Information Architecture, Information Overload, and the Literacies

This paper places emphasis on the relationship between information architecture and information overload in the light of the benefits, offered by information literacy, digital literacy and other literacies, often named “new literacies”. It argues that making use of information literacy and digital literacy strategies can eliminate a substantial part of unneeded information. This approach does not exclude efforts to make information findable by applying principles and tools of information architecture. Information architecture, information overload, information literacy and digital literacy are defined and characterized, not forgetting about the differences and commonalities between them. Information ecology as a useful framework for better understanding of the relationships between new media, new literacies and information architecture is also brought into picture.