Page 83 - DLIS102_LIBRARY_AND_ITS_USERS

Library and its Users

Notes The Forum Today

Since 1989, the National Forum on Information Literacy has evolved steadily under the leadership
of its first chair, Dr. Patricia Senn Breivik. Today, the Forum represents over 90 national and
international organizations, all dedicated to mainstreaming the philosophy of information literacy
across national and international landscapes, throughout every educational, domestic, and workplace
venue.
Although the initial intent of the Forum was to raise public awareness and support on a national
level, over the last several years, the National Forum on Information Literacy has made significant
strides internationally in promoting the importance of integrating information literacy concepts
and skills throughout all educational, governmental, and workforce development programs. For
example, the National Forum co-sponsored with UNESCO and IFLA several “experts meetings”,
resulting in the Prague Declaration (2003) and the Alexandria Proclamation (2005) each underscoring
the importance of information literacy as a basic fundamental human right and lifelong learning
skill.
In the United States, however, information literacy skill development has been the exception and
not the rule, particularly as it relates to the integration of information literacy practices within our
educational and workforce development infrastructures. In a 2000 peer reviewed publication, Nell
K. Duke, found that students in first grade classrooms were exposed to an average of 3.6 minutes of
informational text in a school day. In October, 2006, the first national Summit on Information Literacy
brought together well over 100 representatives from education, business, and government to address
America’s information literacy deficits as a nation currently competing in a global marketplace.
This successful collaboration was sponsored by the National Forum on Information Literacy,
Committee for Economic Development, Educational Testing Service, the Institute for a Competitive
Workforce, and National Education Association (NEA). The Summit was held at NEA headquarters
in Washington, D.C.
A major outcome of the Summit was the establishment of a national ICT literacy policy council to
provide leadership in creating national standards for ICT literacy in the United States.
As stated on the Forum’s Main Web page, it recognizes that achieving information literacy has been
much easier for those with money and other advantages. For those who are poor, non-White, older,
disabled, living in rural areas or otherwise disadvantaged, it has been much harder to overcome the
digital divide. A number of the Forum’s members address the specific challenges for those
disadvantaged. For example, The Children’s Partnership advocates for the nearly 70 million children
and youth in the country, many of whom are disadvantaged. The Children’s Partnership currently
runs three programs, two of which specifically address the needs of those with low-incomes: Online
content for Low-Income and Underserved Americans Initiative, and the California Initiative Program.
Another example is the National Hispanic Council on Aging which is:
Dedicated to improving the quality of life for Latino elderly, families, and communities through
advocacy, capacity and institution building, development of educational materials, technical
assistance, demonstration projects, policy analysis and research (National Hispanic Council on Aging,
and, Mission Statement section).
In the final analysis, the National Forum on Information Literacy will continue to work closely with
educational, business, and non-profit organizations in the U.S. to promote information literacy skill
development at every opportunity, particularly in light of the ever growing social, economic, and
political urgency of globalization, prompting us to re-energize our promotional and collaborative
efforts here at home.

78 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY