nirak.net - Musings of an LIS Student

My brain is spinning now.

For another class (Library Use Instruction), I have to evaluate the difference between Information Literacy and Media Literacy. In my searches on Media literacy, I have found that it is used interchangeably sometimes with Digital Literacy. Some thoughts are below.

Literacy

Definition: The ability to read and write. Well, that’s pretty easy. Literacy is an odd word, because it’s used to describe both proficiency (America has a high literacy rate) and excellence (that professor is very literate). The fact that literacy is tied up in reading and writing is problematic- I think the reason these other terms have developed is the fact that it’s easier to make up a new term than to redefine an old one.

Information Literacy

Definition: The ability to find, evaluate and use information. OK, pretty straightforward. Information Literacy one ups plain old literacy- you not only have to be able to read and write, but you have to be able to evaluate and use what you’ve read.

Media Literacy

Definition: The ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create messages in a variety of forms. [1] The big difference here is the word create. It’s similar to the word “use” in information literacy, but it implies more action. One still has to be able to find the information and be able to use it, but you’re using it to create something.

Digital Literacy

Definition: The ability to use digital technology, communication tools or networks to locate, evaluate, use and create information. [source] I’m a little muddy on how this is different from Media Literacy, but I get the feeling that most people think Digital Literacy = the internet. Digital literacy, to me, is figuring out the cool ways to use internet tools to accomplish stuff.

Other literacies:

We’re certainly not the only profession obsessed with literacies! This is a very incomplete list.

• Critical Literacy
• Media Literacy
• Visual Literacy
• Computer Literacy
• Multimedia Literacy
• Information Literacy
• Health Literacy
• Scientific Literacy
• Economic Literacy
• Technological Literacy
• Multicultural Literacy
• Global Literacy
• Cultural Literacy
• Social Literacy
• Natural Literacy
• Artistic Literacy
• Ethical Literacy

[1] Livingstone, S. (2004). Media Literacy and the Challenge of New Information and Communication Technologies. The Communication Review, 7(1), 3-14.

karin :: Sep.12.2007 :: Information Literacy, Library, School Stuff :: 6 Comments »

One of my fellow classmates asked this question on the class bulletin board:

“What choice would you make between blogging or journal publication for presenting an article that you might write, and why?”

Hoo boy. That’s a can of worms, isn’t it? I’ve been pondering this question for a few days.

I’ve found some articles about this, so I’ll come back to it, but I wanted to start with a brief exploration of why I prefer to blog, not connected to why others choose it or whether it’s the best path.

Why I blog

I’ve been blogging for about 5 years- that is, I’ve been using actual blogging software for around 5 years. Before that, I hand coded updates to my website. I’ve had a web page of some sort for about 10 years now- I’ve owned my domain for 7. That said, it’s only in the last year that I’ve really appreciated what blogging and other online activities can do for me.

1 Writing Practice. The most obvious benefit I get from blogging is that I practice writing more frequently. Not only that, but because I put my writing out there for others to see, I hold myself to a higher standard than I would if I were just writing in a journal. Writing for an audience also spurs me to write more often than I would otherwise.

2 Professional Networking. I have been quite surprised at the amount and kind of professional networking I have been able to do through my blog and other social networking sites. The blog is the most important, though, because it has given me a place to point people back to. I have had several people contact me asking me to apply after I graduate, mostly because I blog and comment on other’s blogs. I have met several other bloggers at professional conferences, which has made me feel like I’m part of the profession before I’ve even entered it officially.

3 Cleaning house. I have a lot of unfinished posts. A LOT. I start posts, and then I realize that what I was trying to say just isn’t that important, or that others have already said it. In this way, blogging helps me sort through my thoughts and filter out the ones that are the most important- and therefore the ones I should concentrate on in school and professionally.

4 Connecting. This is different from networking because it’s emotional. As a partial distance student, it’s sometimes hard to make a connection with other students. There are a lot of other library students out there in the same boat- and by writing in our own blogs and reading about each other’s experiences, we connect in a way that makes us feel a part of a community.

5 Immediacy. There’s just something about being able to publish something immediately, and read responses a few hours or days later, and respond to the responses right after that.

karin :: Sep.11.2007 :: Library, School Stuff :: 5 Comments »

In my search on information literacy, I have come across some interesting links:

Wikipedia Scanner

This site lists anonymous wikipedia edits by IP or organization.

Link to wikipedia edits made in Lincoln Public Schools.

Link to wikipedia edits made in Lincoln Public Libraries.

Eye to I: Visual Literacy Meets Information Literacy

The home of the virtual poster sessions that were offered in conjunction with the ACRL Instruction Section/Arts Section program at ALA 2007 in Washington D.C.

I wanted to make this session but couldn’t. I’m interested in the intersection of visual and information literacy- I’ve blogged about visual literacy in the past, and spent most of my freshman year in college in a bloated (and required) visual literacy course. My understanding of visual literacy has changed quite a bit since then.

RYT Hospital-Dwayne Medical Center

Home of the infamous Male Pregnancy page. When I was a junior, someone brought a printout of this page to a sociology class I was in. The teacher tried to argue against the concept, said that it was impossible, and just because the site didn’t obviously say it was false didn’t mean it was true. I found the site on snopes.com a few weeks later, and wished I had spoken up.

The student wasn’t convinced. He probably believes men can have babies to this day.

Digital Campus Episode 01 - Wikipedia: Friend or Foe?

In the first episode of this fantastic podcast, professor Mills Kelly tells about an assignment he gives based on wikipedia- he has the students make substantial edits to a wikipedia page, and then track those changes as the semester goes on.

Pew Internet & American Life Project report on Search Engine Users

This report from 1995 polled 2,200 adults 18 and older about their internet searching habits. The report and the survey results are worth a read.

I found this response in the survey especially disturbing: - 49% of users that used search engines said they would continue using a search engine if they “learned that a search engine was accepting fees from websites, and was listing those websites without making it clear that they were PAID or SPONSORED.”

karin :: Sep.07.2007 :: Library, School Stuff :: No Comments »

I have a lot of assignments based on the concept of information literacy at school this semester. My first such assignment was due the first day of class (yes, we get homework before school even starts!) We had to find two articles on Information Literacy and write about them. In my mind, I confused information literacy and information literacy instruction. After reading more, I realize that isn’t true, but the definition is still a little fuzzy in my mind.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that a lot of people seem to use the term “information literacy instruction” as a synonym for bibliographic or library use instruction. In my mind, these are all very distinct concepts. I define the terms like this:

Information Literacy Instruction - The instruction on not only finding information, but distinguishing good information from bad.

Bibliographic Instruction - I’m a little unclear on this concept, but I see this as a more straightforward “this is how you cite your sources” instruction. It might include instruction on a specific citation style. I think this type of instruction would be well suited to a discussion on citing in general and how the citation engine (so to speak) works.

Library Use instruction - This is the straightforward “how to use the library” class. This would include how to access databases, the intricacies of searches in the various databases, the kinds of print resources to be found, how to use ILL, etc.

A few thoughts on instruction:

Information literacy instruction seems to take place mostly in academic library settings. I think information literacy would be useful in a public library setting and in school libraries, too. This seems like the most likely candidate to be taught as a general class- that is, not at the point of need.

On the other hand, I think library use instruction and bibliographic instruction are best taught at the point of need. I know that often they are not taught at the point of need, though- the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, for instance, has library 110 class that students take early on. To be perfectly honest, as a student, I didn’t find that class that useful. It may be partially due to my unusually prolonged experience (it was 7 years from the time I started to the time I graduated), but by the time I really needed the information from the class, it had been long enough that I forgot nearly everything learned.

Now that I am in the library, I see why the class is taught the way it is- requiring students to take it is one of the few ways to make sure they hear about library resources early on.

There is overlap between the three type of instruction to be sure- being able to read and follow citations is certainly needed for a university student’s information literacy.

Back to information literacy

So what is information literacy? I’m still having a hard time with a definition, but it includes such abilities as being able to tell paid content from other content, being able to verify a source and find backup sources if needed, knowing where to look (or who to ask) for desired information. It includes basic competencies with a computer and being able to express oneself adequately both in talking and writing (you can’t ask for information if you can’t express your need.)

Information literacy also includes the ability to cite sources- either formally through citation, or informally, as on the web, though links.

Information literacy and library 2.0

There’s been a lot written about library and education 2.0 lately- I’m not really going to chime in in except to say that I think that some of the focus on the library 2.0 movement is tied up in the desire for information literacy. In order to find certain kinds of information, one has know about new tools and technologies. There’s plenty of information that can also be found in books (and some that can only be found in books) but there’s also some things you can only get online.

I personally don’t think it’s important that librarians jump on the bandwagon and become 100% proficient in every “next big thing,” but it’s also not a good idea to ignore these new modes of communication entirely. (As is the case with librarians who “don’t do email.”)

The Annoyed Librarian posted recently about the profession’s reticence in distinguishing between bad and good information. I think there’s a difference in determining between bad and good at the reference desk and in collection development. It’s clear that there is a value judgment involved in information literacy.

What’s your definition?

I’d like to hear other’s take on information literacy. What does it mean to you?

karin :: Sep.06.2007 :: Library, School Stuff :: 3 Comments »