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Project Information Literacy (PIL) was a research institute conducting national scholarly studies between 2008 and 2025 on how early adults find and use information as they progress through, and beyond, their higher education years at an unprecedented time of rapid technological change.

Organization

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Based in California's San Francisco Bay Area, Project Information Literacy, Inc. (PIL) was a public benefit 501(c)(3) organization registered in California.[1] Alison J. Head, PhD., who was the Executive Director and Lead Researcher, is an expert in the field of information literacy research and new media.[2][3]

PIL began in 2008 as a partnership with the University of Washington Information School with Alison J. Head and Michael Eisenberg, dean emeritus and professor at the school, as Co-Directors.[4] Both Head and Eisenberg have extensive experience conducting and publishing research on information literacy and the information-seeking behavior of Internet users.[5][6][7] In 2012, PIL became a registered nonprofit with Head as sole director after Dr. Head first became affiliated with the Berkman-Klein Center for Internet & Society and the Library Innovation Lab as a Fellow in 2011.[8] In 2016, Dr. Head ended PIL’s formal relationship with the Information School and joined the metaLAB@Harvard, the Berkman-Klein Center’s “idea foundry and knowledge design lab,”[9] as a Senior Researcher.[10][11] After publishing 14 open-access research reports over nearly two decades, PIL ended all research operations in 2025 and archived its materials on the website.[12]

Work

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PIL's studies were conducted using small teams of researchers drawn from libraries and schools of library and information science across the United States.[4] The institutional sample for PIL studies consists of 93 public and private colleges, universities, and community colleges, as well as 34 high schools located in the U.S. A 2016 study included data from Canadian institutions.[13] [14] All together, more than 22,500 participants, mostly students, were interviewed or surveyed for PIL reports.[15]

PIL established a Volunteer Sample of 260 institutions.[16][14] Over 100 schools have partnered with PIL for their studies including Harvard College, The Ohio State University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Michigan, The University of Washington, Arizona State University, Brandeis University, Santa Clara University, University of Alaska, Wellesley College and numerous community colleges. Each PIL study underwent ethical reviews at the participating institutions and at the host institution where the study was based before data collection began.[17]

Studies used a mixed-methods approach from the social science and information literacy fields, including large-scale surveys, focus groups, content analysis, extensive interviews, and computational analysis of social media interactions. Final reports have included summaries of key findings, in-depth data, links to surveys and datasets, and recommendations. All reports produced by PIL are open access under the CC-BY-NC license; many include open access data sets. THE PIL Archive site describes their research in conference as being broken into three phases, as follows:[15]

The Finding Information Studies, 2009 - 2011

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These studies examined students’ information seeking practices through the lens of their experiences—their needs, strategies, and workarounds—as they navigate complex networked spaces using rapidly changing technologies. The research broke new ground by establishing baseline information about students’ approaches to online and print information: how they found, evaluated, and used a variety of sources to complete coursework and solve information problems in their everyday lives.

The Passage Studies, 2012 - 2016

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These studies investigated how early adults navigate major information transitions in their lives as they move from high school to college, from college to the workplace, and from being college students to lifelong learners. The research explores how students experience profound changes in life at the intersection of evolving technologies, pedagogies, and expectations within the contexts of academic libraries, workspaces, and everyday life.

The Zeitgeist Studies, 2018 - 2024

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These studies widened the scope of information literacy research by exploring key questions of our time, especially for early adults: how they engage with news they trust in light of “fake news,” how algorithms shape their beliefs about the world around them, and how their information worlds inform their understanding of Covid-19 and climate change. Ultimately, this research investigated how students can develop information agency when confronting complex, polarizing issues with lasting implications.

  • Head, A.J., Geofrey, S., Fister, B., & Hostetler, K.(2024). How information worlds shape our response to climate change. Project Information Literacy Research Institute. August 28, 2025, from https://projectinfolit.org/publications/climate-study/
  • Head, A.J., Fister, B., Geofrey, S., and MacMillan, M. (2022). The Project Information Literacy Retrospective: Insights from more than a decade of information literacy research, 2008-2022. Project Information Research Institute. Retrieved August 28, 2025, from https://projectinfolit.org/publications/retrospective
  • Head, A.J., Braun, S., MacMillan, M., Yurkofsky, J. & Bull, A.C. (2020).Covid-19: The first 100 days of U.S. news coverage: Lessons about the media ecosystem for librarians, educators, students, and journalists. Project Information Literacy Research Institute. Retrieved August 28, 2025, from https://projectinfolit.org/publications/covid-19-the-first-100-days/
  • Head, A.J., Fister, B. & MacMillan, M. (2020). Information Literacy in the Age of Algorithms: Student Experiences with News and Information, and the Need for Change, Project Information Literacy Research Institute. RetrievedAugust 28, 2025 from https://projectinfolit.org/publications/algorithm-study/
  • Head, A.J., Wihbey, J., Metaxas, P. Takis, MacMillan, M., & Cohen, D. (2018). How Students Engage with News: Five Takeaways for Educators, Journalists, and Librarians," Project Information Literacy Research Institute. August 28, 2025 from https://projectinfolit.org/publications/news-study/

PIL's research results were disseminated through reports posted on its open access website, numerous articles, conference keynotes [18][19] and presentations, webcasts, podcasts, and videos on its YouTube channel. PIL has been recognized as an important source of longitudinal information on the information behaviors of students.[20][21][22][23] As Barbara Fister noted in her column, "[t]his is hands-down the most important long-term, multi-institutional research project ever launched on how students use information for school and beyond."[24] PIL reports continue to be frequently cited in scholarly articles,[4] linked from academic library webpages about information literacy,[25][26] used in workshops for faculty,[27] and students.[28] The studies provide information about students' and graduates' information seeking strategies through the lens of the student experience across multiple institutional sites[26] in the U.S. and have been reported on in The Chronicle of Higher Education,[29] Inside Higher Education,[24] Education Week,[30] Library Journal,[31] the Harvard Crimson,[32] and the Poynter Institute,[33]

Provocation Series: Essays, 2021–2022

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In 2021 PIL launched the Provocation Series of occasional papers on pressing issues around information literacy, building on PIL’s original research into students’ information practices in the digital age.[34] Each essay is accompanied by an author's reflection and discussion questions.

Smart Talk Interview Series, 2010–2024

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PIL created a series of Smart Talk interviews[36] with leading voices related to its core purpose of understanding how early adults use information and technology to learn. Interviewees included: Ken Bain, Char Booth, Nicholas Carr, Mike Caulfield, Jenae Cohn, David Conley, Cathy Davidson, Katie Davis, Dale Dougherty, Sari Feldman, Barbara Fister, Eric Gordon, Renee Hobbs, Rebecca Moore Howard, Sandra Jamieson, Kyle Jones, Joan Lippincott, Robert Lue, Andrea Lunsford, Shannon Mattern, P. Takis Metaxas, Ryan M. Milner, Peter Morville, John Palfrey, Whitney Philliips, Russell Poldrack, Lee Rainie, Justin Reich Howard Rheingold, Dan Rothstein, Jeffrey Schnapp, Howie Schneider, Zach Sims, Peter Suber, Shyam Sundar, Benjamin Toff, Francesca Tripodi, S. Craig Watkins, David Weinberger, and Mary-Ann Winkelmes. The interviews have been compiled into a single document, Project Information Literacyʼs Smart Talks, 2010-2024, available on the archive site.

Throughout the years, PIL promoted research educational opportunities, such as hosting an annual fellowship for emerging researchers in information literacy. In 2025, PIL welcomed three mid-career professionals to the competitive PIL Research Scholars Program: Rachel Fundator from Purdue University, Heather Ganshorn at the University of Calgary and Stephanie Founds at The Ohio State University.[37]

Another PIL project, The Reading List for Life, leveraged PIL's research findings to develop a web application for adult learners in public libraries, and was a collaboration between PIL, The Open Syllabus Project at Columbia University, and the metaLAB@Harvard.[10]

Recognition

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PIL’s 2020 report, Information Literacy in the Age of Algorithms was awarded the Ilene F. Rockman Instruction Publication of the Year from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).[38] Two articles by PIL researchers were recognized in the American Library Association Library Instruction Round Table Top 20 instruction articles: “Asking the Right Questions” in 2019[39] and “Dismantling the Evaluation Framework” in 2021.[40]

Dr. Head, PIL’s founder, held year-long visiting scholar appointments at University of Nebraska - Lincoln (2016/2017), Purdue University (2017/2018),[3] the University of Pittsburgh University Library System (2018/2019), and Gutman Library at Harvard Graduate School of Education (2019/2020),[41] and further, Dr. Head was faculty at the Allbright Institute for Global Affairs at Wellesley College in 2019.[42] In October 2024, Western Sydney University Library and the Institute for Culture and Society in Australia hosted Dr. Head, who was awarded a Fulbright from World Learning[43] to give keynotes and to build cross-cultural communication in a three-week “PIL InfoLit Tour” in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Canberra.[18]

Funding

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PIL has received funding from major granting organizations, individuals, companies and institutions[44][45]

Fulbright World Learning [43] Marcie Rothman [45]

Other Works

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Peer-reviewed articles

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Proceedings

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Opinion and editorials

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Internal Revenue Service. (2020). Project Information Literacy. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://rct.doj.ca.gov/Verification/Web/Details.aspx?result=66715b65-38d1-47b5-9aa9-535f2e90574d
  2. ^ Wihbey, J. (Jan. 26, 2012). Research chat: Information scientist Alison Head on student habits. Journalist's Resource: A Research Portal and Curated Database. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from http://journalistsresource.org/reference/research/research-chat-information-scientist-alison-head
  3. ^ a b Purdue Libraries selected as 2017–18 site for Project Information Literacy Visiting Research Scholar Program. (Jul. 26, 2017). Purdue Libraries News. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from http://blogs.lib.purdue.edu/news/2017/07/26/pil-visiting-scholar/
  4. ^ a b c Head, A.J., Fister, B., Geofrey, S., & MacMillan, M. (2022). The Project Information Literacy retrospective: Insights from more than a decade of information literacy research, 2008-2022. Project Information Literacy Research Institute. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://projectinfolit.org/publications/retrospective/
  5. ^ Roseth, B. (Oct. 8, 1998). New director leads library school into Information Age. University Week. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from http://faculty.washington.edu/mbe/univweek.htm
  6. ^ Information School, University of Washington. (n.d.). Michael Eisenberg. iSchool Directory. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://ischool.uw.edu/people/faculty/profile/mbe
  7. ^ UC Irvine Faculty Contribute to Project Information Literacy. (Spring, 2010). UCI Libraries Update: a Newsletter for Faculty, 28(2). Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://update.lib.uci.edu/spring10/spring10-2.html
  8. ^ The Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. (2011). Annual Report Academic Year 2010-2011. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://www.aallnet.org/allsis/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/01/berkman-harvard-annual-report-2011.pdf
  9. ^ American Theatre Editors. (Feb. 7, 2023). Digital access research project launches at Harvard. "American Theatre". Retrieved, August 28, 2025 from https://www.americantheatre.org/2023/02/07/digital-access-research-project-launches-at-harvard/
  10. ^ a b The Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. (2017). Annual Report Academic Year 2016- 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://cyber.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/2024-03/2.1-FY17-Berkmand-Klein-for-web.pdf
  11. ^ Project Information Literacy. (2022). What is the history of PIL? Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://web.archive.org/web/20250523035257/https://projectinfolit.org/faq/
  12. ^ Head, A. J. (Sep. 11, 2025). After 17 years, Project Information Literacy to end: One final contribution will launch this month.College and Research Libraries News, 86 (8). Retrieved September 11, 2025 from https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/26954
  13. ^ Head, A.J. (2016). Planning and designing academic library learning spaces: Expert perspectives of architects, librarians, and library consultants. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://projectinfolit.org/publications/library-space-study/
  14. ^ a b See individual reports for details of participating institutions, ethics approvals, and methods for each study
  15. ^ a b The Project Information Literacy Archive. (2025) About PIL. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://projectinfolit.org
  16. ^ Project Information Literacy.(2022) PIL at a Glance. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://web.archive.org/web/20220201110511/https://projectinfolit.org/
  17. ^ Head, A.J. (2016). Staying smart: How today's graduates continue to learn once they complete college. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://projectinfolit.org/publications/lifelong-learning-study/
  18. ^ a b Western Sydney University. (2024). Project Information Literacy Tour: Australia. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://subjectguides.library.westernsydney.edu.au/blog/Project-Information-Literacy-Tour-Australia
  19. ^ LOEX. (2025). Friday Plenary Speaker. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://loexconference.org/2025/invited-speaker/
  20. ^ Bell, S. (May 15, 2013). Studying the studies: The big four. Library Journal. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/studying-the-studies-from-the-bell-tower
  21. ^ laralu510.(May 31, 2011). Project Information Literacy's new report. It's academic: The official blog of the Pennsylvania Library Association's College & Research Division. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://crdpala.org/2011/05/31/pilnewreport/
  22. ^ Davidshumaker. (Dec. 18, 2013) First-year college students, Project Information Literacy, and embedded librarianship. The Embedded librarian: Exploring new, embedded roles for librarians in organizations of all types. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://embeddedlibrarian.com/2013/12/18/first-year-college-students-project-information-literacy-and-embedded-librarianship/
  23. ^ Juskiewicz, S. & Cote, Conor. (2014). Teaching information literacy to undergraduate students: Reflecting on the past, present and future of library instruction. Pacific Northwest Library Association Quarterly, 79 (1). Retrieved August 29, 2025 from https://digitalcommons.mtech.edu/library_scholarship/3/
  24. ^ a b Fister, B. (Jan. 7, 2016). Information literacy and recent graduates: New from PIL. Barbara Fister, Inside Higher Education. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/library-babel-fish/information-literacy-and-recent-graduates-new-pil
  25. ^ See for example guides on pages at the University of Toronto http://guides.library.utoronto.ca/fac-lib-collab/IL, Loyola Marymount University http://libguides.lmu.edu/c.php?g=323870&p=2169380, and Madison College http://libguides.madisoncollege.edu/InfoLitStudents/CollegeLevel
  26. ^ a b Deitering, A.M. (Jul. 28, 2016). Understanding student needs [library guide for faculty]. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from http://guides.library.oregonstate.edu/c.php?g=286221&p=1906686
  27. ^ Maricopa Community College.(2016). Designing research assignment handouts: Essential elements to promote student success. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://maricopa.instructure.com/courses/805267
  28. ^ Houtman, E. (2015). Mind-blowing: Fostering self-regulated learning in information literacy instruction. Communications in Information Literacy, 9(1), 6–18. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/comminfolit/vol9/iss1/6/
  29. ^ Truong, K. (July 27, 2010). Research-assignment handouts give students meager guidance, survey finds. Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://www.chronicle.com/article/research-assignment-handouts-give-students-meager-guidance-survey-finds/
  30. ^ Wickner, A. (Nov. 14, 2012). New perspectives on information literacy. Education Week. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/new-perspectives-on-information-literacy/2012/11
  31. ^ Price, Gary. (Jan. 5, 2016). What happens after college? Project Info Literacy releases lifelong learning research report. Library Journal. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/what-happens-after-college-project-info-literacy-releases-lifelong-learning-research-report
  32. ^ Wang, A. Z. & Yu,S. (Nov. 8, 2019). Project Information Literacy scholars discuss information in an age of big data. Harvard Crimson. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/11/8/info-lit-event/
  33. ^ Funke, D. (Oct. 16, 2018). Study: Fake news is making college students question all news. Poynter Institute. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2018/study-fake-news-is-making-college-students-question-all-news/
  34. ^ Project Information Literacy. (2021). Provocation series. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://projectinfolit.org/publications/provocation-series
  35. ^ Fister, B. (February 18, 2021). The Librarian War Against QAnon. The Atlantic. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2021/02/how-librarians-can-fight-qanon/618047/
  36. ^ Project Information Literacy. 2025. Smart talk Interviews. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://projectinfolit.org/publications/smart-talk-interviews
  37. ^ Rachel Fundator named a 2025 Project Information Literacy Research Scholar. (Feb. 26, 2025). "Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies News". Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://blogs.lib.purdue.edu/news/2025/02/26/rachel-fundator-named-a-2025-project-information-literacy-research-scholar/
  38. ^ Association of College and Research Libraries. (2024). Ilene F. Rockman Instruction Publication of the Year Award. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://www.ala.org/acrl/awards/publicationawards/publicationyear
  39. ^ ACRL Library Instruction Round Table. (2020). 2019 LIRT Top 20 Articles. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/rt/content/archive/toptwenty2019.pdf
  40. ^ ACRL Library Instruction Round Table. (2022). LIRT Top 20 Articles. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/2024-05/LIRT%20Top%2020%202021.pdf
  41. ^ a b c d Alison Head Joins Gutman Library as Visiting Scholar. Monroe C. Gutman Library. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://library.harvard.edu/about/news/2019-05-01/alison-head-joins-gutman-library-visiting-scholar
  42. ^ Alison J. Head, Ph.D. is an information scientist and social science researcher. (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://albright.wellesley.edu/about/faculty/alison-head
  43. ^ a b Australian Library and information Association. (2024). Project Information Literacy: What students can teach us. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://www.alia.org.au/EventDetail?EventKey=PIL
  44. ^ Information School, University of Washington. (n.d.) Farewell Mike Eisenberg. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from http://byemike.ischool.uw.edu/history/
  45. ^ a b c Project Information Literacy Archives. (2025). Acknowledgements. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://projectinfolit.org/acknowledgments
  46. ^ Head, A. J. (June 26, 2013). Mismatch between graduates' information skills and employers' needs. IMLS UpNext. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://www.imls.gov/blog/2013/06/mismatch-between-graduates%E2%80%99-information-skills-and-employers-needs
  47. ^ Project Information Literacy. (2017). National study on young adults' news consumption launched. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://projectinfolit.org/pubs/news-study/pil_news-study_2018-10-16_press-release.pdf
  48. ^ Information School, University of Washington. (Oct. 31, 2010). Project Info Literacy releases first full summary. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://ischool.uw.edu/news/2017/01/project-info-literacy-releases-first-full-summary
  49. ^ The Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. 2012. Annual report for the academic year 2011–2012. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://cyber.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/2018-07/Berkman%20Center%20FY%202011-2012%20redacted.pdf
  50. ^ Head, A.J., Fister, B., & MacMillan, M. (2020). Information Literacy in the Age of Algorithms: Student Experiences with News and Information, and the Need for Change. Project Information Literacy Research Institute. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://projectinfolit.org/publications/algorithm-study/
  51. ^ Association of College and Research Libraries. (Oct. 24, 2017). ACRL sponsors Project Information Literacy news study. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/acrl-sponsors-project-information-literacy-student-news-consumption-study/
  52. ^ Information School, University of Washington. (2017). Research Areas Information Literacy. Retrieved August 28, 2025 from https://ischool.uw.edu/research/areas/information-literacy
  53. ^ a b "College students limit technology use during crunch time". ScienceDaily. University of Washington. 13 October 2011.
  54. ^ "ProQuest Survey Shows Libraries are Turning Up the Heat on Marketing and Outreach to Protect Budgets" (Press release). ProQuest. 14 January 2010.
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