Unit 1: Reading Notes

2004 Information Format Trends: Content, Not Containers

Wendy Pradt Lougee is quoted at the end of the report, stating that the “library’s role as archive or steward of information goods is being transformed as a collaborator and, potentially, a catalyst within interest-based communities.”

Most of my personal experiences with online interest-based communities involve rare books, poetry, and food. I’m very interested in the future of libraries acting as a collaborator and catalyst in those contexts.

I’ll write more about poetry, though collaboration lends itself well to all fields. The Internet is immensely valuable to writers, not only for research but also for inspiration, opportunities to publish, and access to a support network of similarly pre-occupied people. For all its value, though, the information relevant to poets is vast and jumbled. It can be very difficult to navigate. Many poets refuse to use the Internet as an information source, sometimes because of a general discomfort with technology but often because it appears messy and therefore time consuming. But add libraries-as-collaborators into the mix, providing context and helping to organize relevant information, and I imagine the community would grow even more productive and valuable to its members. Reference materials would be more usefully connected, independent publications would be more easily found by writers hoping to publish and readers hoping for something new, and the community would be broadened by new members and easier access to one another: all of those things are important and nearly impossible to accomplish without the input of libraries. More easily accessed information would of course then act as a catalyst for new work, and new work is always exciting.

Lied Library @ four years: technology never stands still

Reading this article, I was impressed by how much effort is required to keep a library’s technology current. It’s clear that the Lied Library staff has been quick and creative in dealing with problems, as well as very organized in coordinating repairs and software updates.

What I found most interesting were the ways the library deals with having both student and community patrons. Although most libraries have issues with security and limited computers, I would imagine that when some of your users have paid a fee for their computer access while others have not, there might be some conflicts when it comes to materials and access to technology.

I would also be interested to see what changes Lied Library has undergone in the last 6 years since the article was published.

Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture

This is a very useful article for its straightforward definition of information literacy and information technology literacy.

According to Lynch, “information technology literacy deals with an understanding of the technology infrastructure that underpins much of today’s life; an understanding of the tools technology provides and their interaction with this infrastructure; and an understanding of the legal, social, economic and public policy issues that shape the development of the infrastructure and the applications and use of the technologies. Information literacy, on the other hand, deals with content and communication: it encompasses authoring, informative finding and organization, the research process, and information analysis, assessment and evaluation.”

I agree with Lynch’s assessment that information technology literacy should not be limited to using a word processer or checking one’s email, that in order to be responsible members of society we must have an understanding of how technology shapes our lives. It’s impossible to be an informed citizen with just “rote skills” supplying one’s knowledge about technology, though I’d guess that most people would disagree with that statement. I think librarians will play a big role in changing the way people think about information technology literacy.