The framework
What school librarians actually teach
Information literacy is the ability to find information, judge whether it is credible, and use it ethically. It is the core of what a school librarian teaches, and it sits underneath nearly every research assignment a student will ever get. The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) organizes it into six Shared Foundations — the national standards that guide school library instruction.
AASL
The six Shared Foundations
Shared Foundation
Inquire
Build new knowledge by questioning, investigating, and drawing conclusions. Students learn to frame a researchable question and follow it through evidence rather than guesswork.
Shared Foundation
Include
Understand and respect many perspectives and demonstrate an awareness of a global learning community. Students learn to seek sources beyond their own viewpoint.
Shared Foundation
Collaborate
Work effectively with others to broaden perspectives and work toward common goals. Research is treated as a shared process, not a solo scramble.
Shared Foundation
Curate
Make meaning by collecting, organizing, and sharing resources of personal relevance. Students learn to gather and organize sources, and to tell credible ones from the rest.
Shared Foundation
Explore
Discover and innovate in a growth mindset developed through experience and reflection. Students read widely, try, revise, and learn from the attempt.
Shared Foundation
Engage
Demonstrate safe, legal, and ethical creating and sharing of knowledge products. This is where citation, copyright, privacy, and responsible use of AI and online sources are taught.
Source: American Association of School Librarians (AASL), National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries.
Related
Media & information literacy
Inquiry literacy overlaps with media literacy: telling news from opinion, spotting manipulated images and AI-generated content, and understanding how algorithms shape what students see. K12 Academics keeps a companion toolkit on these skills.
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