Information Literacy Blogs

As I mentioned in my previous post, I will be pulling many of my ideas and discussions about Information Literacy from other well-established blogs. Two of them are listed in the left-hand sidebar and will be the focus of this week's blog post.

The great thing about blogs is that they speak to a variety of audiences. There are blogs for democrats and republicans, cat lovers and dog enthusiasts, coffee drinkers and tea aficionados...this list goes on. It's important to provide multiple viewpoints on issues to allow people to gain different perspectives. When I began the process of learning more about Information Literacy, I really wanted to examine what was being done to improve Information Literacy in my community as well as those very far away. I wanted to hear about the various kinds of emerging technologies that exist in our libraries to assist in literacy instruction as well as what kinds of initiatives are being established in developing countries that will allow people to gain access to much needed services. As a result of my desire to see the bigger picture of what is being done around the world to advance Information Literacy, I chose two blogs - WebJuntion and Chat Literacy.

WebJuntion is a great starting off point for anyone involved in libraries who wants to learn more about the current trends in libraries today, how libraries and information professionals can provide valuable services to their constituents, and how to inspire a love of lifelong learning through Information Literacy Instruction. According to the producers of WebJunction, their blog is meant to be a "place where the library profession gathers to build the knowledge, skills and support we need to power relevant, vibrant libraries". There is too much talk today regarding whether or not libraries will even exist in the future given the amount of information that can be so easily accessed on the internet, and the only way information professionals can combat these kinds of attitudes is to provide valuable services to library users that cannot be found anywhere else but at their local library. In order to accomplish this goal, however, librarians and library staff must be willing to become lifelong learners themselves and take advantage of sites like WebJunction that provides updated (and free!) information regarding the latest trends in library technologies, patron services, and management. Topics range from digital literacy to customer service and even include discussions on community relations and spanish language outreach programs. One of the most exciting aspects of WebJuntion, however, is the availability of FREE webinars that are open to anyone who wishes to attend and learn something new. Some of the upcoming webinars include discussions on how to provide better Reader's Advisory, engaging teens with digital media through hands-on projects, and removing reference librarians from the desk and placing them within the community at the point of need. WebJunction is an amazing resource that every information professional should take advantage of.

While WebJunction is created for the library professional, Chat Literacy is created by the library professional. As a result, many different perspectives are provided by library professionals from across the globe that concentrate on building better Information Literacy skills regardless of whether a library user has access to a first rate library in the United States or a small African village library in Ghana. Topics range from search techniques and critical thinking skills to eLearning and Web 2.0. What attracted me to this particular blog was the fact that I can learn about some of the challenges faced in third world libraries and hear about the various creative solutions that have been developed by library professionals overseas. For example, I can filter out articles that only discuss information literacy developments in Sub Saharan Africa and a wealth of information appears regarding Health Information Literacy training at the University of Zimbabwe and enhancing digital and information literacy in Botswana's public libraries. It is interesting to see how libraries with very little funding and support can develop creative ways to teach patrons how to access, analyze, and utilize information. It not only gives the reader some much needed perspective but reading about Information Literacy programs from all over the world is very inspiring!

I'm excited to examine both of these blogs in the coming weeks to learn more about how libraries are evolving both locally and internationally. Library users expect a lot from their libraries these days. It is our responsibility to not only live up to these expectations but to far exceed them. By learning from others and reading about the successes of library programs both near and far, library professionals can really make some headway in promoting Information Literacy and lifelong learning.