Tag Archives: information landscape

ETL503 Assessment 2 Part B – Reflection

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One of the exciting yet challenging features of the school library is change. The speed of change. The pervasiveness of change. The digital revolution (O’Connell, Bales and Mitchell (2015) that has swept the world has transformed the information landscape and the people who inhabit it. Bringing new formats, digital content, changing publishing models, shrinking print collections, increasing digital collections. But it is still all for the same purpose. The school library still exists to help students find, create and explore ideas (Lamb 2015), to assist students to learn to navigate the information landscape confidently, critically and efficiently. Central to that purpose is the development of a comprehensive, balanced and accessible collection. And central to that is the collection development policy.

 

We all share the ultimate destination: we want students to be life-long learners. Capable, confident, efficient, ethical and flexible thinkers. While the end destination is the same for all schools, the scenery, route and landmarks are all different. Our approach to collection development and management must be reflective of the community in which we work and the goals and aspirations of that community. It is the responsibility of the teacher librarian to ensure that the library’s policies and procedures support and implement the mission of the school (ALIA and ASLA 2005).

 

The elements of a collection development policy allow teacher librarians to assess the state of the collection presently, posit the ideal state of the collection and formulate a plan to move towards that goal. I discussed collection evaluation strategies in my blog post, Collection Evaluation. One of the challenges faced by teacher librarians is developing a strong collection that supports the needs, wants, expectations and interests of the school community now and is also flexible enough to be useful as technology and pedagogy continue to develop. Loh and Sun (2019) argue that it is the preferences and interests of the readers themselves that determine whether print or digital resources are more effective. Print is heavy, not updated and takes up valuable shelf real estate, yet students prefer it in some circumstances (Copyright Agency, 2017; Johnston& Salaz, 2019). But what about picture books? Richter and Courage (2017) found that younger readers were more engaged in e-books than in print. It is therefore important for the school library to offer a variety of formats and delivery methods so that readers of all persuasions might access information in their preferred format. This should be reflected in the goals and selection criteria of the collection development policy.

 

Along with a diversity of formats, the collection development policy should reflect the desire to create a collection that represents a diversity of viewpoints (Disher, 2014). All students have the right to see themselves reflected in the characters, stories and problems they read about (Braxton, 2018). Recognising themselves in characters that face hardship and overcome challenges encourages them to do the same when they are experiencing difficulty. Seeing the world through many different lenses allows students to develop empathy and intercultural understanding (Brown, 2016; Veltze, 2004).

 

Are school libraries and teacher librarians to disappear as teachers and students access resources directly online? Finding reliable, accessible and authoritative information online can mean sifting through a lot of unreliable and irrelevant resources in order to find what is needed. I wrote about this in my discussion post in Forum 2.4b and in my comments in Forum 2.4a on the work of Michelle Wheeler. Strong selection criteria combined with reliable selection aids ensure that resources included in the collection are reliable, authoritative and relevant to the school community. Yet, to make sure resources selected meet the needs and interests as closely as possible, it is desirable to include the school community in decision making processes (Viner, 2016). I discussed some strategies for this in my blog post, With Whom the Buck Stops. Regular review of the collection development policy and the selection criteria is desirable in order to ensure the collection continues to meet the needs, wants, interests and expectations of the school community. I discussed this in my blog post, Selection and Deselection. Part of the review cycle should include an evaluation of the collection. Doing this regularly is especially important in a time of rapid change to curriculum such as has been seen since the introduction of the Australian Curriculum and the related state syllabus documents. Keeping abreast of changes in syllabus documents and pedagogical developments allows teacher librarians to ensure resources and services provided remain up-to-date.

 

Changes in technology available in schools has and will continue to be rapid (Domeny, 2017). This has implications for the teacher librarian in determining how the development of digital collections will proceed. Changing software and hardware can mean that resources quickly become unusable, for example, many devices can no longer access CD and DVD resources as they do not have the necessary drives. Software that is developed for older operating systems may not be compatible with newer versions. Resources that can be accessed by iPads may be inaccessible to Android devices and so on. This should be kept in mind when selecting resources and access patterns: what is cutting edge now will likely be obsolete in five years time. The changing technology space brings some exciting new tools and pedagogies but it also brings new safety concerns. Gillies (2017) argues that digital security is a major concern in schools that requires more the virus protection, firewalls and content filtering. She advocates placing greater attention on digital citizenship and cyber security. These are, arguably, part of learning to navigate the digital information environment safely and effectively. The challenge is to keep students safe from inappropriate content without straying into censorship (Rumberger, 2019). Here, too, we must be ever mindful of the context. What is appropriate in one school may be positioned just over the line in another. I considered this in my discussion post in forum 6.2.

 

Part B References

 

ALIA & ASLA. (2005). ALIA-ASLA policy on school library resource provision. Retrieved from https://www.alia.org.au/about-alia/policies-standards-and-guidelines/alia-asla-policy-school-library-resource-provision

Brown, D. (2016). School libraries as power-houses of empathy: People for loan in the human library. International Association of School Librarianship.Selected Papers from the …Annual Conference, , 1-10. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/1928619177?accountid=10344

Copyright Agency. (2017, February 28). Most teens prefer print books [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.copyright.com.au/2017/02/teens-prefer-print-books/

Domeny, J. V. (2017). The relationship between digital leadership and digital implementation in elementary schools (Order No. 10271817). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1896954900). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/1896954900?accountid=10344

Disher, W. (2014). Crash course in collection development. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Gillies, A. (2017). Creating a healthy digital environment for 21st century learners. Independence, 42(2), 60-61.

Johnston, N., & Salaz, A. M. (2019). Exploring the reasons why university students prefer print over digital texts: An Australian perspective. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 68(2), 126-145.

Lamb, A. (2015). Makerspaces and the school library part 1: Where creativity blooms.

Loh, C. E., & Sun, B. (2019). “I’d still prefer to read the hard copy”: Adolescents’ print and digital reading habits. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 62(6), 663-672.

Oberg, D., & Schultz-Jones, B. (eds.). (2015). IFLA school library guidelines, 2nd revised edition. Den Haag, Netherlands: International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Retrieved from https://www.ifla.org/files/assets/school-libraries-resource-centers/publications/ifla-school-library-guidelines.pdf

O’Connell, J., Bales, J., & Mitchell, P. (2015). [R]Evolution in reading cultures: 2020 vision for school libraries. The Australian Library Journal, 64(3), 194-208. doi:10.1080/00049670.2015.1048043

Richter, A. & Courage, M. L. (2017). Comparing electronic and paper storybooks for preschoolers: Attention, engagement, and recall. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 48, 92-102.

Rumberger, A. (2019). The elementary school library: Tensions between access and censorship. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 20(4), 409-421.

Veltze, L. (2004). Multicultural reading. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 20(9), 24-26,41. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/237132103?accountid=10344

Viner, J. (2016). Collaboration : school libraries. Synergy, 14(2).

ETL401 Module 2.3

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This Module discusses what is meant by the ‘Information Society’. Combes, Fitzgerald & O’Connell (2019) suggest that the term is used to refer to the information landscape, the people who inhabit it and the ways in which they behave and operate within it. Evans (1979) and Naisbit (1984) are quoted in the module as predicting that the rapid change in technology would have a fundamental impact on the information society, equivalent to the industrial revolution.

So who or what is driving the technological change? New technologies are developed in response to consumer needs and new consumer needs are developed in response to the emerging technologies. The driving force behind the change must be the leading class of people who make decisions about what and how to research new developments. Often, government-backed entities and departments, such as DARPA have been at the spearhead of technological development. The commercialisation of their developments allows society as a whole to begin to use and hopefully benefit from those developments. As artificial intelligence improves, it may be possible that, in the future, we may see technology actually developing itself, however, I do not believe we are not at that point yet.

Combes et al (2019) describe information industries as those whose central activities involve information production, processing and dissemination. Where do libraries fall under this definition? Are libraries managers, creators, and distributors of information, or data processors? Certainly, libraries are managers and distributors of information. One could argue that the information that is available in a library must be organised in order for users to find what they are looking for, so in that sense, they do process information to some degree. The purpose of the library, though, is to hold and make available information to those who seek it, allowing them to process the information in whatever way suits their purpose. The creation of some information products may be undertaken in order to offer curation and encourage exploration of the collection. These products might include pathfinders, reviews, signage, catalogue resources. etc.

Thinking about social media and the rise of celebrity and the local or home-grown expert, how important is being a qualified professional in society today? In this era of self-taught, unqualified “experts” passing comment and judgement very publicly on every subject imaginable, it is more important than ever to always return to the work of qualified professionals. An Arabian Proverb explains:

There are four kinds of people, three of which are to be avoided and the fourth cultivated:
those who don’t know that they don’t know;
those who know that they don’t know;
those who don’t know that they know;
and those who know that they know.
Anon. Rendering of the Arab Proverb. (retrieved from https://www.bartleby.com/78/459.html)

Too often, celebrities are believed by virtue of their celebrity. Too often, those with strong conviction, however short of evidence, are believed. Their assertions may be correct. But they may not. Holding a recognised qualification in the discipline one works in allows one to be sure that they know: they know that they know. They have studied all aspects and points of view on a subject and speak from a position of knowledge and deep understanding. Others without qualification, however talented, have not studied all aspects of their discipline. They may arrive at their conclusions based on personal experience, intuition or luck. However, being in full possession of the facts and experiences of experts in the field allows one to make decisions based on evidence and best practice.

Are your ideas developing about the information society?

  • What do you think this term means?
  • Why is it important for the teacher librarian to have an understanding of the information landscape?

Combes, Fitzgerald & O’Connell (2019) suggest that the term information society is used to refer to the information landscape, the people who inhabit it and the ways in which they behave and operate within it. The information landscape is so crowded with information, misinformation, malinformation and commentary. An effective filter is vital when attempting to navigate it. Teacher Librarians are tasked with assisting members of the school community to develop their filter, to determine whether a source is reliable. It is therefore necessary to have a thorough understanding of the landscape if we are to help others navigate it.

References

Combes, B., Fitzgerald, L. and O’Connell, J. (2019). The Information Environment. In ETL401: Introduction to Teacher Librarianship. Retrieved from  https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_42381_1&content_id=_2899453_1 

ETL401 Module 2.2

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The role of the teacher librarian is to act as a conduit between the outside information world and the inhabitants of the school.

Case looks for a universal definition of ‘information’ but finds that there isn’t one. He argues that there doesn’t need to be one; that the generic, everyday understanding will do in most cases. He goes on to say that the various specific needs of particular disciplines has led to each discipline creating their own more rigorous definition as befits their needs.

Floridi describes the radically changing information environment and predicts what the landscape may look like in the future. Many of his predictions have been accurate. The world is more and more “connected” and the introduction of smart devices and online economies is increasing. We relate to people more often through our use of devices than by other means of communication. We have more information available than at any time in the past, but many of us struggle to know what to do with it. It is as if we are spending our ‘offline’ time working to support our ‘online’ time rather than the other way around. Virtual assistants such as Siri and Alexa seem to be examples of what Floridi was writing about.

Deep web – the deep web refers to that information that is held online but is not accessible to the general public. This could include online banking information, media content available with a login, journals and databases that require a password to access. It is different to the Dark web – an area of the internet held on specialised servers that allow users total anonymity in the information they post and in the information they seek. The content of these websites are untraceable and not available using a regular search engine or browser. Content held there can be innocuous but it can also be illegal or disturbing.  https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-how-to-how-can-i-access-the-deep-web.html

Internet2 – an international network used by educational and research institutions to provide high bandwidth support for accessing and collaborating on advanced internet based data and tools. https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24955/internet2

 

I am coming to understand the information landscape to mean the vast array of sources of information available. This includes information in many forms including digital, print, film, images, artefacts, magnetic forms etc. It would include information communicated in various modes or in multiple modes. Whether information must be deliberately communicated and whether it must be received and understood is still under discussion. My initial thought is that it must be able to be received and understood even if it so far has not been. I do not believe at this early stage that information must be deliberately communicated. This implies that natural phenomena could not be analysed to give information about upcoming changes to an environment. On the question of whether the information must be useful, I think that is a very subjective judgement to make. Information that is not at all useful to one recipient might be very valuable to another, depending upon their particular area of inquiry. The information landscape is constantly changing and growing. Developing technologies allow information to be gathered, organised, communicated, stored and used in new and innovative ways. It is accessible freely at any time of the day or night which, while it has the advantage of being at our finger tips at all times, it has the disadvantage of meaning that it is becoming increasingly difficult to disconnect from our all-consuming connected lives. Expecting people to be responsive at all hours of the day and night means that they are constantly “on call” and this is not conducive to a healthy work-life balance. Mosbergen (2016) refers to the desire to legislate down time for employees. While this would indeed assist with maintaining a healthy work-life balance, it might be less helpful to employees looking for more flexible work environments and structures. If a company dictates that no emails can be sent after a certain time in the evening, then workers who seek to complete some of their work from home in the evening in order to work around family or other commitments would be restricted in their ability to do this. Perhaps, then, it would be better to encourage businesses to change the culture of their organisation in other ways. Positive leadership in demonstrating work-life balance, setting expectations at reasonable levels achievable within the expected working hours might be more effective. This would be difficult to legislate, however.

References

Case, D. (2006). The concept of information. In Looking for information: A survey of research on information seeking, needs and behaviour, pp. 40-65. 2nd ed. Burlingham: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. ebook, CSU Library.

 

Floridi, L. (2007). A look into the future impact of ICT on our lives. The Information Society, 23, 59-64. CSU Library.

 

Mosbergen, D. (2016). French legislation suggests employees deserve the right to disconnect. The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 2016.