Visual Literacy: Home

This guide is a combination of definitions, resources, ideas, and examples to assist you in understanding what it means to be visually literate as well as to explain the value of visual literacy.

The Association of College and Research Libraries defined and created standards for Visual Literacy in 2011. Visual literacy is a set of abilities that enables an individual to effectively find, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images and visual media. Below is a concept map of visual literacy.

"Visual Literacy Array" based on ACRL’s Visual Literacy Standards by D. Hattwig, K. Bussert, and A. Medaille. Copyright 2013 The Johns Hopkins University Press. This image first appeared in PORTAL: LIBRARIES AND THE ACADEMY, Volume 13, Issue 1, January 2013, p. 75. The BAC Library was given permission to use this image in April, 2021.