The Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education was officially adopted by the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) board in June 2016. The Framework was developed as an update to the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education which were rescinded with the adoption of the Framework.
The Framework was designed taking into consideration the evolving, complex information ecosystem. The Framework consists of a set of core ideas, or frames, central to information literacy.
The concepts, knowledge practices, and dispositions included in the Framework are useful to librarians, faculty, and curriculum designers when incorporating information literacy into programs, courses, and assignments.
The six frames included below are the core concepts of the Framework. Each frame includes a definition as well as practice areas and definitions.
"Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required."
"Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences."
"Information possesses several dimensions of value, including as a commodity, as a means of education, as a means to influence, and as a means of negotiating and understanding the world. Legal and socioeconomic interests influence information production and dissemination."
"Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field."
"Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and interpretations."
"Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops."