Information and Digital Literacy

What is Information and Digital Literacy? 

Information and Digital Literacy (IDL) is teaching delivered by librarians, underpinned by an IDL curriculum. It is defined as “a continuum of skills, competencies, behaviours and attitudes” and encompasses learning, scholarship, being an informed citizen and lifelong learner. (ANCIL, 2011) 

Information and Digital Literacy content is integrated into academic courses across Imperial in cooperation with course teams and is aligned with Imperial's Learning and Teaching Strategy. Content encompasses teaching within the Graduate School Professional Development Programme and a series of elective workshops. We also provide support for researchers through our Scholarly Communications Management Team. Our NHS offer presents IDL as it relates to workplace realities.  

Library Services' Learning and Teaching Strategy  

This strategy addresses all aspects of teaching that Library Services undertakes. It is delivered across all taught programmes in collaboration with course teams. It was written in consultation with Library Services teams and was finalised in November 2023. 

Our Information and Digital Literacy framework 

Our Information and Digital Literacy framework incorporates generative aritificial intelligence (AI) and consists of six categories of competencies: 

  • Searching for information 
  • Critical evaluation of information 
  • Ethical use of information 
  • Creating and communicating information 
  • Discipline-specific management of information 
  • Understanding the AI environment 

Our Information and Digital Literacy offer consists of a framework underpinned by A New Curriculum for Information Literacy (ANCIL). The framework encompasses the support we provide for students and staff, including academic staff and researchers.  

What we support 

  1. Teaching within taught courses  - this is underpinned by Imperial's Learning and Teaching Strategy and Curriculum Review processes, in collaboration with course teams.
  2. Subject Support  - each taught course has a dedicated Subject Librarian, providing a formal link between Library Services and each academic department.
  3. Reference management  - Library Services provides referencing and citation support across all taught courses.
  4. Plagiarism Awareness - each taught course has formal plagiarism awareness instruction delivered by Library Services teams, in accordance with university policies for Plagiarism and Academic Integrity.
  5. Generative AI guidance - Library Services provides guidance for referencing and acknowledgment of Generative AI sources in accordance with university and departmental policies.   

The teams

Ruth Harrison - Head of Scholarly Communications Management
r.e.harrison@imperial.ac.uk 
+44 (0)20 7594 7245 

Ruth is responsible for strategic management of the Library Services education and research support programmes.

Coco Nijhoff - Senior Teaching Fellow (Library Services)
a.nijhoff@imperial.ac.uk 
+44 (0)20 7594 2934 

Coco provides pedagogical expertise and guidance to Library Services teams who teach in alignment with Imperial's Learning and Teaching Strategy. 

Teaching is delivered by Subject Librarians and other library staff.