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Category(s):
information literacy

academic achievement
lifelong learning

About

Originally established in 1989 by the American Library Association's (ALA) Presidential Committee on Information Literacy as a volunteer, advocacy organization, the National Forum on Information Literacy was ALA's response to the inadvertent omission of the teaching and learning role of academic and school libraries in our nation's educational reform movement.  Given the dramatic rise of the information society and a growingly robust national technological infrastructure, professional librarians possess a largely untapped information literacy skill set essential to our ability to maintain our competitive advantage in the global marketplace.  Although hailed in 1991 by the U. S. Dept. of Labor’s Secretary Commission on Necessary Skills as a needed asset for educational and workforce development programs, information literacy continues to be overlooked and underutilized by many educational reform and workforce development constituencies today.

Information literacy, in fact, lies at the core of lifelong learning and is at the heart of the 21st century skills movement. The National Forum on Information Literacy celebrates its 20th anniversary, having recently acquired its 501c3 certification as a non-profit social enterprise.  Its mission has expanded beyond just promoting information literacy.  Under its new status, it intends to support individuals, non-profit organizations, businesses, schools, and government agencies in utilizing the empowering influence of information literacy as the 21st century springboard for personal enrichment, social/economic growth and development, and civic engagement at the local, state, and national level.  

Effective utilization of the ICT universe and retaining our competitive advantage worldwide depends on our ability, as a nation, to nurture, support, and produce an information literate citizenry. As we move further into the 21st century, information literacy will become the standard-bearer for academic achievement, workforce productivity, and competitive advantage.