Many children today do not remember a time when there wasn't a World Wide Web. As we step into the new century, rapidly changing technologies are dramatically reshaping how we live our lives. This is especially true in the classroom and library where technology has transformed the opportunities for learning. Yet a computer and Internet connection alone are not enough. The resulting explosion in new, often unfiltered information requires information literacy skills - skills to define an information need, access information from multiple sources, evaluate information's accuracy and credibility, and use information effectively. Young people without the computer skills to access information and the critical thinking skills to evaluate it once retrieved will surely be left behind.

Recognizing this need, the Pacific Bell/UCLA Initiative for 21st Century Literacies commissioned the production of e-literate, a 15 minute educational video to be used by teachers, librarians, community leaders and parents to introduce 21st century literacies to young people. Produced by noted writer/director Thom Eberhardt (HONEY, I BLEW UP THE KIDS, CAPTAIN RON), e-literate addresses facts versus opinions, bias, and information reliability in a humorous yet provocative tone that makes it appropriate for multiple age levels, including children, teens, college students and adults. e-literate adds value to existing information literacy programs and curricula and is being disseminated broadly by the Pacific Bell/UCLA Initiative to schools, libraries, community centers and policy leaders in California as well as nationally.