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Institute of Museum and Library Services outlines national information-literacy initiative for libraries and museums
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Summary
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) outlined a new Information Literacy Initiative that provides resources and training for library and museum professionals to help the "one in five" U.S. adults who struggle to find, judge and use information. Presenters described federal origins, interagency guidance and sample tools such as checklists and lesson plans.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services outlined a new Information Literacy Initiative aimed at equipping library and museum professionals with tools and training to help the roughly one in five U.S. adults who have limited information literacy skills.
In the presentation, Presenter (S1) said, "Did you know 1 in 5 adults in the US has limited information literacy skills. This means they have trouble finding, judging, and using information in their daily lives." The speaker framed the initiative as a response to that gap and said the program will focus on community-facing supports.
Presenter (S1) said the initiative grew from a bipartisan request: "The United States Congress and the White House, in a bipartisan effort, asked IMLS to explore ways to improve information literacy in our country." According to the presenters, the work was guided by an information-literacy task force composed of federal agencies.
Presenter (S2) emphasized the role of local institutions. "From health and finance to civic engagement and public safety, library and museum professionals play a key role in advancing information literacy in the United States," the speaker said, calling libraries and museums "trusted educators" with knowledge of community priorities.
Presenters described the kinds of resources that will be made available: "The resources range from simple, shareable pieces like a checklist on how to recognize real versus fake information online to comprehensive lesson plans for facilitating in person or virtual trainings," Presenter (S2) said. They also mentioned tips for recruiting local experts to lead trainings and a mix of financial, health and digital-learning opportunities that partners can offer.
The presenters framed the initiative as support for practitioners rather than a federal mandate. Presenter (S1) said, "This initiative is meant to support them in the important work that they do every day," and added that fostering information literacy helps people "find, evaluate, and use information and apply skillful judgments to make decisions as they address their daily needs."
Closing the briefing, Presenter (S2) invited participation: "So please join us in this information literacy journey toward building strong, healthy, and more equitable communities." The presentation outlined program goals and resources but did not specify funding amounts, implementation timelines or enrollment procedures.
The presenters did not record formal decisions or votes during the briefing. Next steps described were general outreach and resource distribution to library and museum partners.
