Liberating Information Literacy: Inspiring Critical Thinking

Charlet Key, Black Hawk College keyc@bhc.edu

Background

Readers Guide to Periodical Lit is a thing of the past...a common interface.  Now we do Newsbank, LexisNexis, Ebscohost, JStor, Brittanica.  No common interface these days.

Experience leads to knowing search terms.  Kids show up with no research skills.  No Child Left Behind gives them Google experience.  Adult learners are terrified, intimidated that a younger person is showing them.

Microfilm, microfiche, etc. no longer used.  Now Phone has library app. which reads to them.

EasyBib Trends in Info Lit: 66% of students struggle with developing thesis.  57% of forms of literacy instruction are one-shots.  Sufficient?  Ready for the information age??  Must expand it.

Typical Research Assignment
Number of pages, type/number of resources, limits access to some formats, documentation requirements (shuts down learning), scant on topic management (little space left to do this).  When it’s online, teachers won’t often allow it.  A dissertation found online would not work, while the same paper in-person was OK.  Drove to Iowa to find out it didn’t check out.

Topic Challenges

“I need an article that’s pro police brutality.”  “My topic is food.”  Brains connect in different ways.  Topic has potential, but needs to be scoped.

Citation Project
Very clear they don’t know how to analyze their sources.  They often just cut and paste.

Intervention Needed
86,000 seconds in a day.  Most squandered. 

New approach

Topic brainstorming – Give choices.  Personal stuff works, engages them in the research even though it’s not usually allowed to use “you,” “I,” or “me.” Fills up Presentation Content.

Research Support – Show what you’ve got, then they have to say why they used it.  Or what they didn’t use.  If they care about it, they’ll put more work in.

Topics…College Core Values, Internet overexposure, Problem-Solution-2^nd Gen Problem. Hawaii rat problem, bring in mongooses, nothing kills the mongoose.  Red light cameras with increased front/back-end accidents.

Faculty Perspective

Consistence from 101/102 Students

Student responses to past & present topics

Alternate topic available (suggested by previous students)

Some students have not written a research paper by the time the get to english 101.  They have no familiarity with MLA or citing sources.

Librarian Perspective

It’s not information literacy but…

Connections are valuable

More time w/students allows for reinforcing the message about the process.  WebMD is run by Big Pharma.  Medline Plus is better, in Spanish.  Be on tumblr, meet them where they are.

Accept that some topics are duds

Engage engage engage.

How Do We Make Them Care / Be Passionate About Their Education

Make it a contest that's about them?  Part of education is learning the value of education.  It will come to those that are open to it.  Should be subtly worked into the curriculum.  Connect it to something they can relate to.  Need to persuade them that learning determines the world, makes the biggest difference.  They put the effort in and care.

Information Literacy in Ghana: Perspectives on a Growing User Education Program

Merinda Hensley

Balme Library University of Ghana

Upgrade from card catalog to Milcirc.  Improve bandwidth.  Automation.  Etc.

But also ask users what they need...a new approach.

Perception was off...they thought that librarians bought books, shelved them, but didn't answer questions.  And the library wasn't meant for anything else, like a cultural center.  Only old books.  No online resources.  A student was there, but acted bothered by questions.  Theft is a big issue, suspension for stealing books.

Access is different -- only 6 books for 2 weeks, vs 9,999 for 3 years at other schools.

Grant to upgrade research commons -- Had to beat rules like "do not read in this room."  Bought high-tech digitization equipment.  Local history items need metadata added to them. Study spaces, huge room.  Unlocking reference materials...?

Institutional Repository -- Also set this up at the same time.

World Book Night!

It began last year in the UK.  A way to give away books and show support for libraries, bookstores, and promote reading all at once, apparently tens of thousands of people will be out today giving away any of 30 selected free books on the anniversary of Cervantes’ death, as well as Shakespeare’s birth and death. 

According to the website, World Book Night U.S. is a nonprofit organization and applying for tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, supported by American book publishers, the American Booksellers Association, Barnes & Noble, the American Library Association, the Association of American Publishers, and Ingram Book Distributors. 

Anyone doing this?

c2e2 2012!!

Welcome to c2e2 2012.  Surreal barely scrapes the tip.  I type with bad improv in the background...but it's about nerds.  As was the rest of the show.  Chris Hardwick has a big presence here, promoting his website.  Dot.com (yes Kevin Brown, as written by Tina Fey...he calls himself that) is hawking stickers and T-shirts at a table by the long boxes, bustiers, swords, action figures, and t-shirts -- really seems like something Fey could use for an episode of 30 Rock.  And I got to shake hands with Jim Palmer, who was almost too friendly (almost).  As always, though, there was a lot of good stuff for libraries here...mostly, focusing on the sociological study aspects.

Amazing! Pow! Costumes!  For people watching, it doesn't get much better than this.  So much avid fandom.  So much creativity.  So much skin... From the female Super Mario to the 15 year old Storm, I wish I'd come with a box of trenchcoats to cover these girls up.  It is a safe place and they are having a blast.  Repeat this mantra on the exhibits floor.

Seems like a lot of these people make their own costumes, especially the Mario-ette.  So, there goes...Mortal Kombat!  Black Canary.  Sailor Moon.  The lady at the ALA booth was dressed like Effie from The Hunger Games.  I'm surprised there's less Hunger Games here.  Maybe too mainstream?


Anyway, more costumes...Star Wars characters you vaguely remember and certainly couldn't name.  In fact, a lot of the costumes are hard to name because I just don't know who they are, neither does anyone I'm with.  They're for the devout.  For ex, I just overheard a couple of girls geek out: "Oh, there goes a little..wushubashoo..!" *gush* *gush* I obviously missed the last part, but whoever the kid was, she was dressed in orange and white and had a bishop cap.

Wonder Woman I get (though she needs a cardigan).  Poison Ivy, too.  Power Girl...  Costumes can be sexist, read here (in fact there's a whole panel I'll likely miss about geek girls.  Reminds me of this article that was hot about 6 months ago all about self-objectification and how geeks disinclude girls due to their sexism.)  Cat ears, silver and black bustier, tall boots?  Huh?  Jack Sparrow.  But random black and white guy with cowl?  Zombies are huge too.  And this brings in even more crossover...the haunted houses.  The Legendary Dungeon of Doom has a zombie/witch, with her mouth propped open on by a chrome device...all on top of an uncomfortable dual-foot stilt get-up that is as confounding as it is truly terrifying.  2 girls sat by me: orange hair, gold disc belt, black jumpsuit and red sash belt, black teddy, and lone ranger mask.  They were talking about gaming.  Exclusively.  I was really curious about their motivation, why they wear the costumes, (who they were supposed to be), etc, etc, etc.  But I didn't want to creep them out by asking a bunch of questions.  Whether it's empowering, it's not my place to judge.  Have fun kids.

Oh dear, improv!  What a collection of nerdiness.  As I type, they've actually announced that they are the Nerdalogues.  Nerdism is the thing here.  There's a Nerd City booth.  I know this because it's next door to the ALA booth.  Chris Hardwick is the star of c2e2 this year, funny stand-up (which is how he's on my radar) and he's making a small industry of it...

c2e2 2012: Wonder Twin Powers Activate - The Library/Retailer Relationship

Toby Greenwalt, Skokie,
Suggested comics -- Stumptown, King City, Big Questions, Darth Vader and Son, We3, 20th Century Boys, Bye Bye Babylon, WWIII Illustrated, The 99, Arab in America, Hookah Girl, Paying for It...

Trends -- Manga is going down.  Tokyopop closed.  Walking Dead is huge.  Generally, though, graphic novels outcirc traditional genres.  Less title, but better quality, more complexity.

How to Buy -- Increase copy depth (2,3 or 4 copies of Walking Dead, Avengers, Batman, etc.)

Partnership -- Graphic novels are a great tool for reluctant readers.  Libraries send customers over.  Helps the industry.  Having libraries stock GN's legitimizes the art form.  Share programming.  They don't have to be down the street.  The retailer will be hungry to work with you.  Administration may be hesitant...

Should libraries be teaming up with commercial interests?  They are strong, local user communities.  Comic store kids will become library kids.  Great tool for collection development.  Stores hip us to new things.  Buying from a local business beats saving a few bucks on Amazon.  Blanket ordering helps to take away selection time.  Get an "approval plan," get billed, no taxes, etc.  Book store will do RA, tell you what not to buy.  Ultimately, savings??

How to buy -- Traditional journals don't keep track.  Keep a spreadsheet.  Diamond bookshelf covers everything coming out.
Or the bookstore will work within your parameters, build you a list, etc.  Being able to see books can be helpful.  A trust relationship...which leads to SRP prizes.

Programming -- Great contact for creative community.  Hermits will go through comic book store before they will go through library.  Good mediators.  1st Saturday in May is always Free Comic Book Day, can contact the store or them directly.  Author signings, we provide the space while they provide the talent.  Involving kids in creating comics, can use artists.   Manga Studio EX at Skokie's Digital Media Lab.  Single-issue book discussions, bought just for the discussion.

Issues -- Digital content.  Nothing for comics yet.  Josh Elder's getting some content up soon, we have been told...though it's not searchable yet.  Industry has its ups and downs.  We are clueless, but free to push for a better solution.
We can provide support to Intellectual Freedom issues.

The future -- local content, creative commons.  Collection can reflect the community.  We need to get out in the community, make sure everyone knows we've established the library as public presence...comic book stores can help.

c2e2 2012: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Library

Gene Ambaum & Bill Barnes, librarians who are also cartoonists of Unshelved.

Reading is good no matter what kids read.

Book talks should also be about books kids want to read Preacher is a modern-day War and Peace for middle school kids!

Unshelved Book Club has has tons of guest artists, full page cartoons advertise book clubs nicely, helps kids to pick up Between a Rock and a Hard Place.  Here's a fuller list, since it's not easy to find.

The Homeless can be funny -- most of the situations have happened in their library, like the homeless person who lived in the ceiling.

A lot of people don't get their cartoons.  Even regular readers.  This was a tough, but hilarious one.  Easy for men to relate to.

Universal is that people are the same all over, no matter the library, country, etc.  Many libraries have had books returned with bacon as a bookmark.

Budget Cuts -- "for a good time call" on the bathroom wall to get hashmarks on those reference sheets during "sweeps week."

The History of the Bookmobile

From 1850's horse-drawn carriages to rolling job-readiness vehicles, Bookmobiles continue to serve a vital need -- hit 'em where they live. 

Read the article here.