Libfocus Irish Library Blog

Thanks to Eva Hornung for alerting me to a lively and interesting collaborative blog, Libfocus Irish Library Blog, that has a broad scope: http://libfocus.blogspot.co.uk/ The regular contributors are Eva herself, Michelle Dalton, Ronan Hegarty, Jane Burns and Alexander Kouker, and they also have guest bloggers.
Photo by Sheila Webber: Foxglove buds, June 2012

Digital literacy in social sciences: articles

Just published, the lasted issue of the open access journal ELiSS - Enhancing Learning and Teaching in the Social Sciences (Volume 4, Issue 2, May 2012) focuses on Digital Literacies. The home page for the issue is at http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/journals/eliss/volume-4-2. The editorial Digital literacy: digital maturity or digital bravery? summarises the range of articles, authored by UK academics and educational researchers, which are entitled:

- Making digital literacy a success in taught marketing courses (Robin Johnson, David Edmundson-Bird and Brendan J Keegan)
- Institutional strategies for supporting learners in a digital age (Rhona Sharpe and Greg Benfield)
- Learning journeys: exploring approaches to learner digital literary acquisition (Lyn Greaves, Claire Bradley and Debbie Holley)
- The process and affective environment of students personal information management (Sara Robinson and Frances Johnson)
- Bravery, technological literacy and political philosophy: replacing oral presentations with student­-created video presentations(Pete Woodcock)
Photo by Sheila Webber: Jubilee in Tescos, June 2012

Réaliser un travail de recherche: Infographic

The Groupe de travail du Programme de développement des compétences informationnelles du réseau [information literacy working group] de l’Université du Québec (Canada) have produced a nice (French language) infographic showing the stages in searching for a topic. You can even download a zip file with the documents to print oout and paste together. The blog post explaining it (in French) is at https://tribuneci.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/infographie-et-competences-informationnelles/
Actually if you speak French (or are adept at Google Translate) the blog as a whole is of interest: https://tribuneci.wordpress.com/
Note: the picture is from the blog posting, copyright the authors on the blog post I just linked to. It shows the final stage of making the infographic from their downloaded files, namely "Relax!" ;-)

Information culture - different views on information literacy

An interesting new powerpoint from Thomas Hapke (University Library, Hamburg University of Technology, Germany) on the meaning of information literacy.

Information culture - different views on information literacy

View more presentations from Thomas Hapke

Survey on librarian's view of literature review

Wendy Highby, a Reference Librarian at the University Libraries of the University of Northern Colorado, USA, is investigating academic librarians' concept of the literature review and their experiences in teaching students about the literature review process. Participants should be working, or have worked, as an academic librarian. The online survey form is here: https://unco.us.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_55CJutgxiQwLQWg
Any questions to wendy.highby@unco.edu
Photo by Sheila Webber: Sunlit escholtzia, May 2012

Information Skills for a 21st Century Scotland

Activists from the former Scottish Information Literacy Project have launched an online information literacy community of practice: Information Skills for a 21st century Scotland at http://www.therightinformation.org/ hosted by Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC). It includes the Scottish Information Literacy Framework, information about the Scottish Information Literacy Project (formerly based at Glasgow Caledonian University from 2004 to 2010) and a valuable archive of material, including the Project blog.
The community is open to everyone who is interested in information literacy: you can join the community, share practice, contribute to the community’s knowledge of information literacy activities news, conferences and events, new research etc. They are also looking for individuals and groups across the library and information community to work with them to update the framework with new case studies.
There is a launch event on 11 June at 10.30 – 10.45 at the Apex hotel, in Dundee, as part of the Chartered Institute for Library and Information Professionals in Scotland (CILIPS) Conference 2012. The launch will be followed by a parallel session from 14.00 to 15.00 "Finding the right information: improving professional practice using the Scottish Information Literacy Framework" which will be an informal discussion to help build a Scottish Information Literacy Community of Practice.
I'm happy to see that the definition that they have on their logo is the one by me and Bill Johnston ;-)

Adult Students using a Scoring Rubric to develop Information Literacy Skills.

An "in press" article online at the Journal of Academic Librarianship (likely to be published in vol. 38 no. 3, 2012) is:
van Helvoort, A.A.J. How Adult Students in Information Studies Use a Scoring Rubric for the Development of Their Information Literacy Skills. "The purpose of this article is to expand on a previous study on the development of a scoring rubric for information literacy. The present paper examines how students at the Department of Information Services and Information Management, The Hague University, use the scoring rubric for their school work and/or in their regular jobs and social life."
JAL is also implementing Article Based Publishing so that "individual articles [are] to be published in their final form, including volume, issue and page number, before the volume itself [is] completed." Recent articles are at http://www.journals.elsevier.com/the-journal-of-academic-librarianship/recent-articles/
Photo by Sheila Webber: free art, seen on my way to work last week.

Developing Information Literacy for Lifelong Learning and Knowledge-Based Economy in the Western Balkan Countries

Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) Library is managing a project, funded by the Tempus IV European Union programme, Developing Information Literacy for Lifelong Learning and Knowledge-Based Economy in the Western Balkan Countries, a project worth €1,171,557. The project is managed by Jerald Cavanagh (Institute Librarian, LIT) and coordinated by Padraig Kirby. It involves 12 other higher education institutions in Romania, Greece, United Kingdom, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo.
There is a prezi with a project update (March 2012) from Jerald Cavanagh and Padraig Kirby http://prezi.com/dvff9rgxxc6c/tempus-project-update-march-2012/. There is a report on an initial information day http://unsa.ba/s/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1151&Itemid=348&lang=english. Finally, there is a press release http://www.library.ie/2011/08/05/lit-library-wins-e1-2m-to-lead-major-eu-project-on-information-literacy/
Photo by Sheila Webber, Chandelier, York, May 2012

"The Power of Information" (new Government strategy)

The power of information http://informationstrategy.dh.gov.uk/ is the new information strategy from the UK's Department of Health which "sets a ten-year framework for transforming information for the NHS [National Health Service], public health and social care." As Vicky Grant noted in the talk she gave on Thursday, it doesn't mention information literacy and doesn't seem to say anything about libraries either. In fact it is using the word "Information" to mean (in a fuzzy way) technology, networks and actual information content. However, as regards information content, it seems like the focus is on the information generated within the NHS, rather than having a real perspective on patient needs for information.
I'm afraid with this one, I find it impossible to write impartially, as a quick glance at the site made me angry as a UK citizen who values the NHS. You will see from the one slide which is supposed to make the whole strategy easy to understand that basically they want everyone to go online for everything, including things like booking doctor's appointments. This will leave people like my mother (who is very alert and independent, but has worsening sight and does not use the internet) with a second class service, I assume.
"One of the key commitments is that you will be able to view your GP record online by 2015." I'm sure that this promise has nothing to do with saving the Government money - except Information Age reports that - "Online GP records will save over £2bn, DoH claims". Hmm.
On Thursday I did a post on my cpd23 blog about using Storify and coincidentally they have put together a Storify page on the new strategy: http://informationstrategy.dh.gov.uk/storify/ It would be an interesting task for an information literacy class to match the stories snagged for this Storify, and see whether they reflect the full spectrum of commentary on it, or indeed to assemble alternative stories.
Photo by Sheila Webber: Goat in Maryon Park, May 2012

Health Information Obesity

Today there was an event from CILIP Career Development Group (Yorkshire and Humberside Division) here at Sheffield University. Vicky Grant, Faculty Librarian for Medicine, Dentistry and Health at Sheffield, was talking about Health information obesity: the new epidemic? It was a very interesting presentation, and I'll mention a couple of things she talked about.
One was a new strategy from the Department from Health The power of information. I'm going to put more about that in a separate posting. Secondly, whilst talking about the value of patient networks for health information she showed some of a TED video about e-Patient Dave: http://www.ted.com/talks/dave_debronkart_meet_e_patient_dave.html "When Dave deBronkart learned he had a rare and terminal cancer, he turned to a group of fellow patients online -- and found the medical treatment that saved his life." Dave is also an advocate for libraries. Finally, she showed this video which tells the story of one person becoming empowered to find, evaluate and use information (including stories from fellow patients) to apply to her own illness.

CoLRiC Roadshow 22 June

On 22 June in Liverpool, UK, there is the final CoLRiC roadshow Embedding information skills in the curriculum where you can "hear how the award winning Library Team at Northampton College collaborated with curriculum colleagues to embed information and study skills into the curriculum with enormous benefits for students" and have the opportunity to "Discuss concerns with colleagues in our professional surgery". Cost £20 for CoLRiC members, £40 for non-members. More info at http://www.colric.org.uk/roadshows.
Photo by Sheila Webber: York City Walls, May 2012

Information Literacy briefing from CILIP

CILIP's Information Literacy Executive Briefing is on 5 July in CILIP HQ in London, UK: Information Literacy: Working together for the future of our profession. There are a number of speakers and opportunity for discussion. Early bird registration before June 1st gives a discount (e.g. £156+ VAT for CILIP members). More information at http://www.cilip.org.uk/infolit2012/pages/default.aspx
Photo by Sheila Webber: New concourse, Kings Cross Station, London, May 2012

Journal Club: 22 May in Second Life

Journal Club, led by Ridvan Ata, University of Sheffield, England.
When: 22nd May, 12 noon to 1pm Second Life time (8pm-9pm UK time)
Where: In the virtual world, Second Life, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Infolit%20iSchool/106/208/30/
Ridvan will lead a discussion of:
William C. Diehl & Esther Prins (2008) Unintended Outcomes in Second Life: Intercultural Literacy and Cultural Identity in a Virtual World. Language and Intercultural Communication, 8:2, 101-118. available from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/14708470802139619
You need a SL avatar, and the SL browser on your computer, to participate. http://secondlife.com/

A Sheffield iSchool Centre for Information Literacy Research Event

Reference Services Review: twittering

There's a Twitter focus in the latest issue (vol 40 no 2) of Reference Services Review:
- Libraries atwitter: trends in academic library tweeting: by Darcy Del Bosque, Sam A. Leif, Susie Skarl (pp. 199 - 213)
- To tweet, or not to tweet? by Susan Jennings (pp. 214 - 216)
- Students tweet the darndest things about your library – and why you need to listen. by Steven Bell (pp. 217 - 220)
- Just the right tweet at just the right time. by Ameet Doshi (pp. 221 - 223)
- Beyond broadcasting: Customer service, community and information experience in the Twittersphere. by Lyndelle Gunton, Kate Davis (pp. 224 - 227)
Other articles include:
- Reference Services Review: content analysis, 2006-2011: by Katy Mahraj (pp. 182 - 198) This analysis confirms that the vast majority of authors are from the academic sector, with 83% from the United States, and "information literacy and instruction" is the topic with the biggest share of articles.
- Information literacy on Facebook: an analysis. by Donna Witek, Teresa Grettano (pp. 242 - 257)
- Student preference for tutorial design: a usability study. by Lori S. Mestre (pp. 258 - 276)
- Engaging undergraduates in discipline-based research. by Heidi Gauder, Fred Jenkins (pp. 277 - 294)
This is a priced publication: here is the home page: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0090-7324
Photo by Sheila Webber: York castle with bluebells, 2012

Short course in South Africa

ITOCA (Information Training and Outreach Centre for Africa) is running workshops called 21st Century Information Literacy Skills in Centurion, South Africa on June 18-22, 2012 and July 2-6, 2012 and also via a web version. "Participants will learn how to acquire, and facilitate the acquisition and application of information literacy skills that are relevant for the information user in the 21st century." http://www.itoca.org/node/135

The ways that young people experience information

Marian Smith gained her PhD from Loughborough University in 2010, with an interesting dissertation about children's perceptions of information (I was external examiner at her viva) entitled "Young people: a phenomenographic investigation into the ways they experience information". Mark Hepworth, who supervised Marian at Loughborough, recently did a blog post in which he outlines the framework she identified, that could be used to guide information literacy teaching to children. His blog post is here: http://markhepworthsblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/young-peoples-perception-of-their.html and Marian's full dissertation is here: https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/dspace-jspui/handle/2134/6632
Photo by Sheila Webber: Wildflowers, Maryon Park, May 2012