It’s not hyperbole to conclude that in today’s world, information literacy is essential for survival and success; and also that, if left unchecked, the social consequences of widespread misinformation and information illiteracy will only continue to grow more dire. Thus its study must be at the core of every education. But while many books have been written on information literacy, this text is the first to examine information literacy from a cross-national, cross-cultural, and cross-institutional perspective. From this book, readers will

• learn about information literacy in a wide variety of contexts, including academic and school libraries, public libraries, special libraries, and archives, through research and literature that has previously been siloed in specialized publications;
• come to understand why information literacy is not just an issue of information and technology, but also a broader community and societal issue;
• get an historical overview of advertising, propaganda, disinformation, misinformation, and illiteracy;
• gain knowledge of both applied strategies for working with individuals and for addressing the issues in community contexts;
• find methods for combating urgent societal ills caused and exacerbated by misinformation; and
• get tools and techniques for advocacy, activism, and self-reflection throughout one’s career.

Foreword by Alan S. Inouye; Afterword by Nancy Kranich

The first of its kind, this important new text provides a much-needed introduction to the myriad information policy issues that impact information professionals, information institutions, and the patrons and communities served by those institutions. In this key textbook for LIS students and reference text for practitioners, noted scholars Jaeger and Taylor

• draw from current, authoritative sources to familiarize readers with the history of information policy;
• discuss the broader societal issues shaped by policy, including access to infrastructure, digital literacy and inclusion, accessibility, and security;
• elucidate the specific laws, regulations, and policies that impact information, including net neutrality, filtering, privacy, openness, and much more;
• use case studies from a range of institutions to examine the issues, bolstered by discussion questions that encourage readers to delve more deeply;
• explore the intersections of information policy with human rights, civil rights, and professional ethics; and
• prepare readers to turn their growing understanding of information policy into action, through activism, advocacy, and education.