The literature on information literacy often assumes that there is an inherent link between the need for information literacy and what is commonly referred to as the information explosion. This assumed link is reflected in programs of information literacy instruction offered by academic libraries. This article argues that the basic concepts of information literacy predate and are largely independent of the new information environment. It contends further that an emphasis in information literacy instruction on the specific challenges posed by the Internet and related information technologies may lead to an insufficient emphasis on other more basic and enduring components of information literacy. (Contains 49 notes.)