Based in California's San Francisco Bay Area, Project Information Literacy, Inc. (PIL) is a public benefit 501(c)(3) organization.
[4] Both Head and Eisenberg have extensive experience conducting and publishing research on information literacy and the information-seeking behavior of Internet users.
[9] PIL's research results have been disseminated through the reports posted on its open access website, numerous articles, conference presentations, webcasts, podcasts, and videos on its YouTube channel.
[23][24][25][26] As Barbara Fister notes, "[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.
"[27] PIL reports are frequently cited in scholarly articles and linked from academic library webpages about information literacy,[28][29] used in workshops for faculty,[30] and in student learning.
As the effects of mis- and disinformation take a toll on social cohesion, librarians are often positioned as experts who can guide their communities toward a better understanding of our confusing information landscape, but few graduate programs prepare them for teaching.
[39] In the fifth essay, "Information Literacy for Mortals," Mike Caulfield combines decision-making theory & research on his SIFT evaluation method to advocate a strengths-based approach.
"[41] PIL has created a series of Smart Talk interviews[42] with leading voices related to its core purpose of understanding how early adults use information and technology to learn.
Interviewees include: 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, Francesca Tripodi, S. Craig Watkins, David Weinberger, and Mary-Ann Winkelmes.