Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture

This article discusses the differences between information literacy and information technology literacy and how the two need to work together for success in the information field.

The author focuses specifically on the technological aspect and describes two ideas on learning it. One could learn the skills necessary to use technology or learn how the technology works. The author claims that the best way to approach information technology literacy is to understand how technology works, so then one could predict and prepare for new technological advances, rather than just learning new skills every time something new is released.

Many people are content to learn just the skills they need, and often claim ignorance or inability to understand technological workings. I, myself, am not technologically savvy, and I believe that I would not be capable or interested in learning how technology works. This article gives me a new perspective on technology and the importance of understanding how it works and its trends, especially if I am going to be working in a library. It would be better for librarians to be ahead of the trends and knowledgeable for their patrons who will need help utilizing new technology and creating a context for the information that will be available.