Ethics, economic is literacy and information: Basis or resilient societies in the 21st Century.

Libraries have experienced setbacks in recent years by the economic crisis and, in turn, budget cuts. Economic and information literacy skills are critical to overcome these crises and potential tragedies. That competence or ability to cope with a crisis and be able to overcome it is what is called resilience. Ethics in the use and treatment of information, along with economic literacy, are here discussed in the development of "resilient societies" of the 21st Century. After a multidisciplinary introduction, advocating the need to apply ethics in all the professions, the concept of resilience is analyzed to give it substance and meaning. Resiliency has become the core element of many policies currently implemented in the European Community. This emerging "development mantra", resilience, promises the potential recovery against a possible crisis and renewal, that is reinforced with better prospects than before. Given the relative ambiguity of the definition and application of resilience in real world situations, the three elements of ethics, economic literacy and relevant information will be examined as foundational elements of resilience. Understanding these elements will allow the library and information field to participate in the recovery efforts locally and potentially, globally.