Category Archives: Academic

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Primer for Minnesota Library Advocacy

**Courtesy of MLA Legislative News**

Want to have more information while talking with your legislators, either on Library Legislative Day or anytime during a Legislative Session? Check out the Primer for Minnesota Library Advocacy!

This primer is intended to assist both newcomers and old hands in advocating for Minnesota libraries of all types. The hope is to provide a one-stop spot for information about what is going on in the current legislative session, an overview of how Minnesota libraries and systems work together to meet the needs of all Minnesotans, how to participate in Library Legislative Day, and an “Advocacy 101” introduction to those who may be new to advocacy.

You can access this primer by clicking on “Primer for Minnesota Library Advocacy” on the Advocacy and Legislation page of the MLA website. Please contact Michael Scott, 2011 MLA Legislative Chair, at mscott@selco.info, with comments or suggestions for the primer.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Smartphones Outselling PCs

According to research firm International Data Corp (IDC), smartphones outsold PCs in the final quarter of 2010 on a global level. Researchers indicate that the smartphone industry has seen a year-over -year increase of 87 percent in the fourth quarter. This is faster than most experts predicted, with many thinking that smartphones wouldn’t outsell PCs until 2012. So, how can we account for the success of smartphones? Mainly, PCs have market saturation, so it’s natural to see some growth in the “latest and greatest” product. Additionally, there’s something to be said for the convenience of smartphones and their ability to connect to information, people, or data sources almost instantaneously. Who can resist having an app for that?!!

Want to know more? Check out the following articles http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/d96e3bd8-33ca-11e0-b1ed-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1DTdKFg99 and http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/02/07/idc-smartphone-shipment-numbers-passed-pc-in-q4-2010/.

Image from: Osde8info http://www.flickr.com/photos/osde-info/4623612094/

Academic, General

ACRL/IRIG Visual Literacy Competency Standards Draft Released

The ACRL Image Resources Interest Group (ACRL/IRIG) has released a draft set of standards for visual literacy competency in higher education. The ACRL/IRIG believes that visual literacy standards are necessary due to the pervasiveness of online images, and the use of images within student learning and research. According to ACRL/IRIG, visual literacy is defined as a

…set of abilities that enables an individual to effectively find, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images and visual media. Visual literacy skills equip a learner to understand and analyze the contextual, cultural, ethical, aesthetic, intellectual, and technical components involved in the production and use of visual materials.

In all, there are seven standards, and each of the seven standards include performance indicators and learning outcomes.  The learning outcomes, in particular, seem to be the most useful and concrete.

The concept of visual literacy standards is not exactly a new one. The ACRL/IRIG reports that there is a large body of literature on visual literacy and visual studies. In addition, there are some K-12 and other higher education documents that include at least a few standards that are recommended by the ACRL/IRIG; however, the group feels that the “learning goals”, in particular, had not been well defined, and they aim to fill this gap.

The ACRL/IRIG Visual Literacy Standards definitely deserve a glance, and the interest group hopes for feedback and commentary on their blog.

I tend to think that a set of ACRL standards for visual literacy is necessary. Librarians hopefully will use the standards to plan their interactions (one-on-one assistance, reference interactions, workshops, etc.) with students, and also in conversations with faculty, deans, and other interested parties. Additionally, academic librarians will be “speaking the same language” by having one clear set of visual literacy standards to reference.

What are your thoughts? Are the standards necessary? How are they different from general information literacy or transliteracy standards? Is there a standard or a learning outcome that really catches your eye/interest?

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

2011 Horizon Report is Available

This annual report identifies and describes key trends that a group of experts believe will have an impact on teaching, learning and creative inquiry.  This year, some of those trends are: electronic books, mobiles, augmented reality, game-based learning, gesture-based computing, and learning analytics. This is a recommended read for those who wish to get a concise overview of important trends in addition to reviewing specific examples of current uses of technology. The 2011 Horizon Report is  a collaborative initiative of the New Media Consortium (NMC) and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) and  is now available for free download from www.educause.edu/Resources/2011HorizonReport/223122.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Finalists Named for the 23rd Annual Minnesota Book Awards

The Friends of the St. Paul Public Library have announced the finalists for the 23rd annual Minnesota Book Awards! To see a list of all the finalists by category, please visit http://www.thefriends.org/programs/mnbookawards/award_winners_and_finalists.html. The categories include: Children’s Literature, General Nonfiction, Genre Fiction, Memoir & Creative Nonfiction, Minnesota, Novel & Short Story, Poetry, and Young People’s Literature. All nominated titles appear towards the bottom of the page. Lots of great stuff here!

Also of note, the 23rd Annual Minnesota Book Awards Gala, when the winners will be announced, will be held on Saturday, April 16th. Visit the main Minnesota Book Awards site http://www.thefriends.org/programs/mnbookawards.html  for additional information and resources.

Keep your eyes peeled for another blog post from us during the month of March about how you can play a part in selecting the Readers’ Choice Award winner!