Information Literacy Standards, Guidelines and their Implementation: An Analysis

The current age of digitised information and networks has created a new demand for proficiencies and capabilities in information and communication technologies (ICT). However, it is often perceived that ICT proficiency equates to information literacy (IL), which actually encompasses a more holistic set of competencies where ICT literacy is only one component of it. Government organisations and research have recognized that IL is an important requirement in today's knowledge-based economy, yet there are still numerous policies and standards concerning information access and use that seem to emphasise ICT infrastructure and literacy over IL competencies. This paper provides an overview of a number of documented IL standards and guidelines, and based on the distinct characteristics of these standards and guidelines, proposes several recommendations for making them more dynamic and which can be immediately employed for effective outcomes.