The Four Pillars of Information Literacy in New Jersey

An NJSL Webinar Series

The New Jersey State Library (NJSL) recently held two rounds of a 5-part information literacy webinar series, The Four Pillars of Information Literacy in New Jersey, for New Jersey school librarians, school library media specialists, and public librarians. With sessions led by Jen Nelson, New Jersey State Librarian, Linda Braun, Principal at The LEO Group, and Ang Coxen, retired educator and New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) ACCESS consultant, the series of workshops provided an overview of the core principles driving New Jersey’s emerging K-12 information literacy student learning standards. This is part of a larger Teaching Information Literacy project spearheaded by the New Jersey State Library, funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

An Overview of NJ’s Information Literacy Framework

The first round of webinars took place during Summer 2025, and the second session took place in Fall 2025. Recordings from the Fall session are available on the State Library’s website. The recorded sessions took place prior to the release of the draft standards. The content is based on the information provided by the New Jersey Department of Education through its Standards Transparency and Mastery Platform (STAMP). 

In its STAMP resource, Information Literacy: A Starting Point for School Communities, the NJ Department of Education defines information literacy as a set of skills that enables an individual to recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate, and effectively use the needed information.

An information-literate individual can…

• Determine What Information Is Needed – Determine what information they need for a task, purpose, or interest and make concrete plans to find information from diverse resources. Reflect continually on what they know and what they need to learn, recognizing that information is ever-changing.
• Identify and Evaluate Information – Use relevant, diverse tools to safely and ethically access information. Evaluate information for accuracy, authenticity, context, intent, purpose, relevance, reliability, and validity.
• Use Information Effectively – Interpret, compare, critically evaluate, authenticate, and synthesize information in all contexts and settings, both inside and outside of school. Organize, create, and produce content for a specific purpose and audience.
• Determine How to Create and Distribute Information – Communicate and distribute information appropriately, legally, and ethically, using appropriate formats and platforms. Recognize and understand the complexities of information production, distribution, access, and consumption.

Participant Feedback

Overall, across the Summer and Fall 2025 sessions, the webinar series had over 200 participants in attendance. The audience was comprised of school and public librarians, classroom teachers, library assistants, and professional library school students, representing 19 of the 21 counties in New Jersey.

The State Library conducted a series of post-event participant surveys, which revealed that attendees of the sessions found the activities and discussions to be consistently positive, with the vast majority agreeing that they left with new skills and understanding related to information literacy.

Respondents indicated that there is a continuing need for additional time dedicated to planning and collaboration. They emphasized the importance of adequate administrative support and opportunities for peer engagement to strengthen program implementation. Respondents also noted that lesson plans must be tailored and flexible to effectively address varying needs, capacities, and learning contexts. Respondents shared plans to implement the lessons and activities in their libraries, hoping to bring their takeaways to a wider audience.

Commentary from Participants

Post-event participant surveys indicated that many members of the New Jersey school and library communities are feeling energized about implementing the standards and teaching information literacy in their different spaces. There is an urgency for teaching resources and materials, and to get colleagues and administrators on board to support discussion and implementation.

Here are a few comments from participants:

“It is important to use common definitions and language when teaching information literacy.”

“It’s been enlightening to hear various perspectives from school librarians on teaching information literacy skills, especially regarding the ethical use of AI. These conversations have inspired me to further explore the topic and consider its impact on future learning and the development of critical thinking skills.”

“AI should be seen as a support for learning, not a replacement for critical thinking.”

Community of Practice

Beginning December 2025, = anyone who works with youth in school or public libraries is invited to register and join the New Jersey State Library-sponsored monthly virtual Community of Practice (CoP) meet-ups. During these sessions, participants have the opportunity to engage with colleagues to share information and gain knowledge of information literacy, which they can use with youth in their communities.  

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

If you are a staff member at a New Jersey library or school, and will be attending the NJLA/NJASL Joint Conference, join Linda Braun and Ang Coxen for a special two-hour session on Wednesday, February 18, from 10:30 to 12:30. This session will offer 2 professional development hours.

On Saturday, March 7, 2026, from 9:30 until 4:00, an all-day Information Literacy Train-the-Trainer session will be offered at the Monroe Public Library. There is no charge to attend this event, and lunch will be provided.  Please register no later than February 26, 2026.

Additional virtual sessions will be held in Spring and Summer 2026. Stay tuned!

Please contact Jen Nelson statelibrarian@njstatelib.org with questions about these opportunities.