This document summarizes the major milestones in the development and promotion of information literacy from 1989 to 2015 by the National Forum on Information Literacy (NFIL). Some key events include the establishment of the NFIL in 1989, endorsement of information literacy standards by various educational organizations in the 1990s, the first international conference on information literacy in Prague in 2003, and President Obama's establishment of National Information Literacy Awareness Month in 2009 in recognition of the importance of information literacy. While the NFIL itself ended in 2015, its efforts in promoting information literacy globally continue through advocacy and the archives of its work now housed at Purdue University Libraries.

1. Years of Service
1989-2015

2. NFIL Major Milestones
"I took the one less traveled by... and that has made the difference." Robert Frost, 1920
 1989 American Library Association's Presidential Committee on
Information Literacy establishes the National Forum on
Information Literacy (NFIL).
 1991 The Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development adopted a resolution demonstrating its
commitment to the importance of information literacy.
 1992 The ERIC education database (http://eric.ed.gov) began to
use “information literacy” as a descriptor.
 1993 The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Higher Education became the first accreditation
agency to promote this core skill as an essential undergraduate
learning outcome.
 1997 The National Education Association (NEA) made a
commitment to embed information literacy in their teacher
education initiatives.
 1998 NFIL published the first information literacy progress report.
(http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/publications/whitepaper
s/progressreport.cfm)
 1998 The American Association of School Libraries and the
Association of Educational Communications and Technology
published Information Literacy Standards for Student
Learning for students in K-12.
 1999 The American Association for Higher Education endorsed
the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher
Education.
 2000 The American Association of Higher Education (AAHE) endorsed the
ACRL information literacy college standards; one of only two times that
AAHE endorsed a policy position.
 2003 NFIL, UNESCO, and NCLIS held the first international information
literacy experts meeting in Prague, resulting in the Prague
Declaration. http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/files/19636/11228863531Prague
Declaration.pdf/PragueDeclaration.
 2003 NFIL established the International Alliance on Information Literacy.
 2004 The Partnership for 21st Century Skills identifies information literacy
as a key student learning outcome.
 2005 UNESCO/IFLA/NFIL sponsored symposium of information literacy
experts in Alexandria, Egypt, producing the Alexandria Proclamation.
 2006 First National Information Literacy Summit in the U.S. – Co Sponsored
by the National Forum, Committee for Economic Development, Institute
for a Competitive Workforce, National Education Association, Educational
Testing Service, and the National Forum.
 2006 The National Center for Education Statistics Academic Library Survey
began to include questions about information literacy.
 2007 Purdue University established the first endowed chair in information
literacy, named for W. Wayne Booker, past Chief Financial Officer of Ford
Motor Corporation.

3. NFIL Trail Blazers
"I took the one less traveled by... and that has made the difference." Robert Frost, 1920
Dr. Patricia Senn Breivik & Dr. F. Woody Horton, Jr.
Past Members of the NFIL Board of Directors
L to R: Dr. Sharon Weiner, Lorna D. Jones, Dr. Nancy
Zimmerman, Dr. Patricia Senn Breivik, Frank Gallagher, Dr.
A. Christy Wright, Dr. Lana W. Jackman

4. NFIL Major Milestones (cont.)
"I took the one less traveled by... and that has made the difference." Robert Frost, 1920
 2007 UNESCO published Understanding Information Literacy: A Primer by Dr. F. Woody
Horton, one of the conveners of the 2003 Prague and Alexandria.
 2008 The Higher Education Reauthorization Act of 2008 included information literacy as a
necessary skill for teacher professional development.
 2008 The American Association of Community Colleges published a position statement on
information literacy (http://www.aacc.nche.edu/About/Positions/Pages/ps05052008.aspx)
 2008 The National Council of Teachers of English included information literacy skills in its
Framework for 21st Century Curriculum and Assessment.
 2011 Massachusetts becomes the first state to issue a gubernatorial information literacy
proclamation.
 2012 National Forum kicks off a national campaign to elicit gubernatorial proclamations from
all 50 states and U.S. territories.

5. THE OBAMA PROCLAMATION
In 2009, Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John Kerry petitioned the White
House, on behalf of the National Forum on Information Literacy, to
recognize information literacy as vital to our national interests. As a result,
President Obama issued the first presidential proclamation establishing
October National Information Literacy Awareness Month.

6. Thank You, Everyone!
Since 1989, the National Forum on Information
Literacy’s primary mission was to promote information
literacy. Our milestones speak to our record of success.
Adaptation of information literacy practice continues
to grow steadily around the globe.
Although the NFIL, as an organization, ended its
activism in 2015, its legacy, its spirit continues in terms
of advocacy and promotion of information literacy
practice throughout the world.
Purdue University Libraries is home to the NFIL
Archives. Feel free to contact them.
We sincerely appreciate all those who supported us
and our activities throughout the years.
Information Literacy Aficionados - We wish you
nothing but continued success as you move the
mainstreaming information literacy agenda forward!
The first international information literacy
experts meeting in Prague, 2003.
©2016, Mélange Information Services, Inc.