Examining the Word “Literacy” via Knowledge Quest

Examining the Word “Literacy”

Knowledge Quest: 12.128.2018 by Georgina Trebbe

I recently became curious about how the word “literacy” has been paired with other words to create terms all librarians use within their practice. Curiosity surfaced when I read the term “innovation literacy.” Thinking I had hit upon a new concept, I was eager to share. I quickly added innovation literacy to my list of literacies offered within the courses I instruct for pre-services school library teachers. I also used the term innovation literacy within my high school community during conversations surrounding student engagement. Yet as I presented innovation literacy, something gnawed at me. Did I really understand how the word literacy was consistently being used when defining a specific term? The research bug bit! I needed to gain an understanding of the word literacy.

The word literacy has a long history with librarians. Just mention the word, literacy and an immediate association with successfully being able to read, write, and communicate materializes in the mind. Yet, separate the word literacy from reading, writing, and communicating and a very powerful secondary meaning emerges. Literacy, paired with another word, finely focuses on the successful competence a human has in a specific area. The secondary definition harkens back to the writing of learning objectives where students “have the ability to…”  as an indication of competency.

Computer Literacy: the ability to effectively use a computer,

Cultural Literacy: the ability to understand one’s own culture,

Data Literacy: the ability to derive meaningful information from data sources,

Digital Literacy: cognitive/metacognitive skills developed to adapt, manipulate, and complete tasks across several digital environments,

Information Literacy: the ability to use information and communications technologies to effectively locate, evaluate, determine relevancy, synthesize, and use information ethically,

Innovation Literacy: the ability to creatively problem solve within the abstract,

Media Literacy: the ability to use and make judgments about media,

Multicultural Literacy: an appreciation of cultures, other than one’s own,

Political Literacy: the ability to understand the political landscape,

Technology Literacy: the ability to use technology effectively to develop a product,

Visual Literacy: the ability to read, understand, and draw conclusions using images.

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