Because the Internet lacks the traditional filters to signal information quality, it becomes essential for every student to develop the critical reading skills to evaluate the quality of the information presented. Furthermore, the enormous volume of material potentially available requires students to perform these evaluations in a highly efficient manner. In the future, very few will have the luxury of being able to read each web page exhaustively before deciding whether its contents are worth serious attention.

The goal of information literacy is very consistent with Skidmore's goal of a liberal education that helps students develop critical thinking skills. The main difference is the extreme reliance on personal judgment compared to traditional print publications where editors and publishers have already screened out much of the worthless material.

The College will be better served by integrating information literacy instruction into all of its courses and majors instead of developing a series of freestanding courses. Critical thinking requires an full knowledge of the key principles and informed thought within each discipline. It is very doubtful that students can evaluate web pages with no understanding of the information being presented therein. Library and information technologists can assist by providing literacy modules and by helping faculty develop appropriate activities for their courses.

Here is a humorous view of the information literacy challenge.