Notice2023-15665
Request for Information (RFI): Information Literacy Programs, Resources, and Promising Practices
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 25, 2023
Issuing agencies
National Foundation on the Arts and the HumanitiesInstitute of Museum and Library Services
Abstract
The Institute of Museum and Library Services requests information on programs, resources, and activities designed to strengthen information literacy skills. The agency is particularly interested in programs and activities that can be implemented at the local level, in community organizations such as museums and libraries, to help individuals develop the skills necessary to find, evaluate, use, and create information in meaningful ways. The agency is also interested in tools and approaches that can be adapted to meet the needs of different users.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 141 (Tuesday, July 25, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 25, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47922-47923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15665]
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NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Request for Information (RFI): Information Literacy Programs,
Resources, and Promising Practices
AGENCY: Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
ACTION: Request for information (RFI).
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SUMMARY: The Institute of Museum and Library Services requests
information on programs, resources, and activities designed to
strengthen information literacy skills. The agency is particularly
interested in programs and activities that can be implemented at the
local level, in community organizations such as museums and libraries,
to help individuals develop the skills necessary to find, evaluate,
use, and create information in meaningful ways. The agency is also
interested in tools and approaches that can be adapted to meet the
needs of different users.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted via the method provided
below, no later than midnight Eastern Time (ET) on Friday, August 18,
2023.
ADDRESSES: Comments must be submitted to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5b32353d3437322f293d321b32363728753c342d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="97fef9f1f8fbfee3e5f1fed7fefafbe4b9f0f8e1">[email protected]</span></a>. Include
Information Literacy Request for Information (RFI) in the subject line
of the message. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be
accompanied by a written comment. Respondents may answer as many or as
few questions as they wish.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katherine Maas, Institute of Museum
and Library Services, or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ec87818d8d9fac8581809fc28b839a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ef84828e8e9caf8682839cc1888099">[email protected]</span></a>. Persons who are
deaf or hard of hearing (TTY users) can contact IMLS at 202-207-7858
via 711 for TTY-Based Telecommunications Relay Service.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Individuals are inundated with information in their daily lives.
The digital age has contributed to the increased production of
information, and navigating our evolving information landscape is
increasingly complex. Moreover, continuing changes in technology (e.g.,
social media, workplace technology, educational technology) make it
important for everyone to understand how the availability, exchange,
and presentation of information is evolving. Information literacy
skills are thus critical for individuals of all ages. Information
literacy skills refer to the skills associated with empowering
individuals to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information
effectively (e.g., navigating information to learn a new trade or
applying information to clarify decision options).
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 \1\ directed the
Institute of Museum and Library Services to explore ways to improve
information literacy within communities, including through the creation
of a website to disseminate information literacy resources, toolkits,
and best practices. The website is primarily intended to support
activities within communities as they develop programs and other
resources to support local interests and needs.
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\1\ Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022: <a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ103/PLAW-117publ103.pdf">https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ103/PLAW-117publ103.pdf</a> (page 442);
Joint Explanatory Statement--Division H: <a href="http://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20220307/BILLS-117RCP35-JES-DIVISION-H_Part1.pdf">http://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20220307/BILLS-117RCP35-JES-DIVISION-H_Part1.pdf</a> (page
142).
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Information Requested
IMLS seeks to understand how organizations address and incorporate
information literacy skills into local community programs broadly; how
information literacy-related resources and programs are applied to
specific areas of community concern, including but not limited to
community health, safety, and economic well-being; as well as how these
resources and programs are adapted and developed to address local
demographics, unique community characteristics, and the continually
evolving information environment. IMLS also seeks to identify
information literacy-related resources and programs that could inform
the development of a website to disseminate successful practices on
information literacy programs and related tools.
IMLS invites input from stakeholders, experts, communities, and
members of the public, including but not limited to libraries,
archives, museums, researchers in academia, industry, government
library and museum advocacy organizations, nongovernmental and
professional organizations, and Federal agencies. A response to every
topic or question is not required.
Key Topics and Questions
Topic 1: Information About Community Program Design and Development
A. How has your organization addressed information literacy in its
programming, either directly or indirectly? What topics have you
connected to information literacy? How have you talked about
information literacy in your programming? What has worked best? What
would you have liked to have been able to do but couldn't?
B. What kinds of resources and programming have attracted the most
interest and engagement within your community, including but not
limited to relating to community health, safety, and economic well-
being? What resources and programming have generated the least interest
and engagement? Please provide examples.
C. What methods do you use to conduct an assessment to understand
your community's needs related to information literacy?
D. How do you design and adapt information literacy resources and
programming to meet the needs and preferences of different demographic
groups within your community (e.g., adult learners, people with limited
English language skills, people with visual or auditory impairments,
people with limited access to or skills with digital technology)?
E. Describe any toolkits or other readily available resources
related to information literacy that you currently use or have used in
your programming. Please indicate the source of these resources (e.g.,
government website, local health department, etc.).
[[Page 47923]]
Topic 2: Information About Leveraging Partnerships in Community-level
Programs.
A. How do organizations in your community collaborate to address
local information literacy needs?
B. Describe how you work with other organizations to develop and/or
share information literacy-related resources and/or programming. What
else can be done to support the success of these partnerships?
C. Please share successful practices for disseminating information
resources within your community and building effective partnerships.
Topic 3: Information About Financial Support (e.g., Grant Funding)
A. What funding have you received in the past to support your
information literacy programs and activities (e.g., grant funding,
institutional funding, etc.)? Describe successful approaches you have
used to make it easier to access funding to advance information
literacy.
B. Are there areas of work for which you have not been able to
identify funding (i.e., gaps in funding)? What challenges with funding
the full project lifecycle have you experienced?
Topic 4: Evaluation of Your Information Literacy Programs
A. How do you evaluate the success or impact of your programs?
Please describe any specific evaluation tools that you use.
B. What metrics do you use to evaluate your program?
Submitting a Response
Comments must be submitted to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#127b7c747d7e7b6660747b527b7f7e613c757d64"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="70191e161f1c190402161930191d1c035e171f06">[email protected]</span></a> and must include
Information Literacy Request for Information (RFI) in the subject line
of the message. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be
accompanied by a written comment. It is recommended that attachments
with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure
message delivery.
Responses containing references, research studies, data
visualizations, community program details and evaluations, and other
empirical data should include electronic links to the referenced
materials or be attached to the email. Responses containing attached or
linked reference materials with multiple pages should include page
numbers where relevant information can be found. These materials and
artifacts should not reference programs or materials that were created
or implemented before 2018 and have not been updated since then. All
information should be provided at a level of granularity that preserves
the privacy of users. IMLS is accepting information literacy resources
and tools in other languages and/or in an accessible format. A response
to every topic or question is not required.
This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and should
not be construed as a policy, solicitation for applications, or as an
obligation on the part of the United States Government to provide
support for any ideas identified in response to it. Responses to this
RFI are voluntary. Please note that the Government will not pay for the
preparation of any information submitted or for its use of that
information. Please do not include any propriety, classified,
confidential, or sensitive information in your response. Information
obtained as a result of this RFI may be used by the Government at its
discretion, including in public websites and reports. Contractor
support personnel may be used to review responses to this RFI. IMLS may
or may not choose to contact individual responders. Such communications
would be for the sole purpose of clarifying statements in written
responses.
Dated: July 19, 2023.
Suzanne Mbollo,
Grants Management Specialist, Institute of Museum and Library Services.
[FR Doc. 2023-15665 Filed 7-24-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7036-01-P
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