technology – Seoul Learning

Part 3: Reflection

I am so glad that I chose this unit. I had seen it listed as an elective over the past 18 months and thought, “no way am I going to take that!” However, during my student placement in a high school library last November, I created a book display to support a specific unit of study. My supervisor casually took out her phone, filmed it and posted it on an Instagram library page. The ease in which she did this both impressed me and took me aback. Due to a bad experience, I have avoided all social media for years (except Whatsapp). I am reminded of a study by Choi et al. (2018, p. 154), where the researchers found that teacher’s personal experiences in social media often mirrored their confidence levels in digital citizenship. I feel strongly about teaching digital citizenship, but I didn’t know my way around the social media platforms well enough to talk to students about them. I realised it was time to start exploring it again, for professional reasons (I begin my first teacher-librarian job in August). The world seemed to have passed me by and in order to find my way back into social media again, I signed up for INF506 (Seewald, 2022a). The following paragraphs highlight a few of things I have learned and considered throughout the unit.

The number one ‘takeaway’ from the unit has been that I can control what I do, that the social media platforms do not have to control me. This may seem very trivial to others, but to me this was a very important realisation and really the only reason I screwed up the courage to create my new Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. I was struck by a comment made by a peer, Alison O’Keefe (2022) on her blog that what we don’t post is also part of our identity. I responded with my concern that we post/tweet/blog too quickly due to the availability of our internet speed, and the expectation that if we don’t respond, the moment is lost (Seewald, 2022b). Then I realised that it is in my control to become a thoughtful poster, blogger and tweeter. I can use my hesitations to my advantage. I remember a point made by Di Gangi et al. (2018, p. 1101), that sometimes professional and personal accounts on social media blend together and this may provide additional challenges. I feel comfortable with my decision that my presence on social media will be solely professional, and in this manner, I was able to take my first steps down the social media road.

I am still mulling over the use of social media in libraries. INF506 opened up a world of resources and I discovered there are numerous professional blogs and publications that indicate that many librarians are very comfortable with using social media and recommend it for promoting and advocating for the library. For example, Farch uses Instagram as part of her goal to keep the school library “relevant” (Farch, 2022, p. 5). Finch-Stanford states that the use of social media platforms has made a very positive impact within her library and she “wouldn’t be without it now” (Finch-Stanford & Akter, 2021, p. 11). For small libraries she argues that social media offers opportunities that can’t be found elsewhere (Finch-Stanford & Akter, 2021, p. 11), and there is an assumption that social media use in small libraries is largely beneficial (Humphreys, 2019). Angela Hursch is a prolific disseminator of knowledge in regards to using social media in the library (Hursch, n.d.)

Then INF506 took me down a different path and I read about the ethical issues that may arise from using social media, such as privacy concerns and the protection of data (Olura et al., 2015, p. 335), the need for strong social media policies and processes (Liew, 2021, p. 376), and the concerns in regards to our general lack of understanding of intellectual property/digital copyrights (Meese & Hagedorn, 2019). This information was rather overwhelming. I discovered that one mis-step may have serious consequences, as highlighted in my blog (Seewald, 2022c) in regards to “The $12,000 Tweet” (Hickman, 2021, p. 3). The contradictory experiences of social media in libraries highlighted in the literature became concerning to me. I need to find my own way through and to continue to reflect on what I have read, and am still reading.

Considering my own future practice in social media, I realised that it takes skill and experience to engage with patrons, and to avoid social media being just another mode of one-way information. The research of Doney et al. (2020, p.12) suggests that in reflecting the community, a social media account will be more effective. For me, not only must I engage with the technology, I must get to know my school community well and then base my choice of my social media platform with them in consideration. Rather than being overwhelmed by the literature surrounding social media, I must educate myself without fear, develop professional learning networks that are supportive, reach out to ask for help (Seewald, 2022d) and experiment with the various platforms. A great start has been gathering resources from my peers within INF506 and offering my own (Seewald, 2022e). I am up for the challenge moving forward in my upcoming new career as a TL and credit much of what I have learned in INF506 for this rather significant change in my approach to social media.

One final thought I would like to highlight is the human in the midst of technology. As we move into Web 4.0, I find the technology both interesting and intimidating. For example, setting up an AR/VR in the library sounds amazing for students and overwhelming for the TL (Seewald, 2022f). However I need to explore any and all opportunities. I am heartened, however, that behind all the new technology, and the reliance of social media in society, students will still need a human (Ayinde & Kirkwood, 2020, p. 143). I intend to be there for them!

Word count: 1009

References

Ayinde, L., & Kirkwood, H. (2020). Rethinking the roles and skills of information professionals in the 4th industrial revolution. Business Information Review, 37(4), 142-153. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266382120968057

Choi, M., Cristol, D., & Gimbert, B. (2018). Teachers as digital citizens: The influence of individual backgrounds, internet use and psychological characteristics on teachers’ levels of digital citizenship. Computers & Education, 121, 143-161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.03.005

Di Gangi, P. M., Johnston, A. C., Worrell, J. L., & Thompson, S. C. (2016). What could possibly go wrong? A multi-panel delphi study of organizational social media risk. Information Systems Frontiers, 20(5), 1097-1116. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-016-9714-2

Doney, J., Wikle, O., & Martinez, J. (2020). Likes, comments, views. Information Technology and Libraries, 39(3), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v39i3.12211

Farch, H. (2022). Why do I use Instagram to promote my school library? Connections, 120(1), 5-7.

Finch-Stanford, C., & Aktar, R. (2021). Tweeting from the shelves of the school library. School Librarian, 69(2), 10-11.

Hickman, B. (2020). The $12,000 tweet: A collision at the intersection of social media and copyright law. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 24(2), 3-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555458920964851

Humphreys, S. (2019). Tweeting into the void?: Creating a UK library twitter list and analyzing best practice – successes and myths. UKSG Insights. https://insights.uksg.org/articles/10.1629/uksg.471/?utm_source=TrendMD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Insights_TrendMD_0

Hursh, A. (n.d.). Who is Angela Hursh? Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion. https://superlibrarymarketing.com/aboutangelahursh/

Liew, C. L. (2021). Let’s talk about risks: A pillar framework for social media risk management in memory institutions. Online Information Review, 46(2), 375-390. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-08-2020-0380

Meese, J., & Hagedorn, J. (2019). Mundane content on social media: Creation, circulation, and the copyright problem. Social Media + Society, 5(2), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305119839190

O’Keefe, A. (2022, May 3). OLJ task 15 (Module 5) managing your digital identity. Reflections: My Teacher Librarian Journey. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/aok1/2022/05/03/olj-task-15-module-5-managing-your-digital-identity/

Olura, S. P., Soluoku, T., & Akolade, Y. L. (2015). Ethical issues arising from social media use in libraries. In A. Tella (Ed.), Social media strategies for dynamic library service development (pp. 331-350). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-7415-8

Seewald, A. (2022a, March 4). I also chose this unit to push myself – I have been without social media for years but need to. [Comment]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/263092359252292

Seewald, A. (2022b, May 19). Hi Alison “Choosing when to post and not to post is also an element that can shape one’s digital identity.” I [Comment on the blog post “OLJ task 14: Areas of concern (Module 5)”]. Reflections: My teacher librarian journey. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/aok1/2022/05/03/olj-task-15-module-5-managing-your-digital-identity/

Seewald, A. (2022c, May 4). OLJ task 14: Areas of concern (Module 5). Seoul Learning: My Journey Towards Teacher-Librarianship. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/angseewald/2022/05/04/olj-task-14-areas-of-concern-module-5/

Seewald, A. (2022d, May 5). Hi Kendall, TTGL sounds like it is doing a great job! I read in your bio that you have moved [Comment on the blog post “OLJ task 4: Reflections on the impact of change”]. Journaling Through My Masters of Education. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/kendall/2022/03/25/olj-task-4-reflections-on-the-impact-of-change/comment-page-1/?unapproved=6&moderation-hash=e989effc662781e248e9d2d3e9324728#comment-6

Seewald, A. (2022e, May 15). Dear Jenny Thank you for the thoughts. At your recommendation (in a FB post to our group) I have bookmarked [Comment on the blog post “OLJ task 14 (Module 5)”]. Open Book: Defining Contexts of the Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jsimon/2022/05/10/olj-task-15-module-5/#comments

Seewald, A. (2022f, May 5). Daniel, I read your experiences with VR/AR on our group Facebook page with interest. I’ve not experienced VR, but I would [Comment on the blog post “OLJ 12: Virtual and augmented reality”]. Daniel Jones: Information Specialist. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jonesthinksaloud/2022/04/22/olj-12-virtual-and-augmented-reality/#comments

OLJ Task 17: Thoughts for the Future (Module 6)

As an Individual & Societies teacher, I try to promote the United Nations 17 SDGs . I must admit though, I had never really thought through how libraries are connected with them. Msauki (2021, p. 39) states that libraries are essential in strengthening democracy by providing equitable, open and safe access to information. After reading Msauki’s article (2021), I saw immediately how well libraries do fit the SDGs, particularly #4 (Quality Education) and #9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) (United Nations, n.d.) The potential to advocate for quality education and to model and provide safe innovative practices in the school library should be of priority. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) goes further however, and states that libraries can promote ALL of the SDGs and provides practical ideas of how each SDG can be supported through libraries (IFLA, 2018). It also gives instructions on how to create evidence-based digital stories to advocate for the SDGs for its Library Map of the World (IFLA, 2018).

Against this background of libraries promoting the SDGs, Msauki (2021) writes about how libraries can incorporate the benefits of Web 4.0, at the same time being aware and mitigating some of the disruptive elements that come with them. Msauki (2021, p. 34) proposes that Maker-spaces, block-chain technology, artificial intelligence techniques, augmented reality, and cloud computing could be at home in the Library 4.0, but not without challenges.

Clearly, the implementation of the above can be very expensive, and there are issues of access, technological infrastructure and funding (Msauki 2021, p. 34). Fear of new technologies may also hold libraries back (Msauki, 2021, p. 39-40). Libraries can promote the SDGs without all the “bells and whistles” of Web 4.0. However, we could do it better if given the opportunity of access and training, in order for librarians to become “thought leaders” (Hussain, 2020, p.4), rather than trailing behind the technology curve.

When thinking of my own school, rather than be overwhelmed by all this (the tone of my erased first draft), we could work more closely with our IT team to gain more of an understanding of cloud computing and how blockchains work. Keeping our digital and media literacy curriculum updated with practical sessions for students based within the context of their learning is also crucial (Msauki, 2021, p. 40). Prioritizing time to read recent research, such as the recent Brookings Report (Hirsh-Paseck et al., 2022) and to discuss with colleagues would also encourage peer support and curiosity. These may be considered small steps, but they are important in order to provide the service that our students need for their futures.

Word count: 439

References

Hirsh-Paseck, K., Zosh, J. M., Adani, H. S., Golincoff, R. M., Clark, K., Donohue, C., & Wartella, E. (2022, May 14). A whole new world: Education meets the metaverse. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/research/a-whole-new-world-education-meets-the-metaverse/

Hussain, A. (2019). Industrial revolution 4.0: Implication to libraries and librarians. Library Hi Tech News, 37(1), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-05-2019-0033

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutes. (n.d.). Library map of the world: SDG stories. Library Map of the World. https://librarymap.ifla.org/stories

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. (2018). Libraries and the Sustainable Development Goals: A storytelling manual. International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/assets/hq/topics/libraries-development/documents/sdg-storytelling-manual.pdf

Msauki, G. (2021). Library 4.0 sustainable development: Opportunities and challenges. In J. Phiri Chigwada & N. M. Nwaohiri (Eds.), Examining the impact of industry 4.0 on academic libraries (pp. 34-44). Emerald Publishing. https://web-p-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzI1MDU1NTFfX0FO0?sid=56ed028b-ae62-4b8a-a2df-15d548f53997%40redis&vid=0&format=EB&lpid=lp_5&rid=0

United Nations. (n.d.). The 17 goals. Make the SDGs a Reality. https://sdgs.un.org/goals

OLJ Task 10: Twitter Feeds (Module 4)

I’m still learning about Twitter, so it has been interesting to compare and contrast the Twitter presence of the National Library of New Zealand (NLNZ) and UNESCO. I found myself really ‘looking’, rather than just scrolling quickly through tweets.

NLNZ (n.d) has had a Twitter presence since 2008, and is currently updated by mainly one person, a“Mary Hay” (she has a big job!) Thus far, NLNZ (n.d) has 16.2K tweets, whilst UNESCO (n.d) has put out 33.5K tweets since its joining in 2009. I would expect that UNESCO would have more staff updating its feed as it is a much larger organisation than the NLNZ. In light of this, I think that NLNZ is quite prolific, although both post very regularly, which is necessary to maintain an active presence (Hursh, 2022). NLNZ would cater to a more specific audience, those mostly in NZ who have personal and/or professional connection to libraries and who value their information disseminated via Twitter. Currently, NLNZ (n.d) has 15.5K followers. As a supranational organization, UNESCO has a much broader remit, which is to support education, science and culture worldwide. Thus, it is not surprising that it has 3.5 million Twitter followers (UNESCO, n.d).

NLNZ tweet about events they host, or are connected with. For example, highlighting an evening of poetry or a promotion of Comic Fest 2022 (see below).

Figure 1. Adventure! Mystery! Monsters! Note. From Adventure! Mystery! Monsters! NZNL. (2022, May 2). Twitter. https://twitter.com/NLNZ/status/1520916118713602048

They also post photographs of the historical resources they have and their tweets often promote the Māori language (see below). Retweets are from other information centres such as NLNZ’s sister site Libraries & Learning.

Figure 2. Māori and Pacific and other Great War Stories. Note. From Māori and Pacific and other Great War Stories. National Library New Zealand [@NZNL]. (2022, April 25). Twitter. https://twitter.com/NLNZ/status/1518439736674824198

UNESCO has a much wider range of posts, appealing to anyone who is interested in the UN’s work in areas of culture, science and education. The posts are informative and educational. International Days are celebrated, for example, promoting Jazz Day (April 30th) and Girls in ICT Day (April 28th).

Pertinent information and new research is highlighted, for example, this retweet below in regards to the new Global Education Monitoring Report : Gender. Tweets may highlight a new UNESCO heritage site or draw attention to human rights abuses.

Figure 3. Global Education Monitoring Report: Gender Note. From Global Education Monitoring Report: Gender. UNESCO. (2022). Twitter. https://twitter.com/UNESCO.

UNESCO’s Twitter feed feels more global and less focused than the NLNZ feed does. I would feel slightly overwhelmed if I did not know what I was specifically looking for. However, I would guess that UNESCO’s feed is very successful with 3.5 million followers, although I did notice that followers do not retweet UNESCO tweets in a large number.

References

Hursh, A. (2022). The 2022 guide to social media for libraries: Twitter. Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion. https://superlibrarymarketing.com/2021/12/20/twitterforlibraries2022/

Libraries & Learning, [@L2_S2S] (n.d.). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Retrieved May 4, 2022 from https://twitter.com/L2_S2S

National Library of New Zealand, [@NLNZ] (n.d). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Retrieved May 2, 2022 from https://twitter.com/NLNZ

National Library New Zealand [@NZNL]. (2022, April 25). Maori and Pacific and other Great War Stories. [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/NLNZ/status/1518439736674824198

National Library of New Zealand [@NLNZ]. (2022, May 2). Adventure! Mystery! Monsters! @MrJonathanKing chats about his first ever graphic novel The Inkberg Enigma. [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/NLNZ/status/1520916118713602048

UNESCO, [@UNESCO] (n.d). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Retrieved May 2, 2022 from https://twitter.com/UNESCO

UNESCO [@GEMReport]. (2022, April 27). Just released: Download and read the 2022 @GEMReport Gender Report: Deepening the debate on those still left behind. [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/GEMReport/status/1519265553478733824

OLJ Post 9: PLN adoption (Module 3)

I’m a high school teacher, and will start my first job as a teacher-librarian (TL) in August 2022. As I progressed through the CSU units, I subscribed to or bookmarked blogs that I thought would be helpful to me as a newbie to the profession, such as 500 Hats (Braxton, 2021) and Mighty Little Librarian (Whitehead, 2021). I also subscribed to the Librarian’s Guide to Teaching (Piekart & Kiebler, 2021) and Don’t Shush Me! (Bogan, 2021) podcasts. These steps may seem simple, but this was the start to my PLN.

I have registered for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I’m still figuring them out, as I have avoided social media platforms for many years. I am now following several TL’s on Twitter, for example Joyce Valenza (2022). I have also discovered ‘hashtags’ that are helpful for categorized tweets, such as #futurereadylibs, #tlchat, #edtechchat. At first when I started with Twitter, I thought that TLs used it mostly to highlight what they had done, and although this is good for ideas, it seemed resource poor. However, now I know what to look for, I am coming across tweets that ask for direct help such as the tweet from Geyer (2022) as well as invitations to online webinars (Malespina, 2022). Facebook pages recommended by my TL mentor at school have been really helpful, such as the Int’l Library Connection (n.d.) and Follet Destiny Users for Librarians (n.d). The Follet page has a great post from a newbie TL on how to do inventory for the first time – so many people responded with tips and tricks and encouragement. I have placed this post under “Favourites!”

Figure 1. Hello school librarians. Note. From Hello school librarians, Geyer, W. [@MrGee_Librarian]. (2022, April 12). Twitter. https://twitter.com/MrGee_Librarian/status/1513541006532218891

As a newbie, I feel like I SHOULD be able to relate to Utecht’s (2008) first ‘immersion’ stage of creating a PLN. However, I don’t feel that sense of urgency to immerse myself in everything, rather I feel a sense of carefulness and I am old enough to know that I can’t take everything in at once. Utecth’s fifth stage (2008) indicates that a balance is achieved between maintaining a PLN and respecting personal boundaries. I feel that I am already here due to my nervousness in regards to social media. Thus I feel I have elements of the first and fifth stage co-existing alongside each other. I am also intentionally using my social media accounts purely for professional purposes. I recognize that I need to keep developing my PLN and dip my toe in more and post questions and answers, rather than be a passive reader. I anticipate that I will do this more once I have actually started my new position.

Word count: 435

References

Bogan, K. (Narr.). (2021, August 2). Pt 1: Dealing with discipline in the high school library [Audio podcast episode]. In Don’t shush me; Listen Notes. https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/dont-shush-me-kelsey-bogan-hpExw3qZAU6/

Braxton, B. (2021, March 2). Safe harbour hat. 500 Hats: The teacher librarian in the 21st century. https://500hats.edublogs.org/2021/03/02/the-safe-harbour-hat/

Follet Destiny Users for Librarians. (n.d.). About. [Facebook page]. Retrieved April 27, 2022 from https://www.facebook.com/groups/227147405037179/about

Geyer, W. [@MrGee_Librarian]. (2022, April 12). Hello school librarians – I’m a librarian in training (grad student) and would like to know: What strategies and actions [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/MrGee_Librarian/status/1513541006532218891

Int’l School Library Connection. (n.d.). About. [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved April 27, 2022 from https://www.facebook.com/groups/SLAsia/about

Malespina, E. [@elissamalespina]. (2022, April 28). During today’s webinar for Future Ready Libs we will be discussing items in this wakelet #futurereadylibs – BOOK CHALLENGE RESOURCES https://wke.lt/w/s/RyFQnr [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/elissamalespina/status/1519404556408565761

Piekart, A., & Kiebler, J. (Narrs.). (2021, May 14). Marketing your library instruction (No. 38) [Audio podcast episode]. In The librarian’s guide to teaching. The Librarian’s Guide to Teaching. https://librariansguidetoteaching.weebly.com/#:~:text=%E2%80%8BThe%20Librarian’s%20Guide%20to,having%20meaningful%20conversations%20about%20librarianship&excl;

Utecht, J. (2008, April 3). Stages of PLN adoption. The Thinking Stick. https://www.thethinkingstick.com/stages-of-pln-adoption/

Valenza, J. [@joycevalenza]. (2022, May 2). Another lovely list; Best digital tools for teaching and learning 2022 – American Association of School Librarians (AASL) [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/joycevalenza/status/1520911350662324224

Whitehead, T. (2021, October 28). First quarter success; Mighty Little Librarian. http://www.mightylittlelibrarian.com/

OLJ Task 8: Defining Librarian 2.0 (Module 3)

‘Library 2.0’ is a term coined to capture the participatory, collaborative and technology driven opportunities that resources from Web 2.0 offer the library (ALA, n.d). The teacher-librarian (TL) in a library 2.0 world needs the attributes of courage, perseverance and humour due to the ever changing nature of technologies. If we take ourselves too seriously or wish for perfection before we release a new platform or use a new skill in the library, the technology may already pass us by! Cohen’s Library Manifesto (2006) powerfully conveys this. We need to remain relevant, as Akwang (2021, p. 102300) stresses. Thus, TLs must be flexible and demonstrate a willingness to learn.

Libraries who have taken up the challenge of Web 2.0 have indeed morphed from repositories to being innovative educational centres that offer a wider range of digital information and tools (Akwang, 2021, p. 102299). This could mean a library hosting maker centres, AR equipment, green screens, collaborative study rooms, and ‘how-to’ Cavna mini workshops. Of course, no one school library, with the constraints of budget, expertise and space may offer everything. So the TL must prioritise what services to offer and to be successful in these offerings. This means that the TL may need to upskill in several areas and then demonstrate strong time management skills in order to be able to offer services, relying on their knowledge of the school organisation as to which services are needed the most to prepare students for the future.

Ayinde and Kirkwood (2020, p. 142) stress the need for skills necessary for the information professional to thrive in the future. These are: sense making, social intelligence, novel and adaptive thinking, cross-cultural competency, computational thinking, transliteracy and transdisciplinary skills (Ayinde & Kirkwood, 2020, p. 149-150). Many of these will require interaction with technology. I like Ayinde & Kirkwood’s emphasis on the ability to “learn, unlearn and relearn new skills” (2020, p. 150). It is a humble position to take in many ways and as such, I think this characteristic is also important for a TL as they prepare their students for the future.

Word Count: 351

References

Akwang, N. E. (2021). A study of librarians’ perceptions and adoption of Web 2.0 technologies in academic libraries in Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 47(2), 102299-102309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2020.102299

American Library Association. (n.d.). Library 2.0. ALA American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/tools/atoz/library-20

Cohen, L. (2006). A librarian’s 2.0 manifesto [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZblrRs3fkSU

OLJ Task 6: Embracing a Library 2.0 ethos (Module 3)

Although Laura Cole spoke six years ago regarding digital libraries, there are several key points that remain highly pertinent to our school library spaces here at Seoul Foreign School (SFS). Although stated at the end of her talk, the key takeaway is that technology is here to stay, and we need to harness and exploit it to our patron’s benefit, otherwise we are actively denying them resources (TedxTalks, 2016). She acknowledged that change is challenging, but we need to get on board (TedxTalks, 2016).

Laura spoke passionately about those who do not have access to physical library spaces, whether it be through reasons such as illness or disability. It did make me reflect on how our libraries supported our students and community through the Covid pandemic when we were all virtually teaching and learning online. I know the teacher-librarians beefed up the e-book availability on the databases we subscribe to, but I don’t think it was advertised well. We don’t have a separate library page within our school website, nor a Facebook account. We do have access to the SFS Instagram account and very occasionally library news is posted there, but there was nothing to do with services available during Covid. I think we are fairly new to this method of promotion and advocacy. This ties well in with a third point made by Laura, that librarians are no longer the custodians or protectors of the physical spaces and books (TedxTalks, 2016). She encourages us to move with changing paradigms and embrace new roles that Library 2.0 provides; to be “navigators and cultivators” of information (TedxTalks, 2016). Our librarians may need to upskill and to exploit the digital resources that we have at our disposal. (I’m thinking particularly about myself as I join the library team in August 2022.)

A fourth takeaway point for me was Laura’s point that the library is often referred to as the “third space” (TedxTalks, 2016). Our community ‘vibe’ has been much dampened by Covid, and parents/guardians have not been allowed on the school campus. However, traditionally our library spaces haven’t catered well for the wider school community, whether it be in digital or physical aspects and I would like to be a part of this change. Although not necessarily linked to technology, a welcoming space with programs run for the community fits in with the collaborative and participatory nature of the Library 2.0 ethos (American Library Association, n.d).

Word count: 408

References

American Library Association. (n.d.). Library 2.0. ALA American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/tools/atoz/library-20

TedxTalks. (2016, April 16). The reimagined library: Where will it find you? [Speech video]. Youtube.

OLJ Task 2: The influence of technology on society (Module 2)

Figure 1. Technology. Note: From Technology. Harris, N. (2015, February 7). Flickr. https://tinyurl.com/mmrb5m89

In my lifetime, I have written letters by hand, listened to the static crackle of a fax machine, tapped basic messages on a Nokia, and streamed Netflix on a smartphone. The changes in technology over such a short period have been extreme and have affected not only us as individuals but as societies as well. Although we are more interconnected, it has thrown up new opportunities as well as challenges for organisations. This post will touch upon the challenges brought about by the fast paced nature of technology, in addition to safety and privacy concerns.

Due to the 24/7 nature of technology that allows contact with employees around the clock, organisations have to think carefully about how to manage their expectations. Emails, posts, reels and tweets sent at all hours of the day can put pressure on employees to be constantly connected and respond in a very short time frame, or risk looking lazy or unavailable. At my school and school library organization, this has resulted in teachers feeling like they had to be available very late at night and early in the morning to respond to students and parents. We were experiencing the positives of having fast internet and digital platforms to use, yet at times our digital learning and teaching lives intruded very much into our personal lives (Bauwens et al., 2020 p. 1). This resulted in a discussion between the employer and employees. The school now strongly encourages the use of scheduled emails and other digital communications only within work hours (8am – 5pm).

Our “platform society” (Van Dijck et al., 2018, p. 1) has raised another challenging issue in regards to privacy and safety online. As teachers, we are particularly concerned with student privacy online. Organisations have had to respond with policies in regards to the use of social media between students and teachers, and what teachers can post on their personal and professional accounts in regards to their teaching environment and their students. In addition, we have had to think carefully about how to teach digital safety and citizenship to our students (Gleason and von Gillern, 2018, p. 200). To be effective, this must be done in a manner that is non-judgemental and undertaken by teachers who are up to date with current trends.

Other areas that organizations need to respond to as a result of technology include copyright and plagiarism issues and the spread of disinformation. The 2021 Educause Horizon Report has also identified mental health and the increasing digital divide as “macro trends” (Pelletier et al., 2021, p. 4 ) that in particular educational organisations need to address.

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References

Bauwens, R., Muylaert, J., Clarysse, E., Audenaert, M., & Decramer, A. (2020). Teachers’ acceptance and use of digital learning environments after hours: Implications for work-life balance and the role of integration preference. Computers in Human Behavior, 112, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106479

Gleason, B., & Gillern, S. von. (2018). Digital citizenship with social media: Participatory practices of teaching and learning in secondary education. Educational Technology & Society, 21(1), 200-212.

Harris, N. (2015, February 7). Technology [Photograph]. Flickr. https://tinyurl.com/mmrb5m89

Pelletier, K., Brown, M., Brooks, C., McCormack, M., Reeves, J., Arbino, N., Buzkurt, A., Crawford, S., Czerniewicz, L., Gibson, R., Linden, K., Mason, J., & Mondelli, V. (2021). 2021 Educause Horizon Report. Educause. https://library.educause.edu/resources/2021/4/2021-educause-horizon-report-teaching-and-learning-edition

Van dijck, J., Poell, T., & De waal, M. (with Dijck, J. Van.). (2018). The platform society. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190889760.001.0001