Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning

2

Information literacy policy within the wider context of information policy

John Crawford

Abstract

This chapter discusses the nature of information, the characteristics of the information society and the formation of information policy. Definitions of information literacy are reviewed and the history of the development of the concept since the 1970s is considered. The influence of such major documents as the final report of the Presidential Committee on Information Literacy (ALA 1989), the Prague Declaration (UNESCO 2003) and the Alexandria Proclamation (Garner 2005) is analysed. The chapter concludes with a discussion on information literacy policies, the factors affecting them, what they should contain and how they should be promoted. ...