President Declares October National Information Literacy Awareness Month

On October 1, President Barack Obama signed a proclamation declaring October National Information Literacy Awareness Month. The proclamation recognizes all Americans' needs to acquire, evaluate, and effectively use information in any situation.

The proclamation was the result of a campaign by the National Forum on Information Literacy, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this month. 1989 was also the year when the American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy issued its report.

The proclamation's goals dovetail with the American Association of School Librarians' Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning and the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.