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Monday, August 31, 2020

Recent articles: trends in academic libraries; OERs; IL for faculty; responding to COVID19

The latest issues of open access journal College & Research Libraries News (C&RL News) include:
- Beyond the research paper: First-generation students and the Framework in everyday contexts by Darren Ilett
- Opening up to OER: Creating Open Education Awareness on a large campus by Colleen Lyon, Gina Bastone, Sarah Brandt
- 2020 top trends in academic libraries: A review of the trends and issues affecting academic libraries in higher education
Those are in Vol 81, No 6, go to https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/issue/view/1581/showToc

- Teaching information literacy: Developing an online course for faculty by Jane Hammons
- When you only have a week: Rapid-response, grassroots public services for access, wellness, and student success by M. Wynn Tranfield, Doug Worsham, Nisha Mody
Those are in Vol 81, No 7, go to https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/issue/view/1583/showToc
Photo by Sheila Webber: enjoying the view, Greenwich Park, July 2020

Friday, August 28, 2020

Recordings from ACRL seminars: online teaching and faculty communities

The US Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) posts recordings of its free webinars. Recent recordings include:
- ACRL Health Sciences Interest Group: Interactive Online Library Instruction Series: Part 3, held on August 7, 2020 with speakers Vera Elwood, Samantha Harlow, Laura Menard, and Julia Stumpff. https://youtu.be/HlDF87mYuYM
- ACRL History Librarians Interest Group: Teaching Online in Unusual Times, held on July 27, 2020, with speakers, Rachel Bohlmann, Jessica Epstein, Rebecca Lloyd, and Kaitlyn Tanis. https://youtu.be/3x06i3Ars20
- ACRL University Libraries Section Professional Development Committee: Learning together: Case studies in implementing faculty learning communities, held on July 21, 2020. https://youtu.be/4QlFVyYYdL0
Photo by Sheila Webber: rose, August 2020

Thursday, August 27, 2020

TeachMeet: Shifting your IL teaching online

A free online event from the CILIP Information Literacy Group on 18 September 2020 2-4pm UK time: TeachMeet: Shifting your IL teaching online. "We’ve recently been collating a series of case studies that outline different approaches taken to delivering information literacy teaching online, and are delighted to announce an accompanying TeachMeet event where you can both hear from several of the contributors and share your ideas with others. Join the Information Literacy Group for a free online session where a range of practitioners will share their experiences of shifting their information literacy teaching online." Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shifting-your-il-teaching-online-teachmeet-tickets-117521765765
You can register to contribute 5 or 10 minutes on your own experience, or just to attend. Current list of speakers is: Lesley English, Lancaster University – If you didn’t know what aysnchronous & synchronous meant before, you do now! COVID-19 and the shift to online teaching; Jane Secker, City, University of London – Think like a teacher; Sarah Pavey – Educational consultant and Schools Rep for the CILIP Information Literacy Group – Trust in online learning
Photo by Sheila Webber: hydrangea, July 2020

Pedagogy chat on Zoom 28 August

At 2pm USA Eastern time (which is, e.g., 7pm UK time) there is the next in the series of Pedagogy Chats "an informal conversation on topics of interest to library instructors".The topic with be empathetic teaching, introduced by J.J. Pionke and followed by a discussion. Register (free) for your Zoomm link at https://forms.gle/iDBvRWVhEtFJbvKL8

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Webinar: How can archives, libraries and museums help combat the disinfodemic amid the COVID-19 pandemic? #MILCLICKS

On 27 August 2020 at 40pm CET (which is, e.g., 3pm UK time) there is a webinar How can archives, libraries and museums help combat the disinfodemic amid the COVID-19 pandemic? It is another in the UNESCO - Media and Information Literacy Response to COVID-19 webinar series. The Section for Media and Information Literacy and Media Development and the Documentary Heritage Unit (Memory of the World Programme) have partnered to organize a joint discussion on the role of memory institutions in the current crisis. To be moderated by Fackson Banda, the webinar speakers are Anthea Seles, Anna Kozlowska (USA), Jonathan Hernandez Perez (Mexico), Colleen Dilenschneider (USA) and Ali Saif Al-Aufi (Oman). You can tune in via the MIL CLICKS Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MILCLICKS/

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Articles froom JDoc: resettlement IL framework; information encountering; information in schools

I was browsing back through issues of the Journal of Documentation and noticed some relevant articles I had missed previously:
Sayyad Abdi, E., Partridge, H., Bruce, C. & Watson, J. (2019). Skilled immigrants: a resettlement information literacy framework. Journal of Documentation, 75(4), 892-908. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-02-2019-0034 "The study uncovered six different themes of experiencing using information to learn among skilled immigrants. The themes, presented as a framework, explain skilled immigrants learn about their new life through: attending to shared stories by others; getting engaged; researching; comparing and contrasting past and present; being reflective; and being directly educated."

Lundh, A.H., Dolatkhah, M. & Limberg, L. (2018). From informational reading to information literacy: Change and continuity in document work in Swedish schools. Journal of Documentation, 74(5), 1042-1052. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-11-2017-0156

Erdelez, S. & Makri, S. (2020). Information encountering re-encountered: A conceptual re-examination of serendipity in the context of information acquisition. Journal of Documentation, 76(3), 731-751. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-08-2019-0151

Jiang, T., Fu, S.& Song, E. (2020). Toward a description framework of information encountering experiences: Guidance for diarists in story telling. Journal of Documentation, 76(4), 807-827. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-07-2019-0131
Photo by Sheila Webber: more rosehips, July 2020

Monday, August 24, 2020

Open access textbook: Instruction in Libraries and Information Centers

A very useful new open access textbook is: Instruction in Libraries and Information Centers: An Introduction by Laura Saunders and Melissa Wong. I will be putting it on the reading list for my students next semester! "This open access textbook offers a comprehensive introduction to instruction in all types of library and information settings. Designed for students in library instruction courses, the text is also a resource for new and experienced professionals seeking best practices and selected resources to support their instructional practice. Organized around the backward design approach and written by LIS faculty members with expertise in teaching and learning, this book offers clear guidance on writing learning outcomes, designing assessments, and choosing and implementing instructional strategies, framed by clear and accessible explanations of learning theories. The text takes a critical approach to pedagogy and emphasizes inclusive and accessible instruction. Using a theory into practice approach that will move students from learning to praxis, each chapter includes practical examples, activities, and templates to aid readers in developing their own practice and materials."

Saunders, L. and Wong, M. (2020). Instruction in Libraries and Information Centers: An Introduction. Windsor & Downs Press. ISBN-13 (15)978-1-946011-10-7 https://doi.org/10.21900/wd.12 https://iopn.library.illinois.edu/books/windsor-downs/catalog/book/12
Photo by Sheila Webber: lovely roses, August 2020

Friday, August 21, 2020

Online tutorial about APA 7th ed.

A librarian, Karli Mair, has generously shared an online tutorial about APA 7th ed., created for Valencia and Seminole State College. In introducing it, she says "The module was created using backwards design and is centered around common stuck places determined by a 1 credit Information Literacy Course at USC, reference desk questions, and one shot classes. The module uses a mixture of video, interactives, text, and formative assessment with immediate feedback to demonstrate bias-free language, formatting in-text citations, and creating reference list citations. Formatting a Word document is also included but not assessed. It comes in three parts - a Learn It interactive tutorial, a Try It practice quiz, and a Test It final quiz with question bank."
If your institution uses the Canvas application you can apparently find the module by searching her name Karli Mair, in the Canvas Commons. This is the link to the Learn It interactive tutorial if you don't use Canvas https://pro.ispringcloud.com/acc/W9xTkPsxNDEyMA/s/14120-BxU01-rbarp-HBd06
I just looked at a few parts, but, for example, there's a nice video that talks you through an example of citing a webpage.
There is the question bank here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tlIWXCseZ5mRZX4BFszZTYohKon62YOFfSN036PanlU/edit#gid=430534371
Mair also gave the objecives and how they align with the ACRL Information Literacy framework:
"Authority is Constructed and Contextual
- acknowledge they are developing their own authoritative voices in a particular area and recognize the responsibilities this entails, including seeking accuracy and reliability,
- respecting intellectual property, and participating in communities of practice; develop awareness of the importance of assessing content with a skeptical stance and with a self-awareness of their own biases and worldview;
"Information Has Value
- give credit to the original ideas of others through proper attribution and citation;
"Research as Inquiry
- follow ethical and legal guidelines in gathering and using information
"Scholarship as Conversation
- cite the contributing work of others in their own information production;
"Learning Objectives: By the end of this tutorial you will be able to:
- Identify bias-free language
- Identify the information needed to cite a book, a book chapter, a webpage, and a journal article.
- Format in-text citations
- Create a reference citation for a book, a book chapter, a webpage, and a journal article"
Photo by Sheila Webber: more rudbeckias, August 2020

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Articles on emergency transitions to remote teaching.

There is a large special issue of the journal Information and Learning Sciences (ILS) [which used to be called New Library World] with containing 42 articles addressing "emergency transitions to remote teaching." It is free for 6 months. "The articles were written as rapid-turnaround responses to the journal's call for pragmatic evidence-based guidelines on remote teaching strategies from learning sciences and information science scholarly communities. All articles contain research-supported approaches for teaching and learning in the following context categories: K-12, Higher Education, School/Public Librarianship, Parenting, Educator Professional Development." It's worth scanning through them to see if there are any of particular interest to you. My eye was caught by "Education in precarious times: a comparative study across six countries to identify design priorities for mobile learning in a pandemic".
Go to
https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/ils/special-issue-free-access-a-response-emergency-transitions-remote-online-education
Photo by Sheila Webber: some produce from the farmers market, August 2020

Webinar: Student Belongingness in the Online Environment

There is a free webinar on 26 Aigust at 4-5pm (UK time) Student Belongingness in the Online Environment. It is organised by OneHE Mindsets Information Digital & Media Literacy thematic network. "This is a live, free and interactive online session, drawing from the presenters' own practical experience of online teaching and learning and the live audience participation during the event. The session, using a toolkit customised by the presenters, will place emphasis on practical steps that support belongingness in different stages of students' online learning. The session will address activities at the start, during and after a module or programme, focusing, among others, on areas such as student orientation, engagement, collaboration and co-learning activities."
The presenters are Dr Fiona Work and Dr Konstantina Martzoukou. To register, go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/student-belongingness-in-the-online-environment-tickets-116997258951
Photo by Sheila Webber: rosehips, August 2020

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Pandemic Pedagogy: Teach-From-Home Students-At-Home

A free webinar on 30 August 2020 at 3.30-5pm India Standard Time (which is, e.g. 11.30-1pm UK time) is Pandemic Pedagogy: Teach-From-Home Students-At-Home. "The traditional method of teaching-learning process, that is, pedagogy has also undergone many changes from both the stakeholders' side, the teachers and the students. The impact of the sudden shift of this learning process has certainly left a deep impact on the mental health of the students as well as the teachers especially in developing countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Srilanka etc. In this grave situation the teachers have to think of new dimensions in their methods of teaching for the students who are being taught staying at home." Director of the Webinar is Dr. Udayan Bhattacharya, Professor, Department of Library and Information Science, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
The flyer is here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nvnmo6E8UNc6_mWaGWSvjWgRrqRz5iTr/view?usp=sharing
Registration is here: https://forms.gle/XDtZBgCE1QWErt2D9
Photo by Sheila Webber: lavender, August 2020

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Moving Library Instruction Virtual

The latest Tips & Trends article from the Instructional Technologies Committee of the ACRL Instruction Section is Moving Library Instruction Virtual, by Jamie Johnson. Like others in the series, it is a few (3, in this case) pages long, summatrising advice and information, with some useful links.
Download here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TZikhvTTxrcV7foN3_n2K6CCG0GVOJz7/view
Find previous brochures in the series here: https://acrl.ala.org/IS/instruction-tools-resources-2/technology/tips-and-trends/
Photo by Sheila Webber: roses, August 2020

Monday, August 17, 2020

#Metaliteracy

Another blog worth following is the Metaliteracy blog from Trudi Jacobson, Kelsey O’Brien and Tom Mackey https://metaliteracy.org/. Recently they link to recordings from the recent virtual Learning with Innovative Technology conference where they presented in July https://metaliteracy.org/2020/07/17/metaliteracy-recording-from-lit-virtual-conference-now-online/, but also have some guest posts e.g.
- Metaliteracy and Maker Literacy (21 July 2020)guest post by Sarah Nagle (Creation and Innovation Services Librarian at Miami University, Oxford Ohio, USA). "Sarah explores the maker movement, its tenuous fit with the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy, and what she defines as a strong alignment with metaliteracy." https://metaliteracy.org/2020/07/21/metaliteracy-and-maker-literacy/
- Metaliteracy and our Metamodern Times (3 August 20020) guest blog post by Dr. Valerie Hill (Director of the Community Virtual Library (a library in virtual learning environments) and researcher of changing literacy in digital culture). "Valerie believes metaliteracy aligns well to our philosophical era which many are beginning to call “metamodernism”." https://metaliteracy.org/2020/08/03/metaliteracy-and-our-metamodern-times/
Photo by Sheila Webber: Greenwich Park, July 2020

Sunday, August 16, 2020

The academic minute - Metaliterate learners

A podcast I learned about from the Metaliteracy blog (see my next post!) is The Academic Minute "a WAMC [a public radio station in the USA] national production hosted by Dr. Lynn Pasquerella, President of the Association of American Colleges and Universities [which] features daily highlights from faculty about their research." As you might imagine, people only speak for about a minute, and there is a huge range of topics.
The episode I'm highlighting is Tom Mackey talking about Metaliterate Learners - https://academicminute.org/2020/05/thomas-mackey-suny-empire-metaliterate-learners/
The Academic Minute home page is at https://academicminute.org/
Photo by Sheila Webber - being metaliterate in Second Life, July 2020

Friday, August 14, 2020

The bigot in the machine

Sometimes I like to highlight someone else's blog post I enjoyed, and this one by Barbara Fister is double value, since it is a transcript of a talk for New York Technical Services Librarians, and you can either read the transcript or watch the talk (or both). It is called The bigot in the machine (published June 2020) and the abstract reads "We are living in an “age of algorithms.” Vast quantities of information are collected, sorted, shared, combined, and acted on by proprietary black boxes. These systems use machine learning to build models and make predictions from data sets that may be out of date, incomplete, and biased. We will explore the ways bias creeps into information systems, take a look at how “big data,” artificial intelligence and machine learning often amplify bias unwittingly, and consider how these systems can be deliberately exploited by actors for whom bias is a feature, not a bug. Finally, we’ll discuss ways we can work with our communities to create a more fair and just information environment."
Blog post at https://barbarafister.net/political/the-bigot-in-the-machine/#more-899

Here is the recording https://youtu.be/PBixDFVfekM There is five minutes of introduction, 55 minutes of the talk, and then Barbara responds to questions.

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Free MOOC: Learning to Learn Online

A interesting MOOC, aimed at students Learning to Learn Online is free and open to all. It runs for 5 weeks August 10 to September 13 2020, and you need to register before the 13th (I think you still have access to the content after that). The course is offered by Canadian organisations Athabasca University (which has great experience in distance learning) and Contact North/Contact Nord. "It is intended for students who are learning online for the first time or want to improve their approach to online learning. LTLO is also open to teachers or educational professionals who want to support their students in learning online." I do think it is useful to teachers in reminding you about things learners need to understand and learn in order to be effective online learners (I haven't followed it all, but I dipped into the content for the 5 weeks, which is already there). The modules within it are:
Module 1 - What is learning? What kind of a learner are you?
Module 2 - What can I expect in the online learning environment?
Module 3 - Becoming an online learner
Module 4 - What do successful online learners do?
Module 5 - Putting it all together: Your personal strategy for success in online learning
Register at http://contactnorth.ltlo.ca/. It works better in Chrome than in Firefox. They say "Workload 5 hours per week" and "If you pass all five quizzes, you will qualify for a Certificate of Completion; there is no charge for certificates."



Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Tweetchat - Finding, cultivating, & nurturing collaborations with partners outside of libraries #DLFteach

There is a Twitter chat on Finding, cultivating, & nurturing collaborations with partners outside of libraries organized by the Digital Library Federation on 18 August 2020 at 2pm US Eastern time, which is e.g. 7pm UK time. To particiapte use #DLFteach "Partnerships and collaborations that span an institution can be tricky to create and nurture. Let’s talk about why we partner with others, who we partner with, and how we do it. Encouraged: Bring a friend or partners from outside the library to this Twitter chat. Co-hosts are Anne Cong-Huyen (@anitaconchita) and Joe Bauer (@joebauer) of the University of Michigan. Optional reading ahead of time: Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by adrienne maree brown (2017). Recommended chapter: “Interdependence and Decentralization: Who we are and how we share” (pp. 83-102)" Questions will be tweeted at intervals during the hour. There is more info and an archive of previous chats on the #DLFteach wiki page https://wiki.diglib.org/Pedagogy:Outreach:Twitter
Photo by Sheila Webber: bee on lavender, July 2020

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Information Literacy in Higher Education: A Sociocultural Perspective

A new book is Information Literacy in Higher Education: A Sociocultural Perspective, which is authored by a group of Colombian-based academics and published by Springer. The book has 134 pages and the following chapters: The Study of Information Literacy in University Education; The Concept of Information in the Documentation and Information Science Fields; Methodological Proposal for the Observation of Information Literacy; Information Literacy Profiles of University Students; Information Literacy and Experiences of University Professors; Shifts in Information Literacy Research.
- Cabra-Torres, F., Marciales Vivas, G.P., Castañeda-Peña, H., Barbosa-Chacón, J.W., Melo González, L. & Hernández, O. (2020). Information Literacy in Higher Education: A Sociocultural Perspective. Springer. ISBN-13: 978-3030500139 https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030500139
Photo by Sheila Webber: beautiful blush rose cluster, July 2020

Monday, August 10, 2020

Data Justice and COVID-19: Global Perspectives

A new book which can be viewed or downloaded free download or bought in hard copy is Data Justice and COVID-19: Global Perspectives. The focus is on the technologies used for data access/manipulation/monitoring etc., and it would be a useful reader when discussing issues of data privacy, who has power over our data etc. The book starts with perspectives on issues such as privacy and COVI19 contact tracing, and then has sections with "reports" from 28 countries or regions around the world. Go to https://meatspacepress.com/
Photo by Sheila Webber: City of London, July 2020

Friday, August 07, 2020

Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2020 #Globalmilweek #MILCLICKS

Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week 2020 takes place 24-31 October 2020, and will be a virtual event with the theme Resisting disinfodemic: Media and Information Literacy for everyone and by everyone. Everyone is encouraged to organise some action or event for Global MIL week, and there will be more on this blog about how we aim to celebrate it in the the Information School at the University of Sheffield! https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/globalmilweek/2020/howtocelebrate

Thursday, August 06, 2020

Call for proposals: The Connection

There's a call (open until 7 September 2020) for all sorts of proposals for the virtual event talking place in March 2021 and organised by the Library Collective. It is The Connection, offering "useful, fun, and affordable virtual professional development to library workers": "Inform us with your scholarship. Share your expert opinions. Wow us with your innovations. Show off your creativity. Display your colors, your personas, your playlists. Let us hear your voices in word and song. Help us see you and your work through still and moving images."
The conference page is at https://www.thelibrarycollective.org/libcon and The call for proposals is at https://www.thelibrarycollective.org/collaborate
Photo by Sheila Webber: a Community Virtual Library event in Second Life, July 2020

Wednesday, August 05, 2020

Recent articles: news consumption; use of research databases; visual analysis

Some articles from the last few issues of priced journal Journal of Information Science:
- Tang, R. & Oh, K. (2020). University students’ mobile news consumption activities and evaluative/affective reactions to political news during election campaigns: A diary study. Journal of Information Science, 46(4), 476-495. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165551519845855
- Islam, A. & Sheikh, A. (2020). A study of the determinants of postgraduate students’ satisfaction of using online research databases. Journal of Information Science, 46(2), 273-287. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165551519834714
- Greyson, D, O'Brien, H & Shankar, S. (2020). Visual analysis of information world maps: An exploration of four methods. Journal of Information Science, 46(3), 361-377. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165551519837174
Photo by Sheila webber: pink rose, August 2020

Tuesday, August 04, 2020

Webinar: Data Curation and Visualization in the Arts & Humanities

There is a webinar from the Arts & Humanities Special Interest Group of ASIS&T on 5 August 2020 at 12 noon to 4pm US Eastern time (which is e.g. 5pm-9pm UK time) on Data Curation and Visualization in the Arts & Humanities. It is free to ASIS&T members and costs $25 to others. "The symposium starts with a presentation about three methodological approaches for (re)constructing the information structure of a Chicago public housing community archive utilizing photographic and manuscript items found in the Henry Booth Settlement House archive. The next presentation will be a map visualization project about the COVID-19 spread developed specifically for creating effective policy making based on the discoveries of disease spread and human behaviors built from cell phone data.
.. [the final] presentation will give details on how to create a maker space for fiber pattern creations to embroider from digital images. Fans of rare illuminated manuscripts will celebrate the resources." Go to https://www.asist.org/meetings-events/webinars/sig-ah-virtual-symposium-data-curation-and-visualization-in-the-arts-humanities/
Photo by Sheila Webber: Spanish chestnut in the park, July 2020

Monday, August 03, 2020

Ofcom's Making Sense of Media Network #MILCLICKS #medialiteracy

Ofcom (the UK media watchdog agency) is "launching a Making Sense of Media Network, to bring together organisations and individuals with expertise in media literacy to work towards a shared goal of improving the online skills, knowledge and understanding of UK adults and children". I just happened to come across it, so I'm not sure how long this has been published, but they are making a call for interested individuals and organisations to fill in a form expressing interest, which still seems to be open. Do not be put of the "media" literacy tag, as much of what they describe could be categorised as information literacy. I think they are aiming at people in the UK. Go to https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/media-literacy-research/network

Saturday, August 01, 2020

Expert Consultation on Strengthening Media and Information Literacy Competencies of Youth in Pakistan

There is a short report on a meting that UNESCO held on the topic of Media and Information Literacy Competencies of young people in Pakistan https://en.unesco.org/news/expert-consultation-strengthening-media-and-information-literacy-competencies-youth-pakistan
Photo by Sheila Webber: rudbeckias in the park, July 2020