According to the Association of College and Research Libraries [2], “information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning”. Information literacy involves much more than being able to access information. The Association of College and Research Libraries defines the information literate consumer as an individual who is able to determine the information that is needed and is able to retrieve it efficiently. Once the information is located, the information literate consumer must be able to critically evaluate the information and apply it appropriately. Using the information also carries legal and ethical responsibilities. In this regard, under Open Access (t)he author(s) and copyright holder(s) grant to all users a free, irrevocable, worldwide, perpetual right of access and a license to copy, use, distribute, transmit and display the work publicly and to make and distribute derivative works in any digital medium for any responsible purpose, subject to proper attribution of authorship, as well as the right to make small number of printed copies for their personal use [1]. Among practicing professionals in the field of communication disorders, much emphasis has been placed in recent years on the principles of evidence-based practice. Implementing evidence-based practice involves a balance of the current best evidence with clinical expertise and client values [3]. Evidence-based practice relies on the ability to locate, evaluate, and apply information reported in scholarly sources about best clinical practices. Information literacy plays a key role in being able to interpret and apply the evidence. A study published in 2007 by Nail-Chiwetalu and Bernstein Ratner [4] examined the information-seeking abilites and needs of practicing speech-language pathologists. The findings indicated that speech-language pathologists most frequently asked colleagues for information related to practice issues rather than utilize database searches or published jounals. Respondents reported lacking the knowledge and skill for finding relevant information. Although several years have passed since the publication of Nail-Chiwetalu’s and Bernstein Ratner’s study, the amount of information and the increased ease of access has not lessened the need for information literacy skill development.

Citation: Hadley AJ (2014) Information Literacy and Digital Access. Commun Disord Deaf Stud Hearing Aids 2:e108. doi: 10.4172/2375-4427.1000e108

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