1.1 信息素养概念的提出
信息素养是是身处信息社会的人们，为了更好的生存与发展所必须具备的一种基本能力，是从图书馆检索技能发展和演变过来的，1974年由美国信息产业协会主席Paul Zurkowski（保罗·泽考斯基）正式提出。此时，信息素养的含义为利用大量信息工具对信息源进行检索以使问题得到解答的技能（原文是：for utilizing the wide range of information tools as well as primary sources in molding information solutions to their problems）[1]，即此时的信息素养内涵主要包括信息工具、信息源、检索技能。
1.2 信息素养概念的演变
随着信息社会的发展，信息素养的内涵也在不断丰富着。
1989年，美国图书馆协会（American Library Association，ALA）在其年度报告中对信息素养的概念定义为“个体能够认识到何时需要信息，能够检索、评估和有效地利用信息的综合能力”，“一个具有信息素质的人，是具有终生学习能力的人“。
原文如下：
How our country deals with the realities of the Information Age will have enormous impact on our democratic way of life and on our nation's ability to compete internationally. Within America's information society, there also exists the potential of addressing many long-standing social and economic inequities. To reap such benefits, people—as individuals and as a nation—must be information literate. To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. Producing such a citizenry will require that schools and colleges appreciate and integrate the concept of information literacy into their learning programs and that they play a leadership role in equipping individuals and institutions to take advantage of the opportunities inherent within the information society.
Ultimately, information literate people are those who have learned how to learn. They know how to learn because they know how knowledge is organized, how to find information, and how to use information in such a way that others can learn from them. They are people prepared for lifelong learning because they can always find the information needed for any task or decision at hand.[2]
随着人们信息检索能力的提高，检索者面临的最大挑战已经不是检索信息，而是面对琳琅满目、良莠不齐的信息时，所表现出来的对信息的评估、选择及利用能力，当然，此时，ALA已经意识到，以上信息活动的触发机制——信息意识的重要性，意识到对信息的需求，才能有目的地进行一系列后续的信息行为，避免网络迷失。
美国学者 Doyle 在1992 年《信息素养全美论坛的终结报告》中指出一个具有信息素养的人：能够认识到信息的需要；认识到正确的、完整的信息是作出决策的根本；形成基于信息需求的问题；确定可能的信息资源；展开成功的检索策略；访问信息，包括基于计算机和其他技术的信息；评价信息；为实际应用组织信息；将新的信息综合到现有的知识体系中；利用信息进行批判性思维和问题解决。
学者Doyle对信息素养的描述，完整地覆盖了人类学习和创造的整个流程。
1998年，美国学校图书馆协会和教育通讯与技术协会共同发布了《学生学习信息素养标准》[3]，文中定义了9个标准，图书馆员和中小学教师可以用来描述具有信息素养的学生，并明确了信息素养与自主学习和社会责任的关系。
原文如下：
In 1998, the American Association of School Librarians and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology published "Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning", which identified nine standards that librarians and teachers in K-12 schools could use to describe information literate students and define the relationship of information literacy to independent learning and social responsibility:
Standard One: The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively.
Standard Two: The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently.
Standard Three: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively.
Standard Four: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and pursues information related to personal interests.
Standard Five: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and appreciates literature and other creative expressions of information.
Standard Six: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and strives for excellence in information seeking and knowledge generation.
Standard Seven: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and recognizes the importance of information to a democratic society.
Standard Eight: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and practices ethical behavior in regard to information and information technology.
Standard Nine: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.[3]
2000年1月18日美国大学和研究型图书馆协会(ACRL)董事会通过“Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education”（高等教育信息素养能力标准）[3]，并得到美国高等教育协会的认可。《能力标准》包含5个标准，22个表现指标，用标准和指标的形式界定了信息素养的内涵。《标准》由一套规范的三级等级指标体系组成，包括5项标准、22项表现指标、87项成果指标组成。这5个标准是：标准一 有信息素养的学生有能力决定所需信息的性质和范围。标准二 有信息素养的学生可以有效地获得需要的信息。标准三 有信息素养的学生评估信息和它的出处，然后把挑选的信息融合到他（她）们的知识库和价值体系。标准四 不管个人还是作为一个团体的成员, 有信息素养的学生能够有效的利用信息来实现特定的目的。标准五 有信息素养的学生熟悉许多与信息使用有关的经济、法律和社会问题，并能合理合法的获取信息。
原文如下：
In 2000, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), released "Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education", describing five standards and numerous performance indicators considered best practices for the implementation and assessment of postsecondary information literacy programs. The five standards are:
Standard One: The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the information needed.
Standard Two: The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.
Standard Three: The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.
Standard Four: The information literate student, individually or as a member of a group, uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.
Standard Five: The information literate student understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally.
可以看出，2000年的信息素养内涵在1992年的基础上又增加了信息伦理与道德。这是信息社会发展的必然结果，因为，随着互联网的普及，大量的创新成果由线下纸质资源转变为通过互联网可获取的电子资源，对他人的优质的一次、二次、三次信息的获取、利用及引用，必然引起新的伦理道德问题，即信息伦理道德。
2011年，ACRL成立工作组专门负责2000年标准，2012年6月，工作组提议修订2000年标准，2014年12月：《框架》最后修订，2015年2月，ALA芝加哥仲冬会议上审议通过了《高等教育信息素养框架》。《框架》的主体结构由6个阙概念组成，这些概念描述了在新的信息环境，个体应该具备的一套行为、思维的态度或方式。每个阙概念被称作一个“框(frame ) "，按照字母秩序编排，不分先后。每个阙概念附带6一8项“知识技能”，以及4一9项“行为方式”。“知识技能”是对所属阙概念的具体描述解释;“行为方式”是对学习者应持态度、情感和方式的描述。
可以看出，《框架》内容大部分不再是具体的技能标准，而是身处信息生态系统中，一个合格的信息社会人所应具备的一系列的理念及将这些理念落地的相应能力。正如Lori Townsend指出的，《框架》所罗列的信息素养阙概念具有通用性，指向了不同学科的公共问题—如何提升学生的学习成效。
从以上对信息素养内涵的梳理可以发现，信息素养的内涵是一个随着信息社会生态环境的变化而不断演变的过程，其核心是为了提高人们在信息社会的学习能力、知识创新能力以及对教育信息化不断发展所产生的教育变革而做的适应性修订，是以培养终身学习能力为目标的上下求索的过程。
[1] Paul G. Zurkowski (Nov 1974). "The Information Service Environment: Relationships and Priorities. Related Paper No.5". National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED100391.pdf Retrieved July 17, 2018.
[2]Becoming An Active User: Principles". Media Active. Dan Gilmor. Retrieved 9 February2013.
[3]Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning" (PDF). American Association of School Librarians and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. 1998. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2009. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
[4]Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Educationhttps://alair.ala.org/handle/11213/7668.[2018-7-17]