Do we need so many literacies?

Thanks to those that commented via email and on the blog to my post yesterday. I think I’m starting to get a clearer idea of what the different literacies may mean- though, of course, they will mean different things to different people.

I can’t help if it is futile to try and identify and define specific literacies, when “Information literacy” encompasses so many. If it’s just a shift in language, fine- then we need to add Math Literacy, P.E. Literacy, Band Literacy, etc. to our curriculum. But if we’re talking theory and learning paradigms, we might be better served by sticking to a somewhat more general term.

Of course, the problem is, as librarians, we tend to fully accept, embrace, and use other’s terms for things- at least, on a working level. So when teachers use terms like digital literacy and media literacy, what choice do we have but to use them too?

My own personal opinion is that “Information Literacy” adequately serves to describe the skills one will need to survive in a  constantly changing environment. It’s the term I’ll use most often.

All this theorizing is just that, though, because I still have to ponder this stuff for school. In the end, it’s a useful exercise,  because it forces me to research what others are calling what I think of as information literacy. This opens up the door for conversations. Also, in continuing to think about this, I’m clarifying in my mind how to explain why information literacy is important- as well as collecting anecdotes, stories and statistics from various articles.