding Clarity in Chaos: Creating Balanced News Resources in a Time of Widespread Misinformation

Online Information Literacy: Advice from Credo’s Newly Updated IL Strategy Handbook

Teaching and Assessing Critical Thinking on Campus

Election 2020: Facts, Stats, and Historical Context—Inform Your Debates with Infobase

Building Digital Citizens at the Public Library: Webinar

Finding the Time: Prioritizing IL Instruction in a Crowded Health Science Curriculum

Information Literacy for MS and HS: Teaching Students How to Read This Compass

Folding in Information Literacy for Elementary Students: Learn while Learning

Thought-Provoking Blog Articles

• You Say Fake News, I Say Misinformation: What’s in a Term
• Why It Is Challenging to Teach News Literacy in Today’s World, and How to Do So Effectively Anyway
• Looking for a Teaching Resource? Check Out Creating Data Literate Students!
  
• ACRL Framework and Your Online Classes
• How to Evaluate Any News Content for Reliability and Bias

Infobase’s Information Literacy Products

Infobase offers a variety of products covering all facets of information literacy for all levels, including IL skill-builder videos, quizzes, and articles; professional development and training courses; trustworthy, vetted news services; unbiased pro/con content; curated reference databases; and much more.