Information professionals as agents for information literacy

Despite some progress over the past decade, library and information professionals still report that universal information literacy is a distant, if not a receding, goal. A study by the Information School of the University of Washington, in cooperation with the Washington State Library, surveyed thr ough mail, email, telephone, and focus groups a majority of librarians in the state concerning their views on information literacy. The results of the study have clear implications for educating these professionals about information literacy and indicate that such education must include at least the following elements: a commitment to the value of a broad definition of information literacy; an acknowledgement that conveying critical and evaluative skills to patrons is an acceptable aspect of information literacy; training these professionals to be able to train others; and educating these professionals in advocacy, public relations, marketing, and coalition building.