contributions made by others in participatory information environments” (ACRL, 2015, para. 11).
Disciplinary Information Literacy: Working with Information in Cultural Anthropology
A discipline-based approach to teaching information literacy, where responsibilities for teaching are shared between faculty and librarians, provides a holistic, rich experience for learners (Grafstein, 2002; Junisbai et al., 2016). is approach allows learners to develop subject-specific content knowledge and research practices within that subject. is area is where Jessica’s disciplinary knowledge and expertise became an invaluable part of information literacy instruction.
Cultural anthropologists gather information through ethnographic fieldwork, typically living with a group of people whose lives are different than their own (American Anthropological Association, n.d.). The American Library Association (2008) developed disciplinary information literacy standards based on the ACRL Framework described above. Importantly, these disciplinary standards are intended for use with research and writing about human subjects. Information literate learners in anthropology understand how the validity of evidence is assessed and original solutions are proposed (Grafstein, 2002).
Cultural anthropology seeks to understand human cultures and lifeways across the globe. ere is an emphasis on understanding diverse points of view, so information must be understood in its appropriate cultural context (American Library Association, 2008). By writing about a culture different from one’s own for a public audience, learners practice this element of disciplinary information literacy and experience the challenges of communicating these nuances.
Information Literacy as Social Justice
Libraries have a long-held connection to social justice. In fact, the American Library Association (2019) included many values associated with social justice as “library core values,” such as unfettered access to
