Student Center

What does it mean to be "information literate"?

Information literacy is the ability to recognize the qualities and extent of an information need, and then be able to locate, evaluate, and use the needed information. In academic practice, information literacy looks like being able to discern a research topic and locate sources independently, evaluate those sources for credibility and / or bias. In your personal life, it looks like making decisions about which products to buy, whether to trust the news you see from a friend on social media, and researching an employer or position before an interview.

Building Information Literacy Skills - We Can Help!

You will need information literacy and research skills in order to navigate an ever-increasingly complex world of information sources, and your librarians are here to help! We at the BCTC Library can help you develop these skills so that you can better apply them to your coursework.  You can stop by the library to get help and build your skills with librarians and library staff.

You can also ask questions via our "Ask Us" form.  The Ask Us method may be especially useful for distance education students.

We have linked several handouts that you can use to assist you in developing your information literacy skills from home.  Feel free to use any of the handouts on this page to aid the development of information literacy.

There also is a  BCTC Libraries Facebook page that has frequent posts related to library resources and information.