Information literacy (IL) has been described as a core literacy. However emerging empirical research indicates that the phenomenon will have different characteristics in different contexts and will be played out in culturally different ways. This paper reviews the nature and growth of IL to ascertain how researchers understand the phenomenon in various contexts. It then considers the contradictions across contexts and the importance of context to understanding the complexity of IL. The conclusion is that a focus on various contexts, not yet explored, will result in the need for a new agenda for IL research.