In the early 1970s first used the term "information skills"

The United States National Forum on Information Literacy defines information literacy as "... the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand."[1][2] The American Library Association defines "information literacy" as a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.[3] Other definitions incorporate aspects of "skepticism, judgement, free thinking, questioning, and understanding..."[4] or incorporate competencies that an informed citizen of an information society ought to possess to participate intelligently and actively in that society.[5]