October is Information Literacy Month

Governor John R. Kasich has proclaimed October as Information Literacy Month in Ohio. Governor Kasich’s proclamation “seeks to remind all citizens of the importance of the role of all libraries and librarians - academic, public, school, and special - in teaching information literacy, which fosters educational opportunities, economic prosperity, social cohesion, democracy, and quality of life.”
According to the National Forum on Information Literacy, leaders have stated that no other change in American society has offered greater challenges than the emergence of the Information Age society. Being information literate means knowing how to find, evaluate, and use information to succeed in school, work, and society. According to the U.S. Department of Labor SCANS Report, “80% of future jobs will require skill in effec- tively using information.” 

With the Common Core standards, today’s school librarians build not only students' skills in writing, reading, research, and analysis, but also teachers' skills in teaching them. The standards include power verbs such as "analyze," "integrate," and "formulate," that press students toward more rigor and inquiry-based learn- ing. The common core, with its emphasis on explanation, complex text, and cross-disciplinary synthesis, is an opportunity for teachers to collaborate with librarians as co- instructors. Remember, school librarians have been trained as both teachers and librarians.