This past week, NYC public schools were closed. Our branch was teeming with kids, many of them with a biographical paper on a historic African-American due this upcoming Monday. Each day, at least one kid came up to me while on the reference desk and asked for help locating materials. What a perfect opportunity to drop some media literacy knowledge! Wooooo.
So, instead of just getting them a book about Rosa Parks, I asked them to let me show them our Articles & Databases. Since I'd say the majority were 5th graders, many weren't familiar. Here is a typographical re-enactment of how a conversation would go -
Little Carlos: I need a book on Rosa Parks
Me: Are you doing a report? What grade? How many pages? etc.
Carlos: The teacher said I have to use one book
Me: OK cool. I can get you a book in a minute, but why don't you pull up that chair and I can show you some more really helpful resources the library has for you. You have a couple minutes?
Carlos: Um..I guess..
Me: You know wikipedia?
Carlos: Yeah!
Me: Yeah we're not using wikipedia. I could log on right now and change what the wiki article on Rosa Parks says...and say that she was born on Saturn and was half-unicorn and was the most famous chef in King Arthur's Time. Because anyone can make a website...so just because you see it online, that doesn't mean it's ture
Carlos: (this girl is weird...)
Me: So the library subscribes to a bunch of different databases that compile information from magazines, newspapers, papers that college professors write...and puts them online.
*goes to website and walks through the process of getting to the databases click by click*
So here we are at Wilson Web's Biographical Index thing. This looks kinda familiar right? Looks a little like google? Well it works like google, except its only searching the articles included on this site. The things we'll find will have authors and will have been edited and researched and factchecked, and on a regular website, we aren't always sure that that is the case.
Carlos: Oh ok yeah.
Me: So let me write down the steps for you to get to this database so you can DIY.
Carlos: Emily you're the coolest and best librarian ever.
*Scene*
It might not be possible to gather every kidlet in an urban public library setting and make them sit while you talk about the importance of being critical thinkers when it comes to finding information. But it is easy enough to jump on it when an opportunity like this comes up. Carlos might think twice now the next time he sees something on wikipedia or elsewhere, and possibly might consult a database to back up whatever answer he finds.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Our medium discussion
So...what is a medium exactly? Suki, Jennifer, Laurie, Andrea and I all sat down to figure it out. A medium is a delivery mechanism for content. Different mediums mean a change in how that medium is delivered, and this is how I will illustrate that.
Mediums, from old to new.
1. Face to face. You heard about the fires in Australia by coming into direct contact with someone who experienced it, or who heard about it directly from someone else. This would probably be in short bits, because it's not easy to memorize chunks and chunks of information. Someone would likely get distorted (ever play the telephone game?)
2. Print. A headline would come out about the Australian fires and be printed in newspaper. Any retraction would be printed in a later paper somewhere in the back. In the first week, a lenghtly magazine article might appear, and maybe even an in-depth book a year or two later. All possibly containing pictures of the fires and the destruction they've caused. Focused on facts. Contacts of where to donate money would be made available.
3. TV. Interviews with victims, experts..anyone involved might be shown on tv. Maps, videos, commentary...television offers a quick and visually stimulating look at the situation, where interested parties could hear the words directly from the mouths of the victims and experts, likely hearing the emotion in their voice and seeing the emotion in their faces. Contacts of where to donate would be made available. Information is only visible to those who caught that particular news program.
4. Internet. Since both print and tv are available online, one can expect to get the story in both of those terms. In addition, commentary, in the form of text or youtube response, is an option. One can start a website to take in donations, make a direct desposit to an organization working to help victims. One might even be able to post directly on a memorial page to wish families the best. Incredibly interactive.
If the internet can do pretty much everything that the other mediums can do, what, if anything, will keep them around? Is there something intrinsic about a book that will safeguard it as a medium and keep it around for generations to come? I think that's a crazy question, one that I never would have asked growing up. But I think in today's techno temperature, it's a completely valid one. Thoughts? And remember, just because you like to curl up with a good book doesn't mean the next generation does. They might end up curling up with whatever the next Twilight is on their laptop...
Mediums, from old to new.
1. Face to face. You heard about the fires in Australia by coming into direct contact with someone who experienced it, or who heard about it directly from someone else. This would probably be in short bits, because it's not easy to memorize chunks and chunks of information. Someone would likely get distorted (ever play the telephone game?)
2. Print. A headline would come out about the Australian fires and be printed in newspaper. Any retraction would be printed in a later paper somewhere in the back. In the first week, a lenghtly magazine article might appear, and maybe even an in-depth book a year or two later. All possibly containing pictures of the fires and the destruction they've caused. Focused on facts. Contacts of where to donate money would be made available.
3. TV. Interviews with victims, experts..anyone involved might be shown on tv. Maps, videos, commentary...television offers a quick and visually stimulating look at the situation, where interested parties could hear the words directly from the mouths of the victims and experts, likely hearing the emotion in their voice and seeing the emotion in their faces. Contacts of where to donate would be made available. Information is only visible to those who caught that particular news program.
4. Internet. Since both print and tv are available online, one can expect to get the story in both of those terms. In addition, commentary, in the form of text or youtube response, is an option. One can start a website to take in donations, make a direct desposit to an organization working to help victims. One might even be able to post directly on a memorial page to wish families the best. Incredibly interactive.
If the internet can do pretty much everything that the other mediums can do, what, if anything, will keep them around? Is there something intrinsic about a book that will safeguard it as a medium and keep it around for generations to come? I think that's a crazy question, one that I never would have asked growing up. But I think in today's techno temperature, it's a completely valid one. Thoughts? And remember, just because you like to curl up with a good book doesn't mean the next generation does. They might end up curling up with whatever the next Twilight is on their laptop...
Friday, February 6, 2009
critical librarian's practice
Some assumptions of the future based on readings for the class-
-'typographic' literacy is being replaced by video game/multimedia literacy. magazines, books, music, and movies are all becoming available online
--> because of this, print will slowly fade away...physical copies of dvds and cds will have much less a presence. the library will be loaning out digital material.
-there is a digital divide
--> not everyone will have access to new technologies. not everyone will know how to use them.
-more and more learning, socializing, and 'living' is done online/on a cell/on various video game systems. public space is shrinking.
--> people will be lonelier. they need a place to be comfortable and socialize without having to buy something.
-based on census data reviewed by my Cultural Diversity & Libraries class: the 'nuclear family' is done. many families are headed by two working parents or one working parent. children need a safe place to go after school. libraries that close at 6pm on weeknights will not see many working parents.
Using these assumptions, it is absolutely critical that public libraries change their historic focus of being depositories if they want to be useful, used, and funded. If books dvds and cds fall to the wayside, what can a librarian do to support the population?
-instruction. literacy for new computer programs, systems, websites... how to get borrow the latest batman movie from the library onto your iphone. the majority of people who use the latest tech tools do not know how to use them to the fullest. librarians as educators.
-programming. give people something to do together! whether it be a community garden, movie nights, wii gaming, book discussion, concerts, theater...libraries need to act more as a community center. after all, if all our materials are available online, why would anyone come in? people who work, play, and shop from their pdas and computers have a need for a public space that offers socializing. sometimes second life just doesn't cut it. libraries as community centers
-accessible public space. the shape of american families is changing! kids are looking for something to occupy their time after school. working parents will be unavailable to use library space. hours need to change! being open late nights and on weekends might not please library staff but it sure is a user-centered policy. with all the kids and teens expected after school, staff must be trained to work with young people and understand child development. librarians working around patron schedules
-partnerships. librarians need to connect more often with various neighborhood organizations and public schools. librarians should have a grasp of what's going on in the neighborhood/town/city. they should be acting as a bridge for any mix of individuals and organizations. librarians as community organizers
-'typographic' literacy is being replaced by video game/multimedia literacy. magazines, books, music, and movies are all becoming available online
--> because of this, print will slowly fade away...physical copies of dvds and cds will have much less a presence. the library will be loaning out digital material.
-there is a digital divide
--> not everyone will have access to new technologies. not everyone will know how to use them.
-more and more learning, socializing, and 'living' is done online/on a cell/on various video game systems. public space is shrinking.
--> people will be lonelier. they need a place to be comfortable and socialize without having to buy something.
-based on census data reviewed by my Cultural Diversity & Libraries class: the 'nuclear family' is done. many families are headed by two working parents or one working parent. children need a safe place to go after school. libraries that close at 6pm on weeknights will not see many working parents.
Using these assumptions, it is absolutely critical that public libraries change their historic focus of being depositories if they want to be useful, used, and funded. If books dvds and cds fall to the wayside, what can a librarian do to support the population?
-instruction. literacy for new computer programs, systems, websites... how to get borrow the latest batman movie from the library onto your iphone. the majority of people who use the latest tech tools do not know how to use them to the fullest. librarians as educators.
-programming. give people something to do together! whether it be a community garden, movie nights, wii gaming, book discussion, concerts, theater...libraries need to act more as a community center. after all, if all our materials are available online, why would anyone come in? people who work, play, and shop from their pdas and computers have a need for a public space that offers socializing. sometimes second life just doesn't cut it. libraries as community centers
-accessible public space. the shape of american families is changing! kids are looking for something to occupy their time after school. working parents will be unavailable to use library space. hours need to change! being open late nights and on weekends might not please library staff but it sure is a user-centered policy. with all the kids and teens expected after school, staff must be trained to work with young people and understand child development. librarians working around patron schedules
-partnerships. librarians need to connect more often with various neighborhood organizations and public schools. librarians should have a grasp of what's going on in the neighborhood/town/city. they should be acting as a bridge for any mix of individuals and organizations. librarians as community organizers
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Neil Postman you big jerk
Neil Postman is kind of a jerk. I read Amusing Ourselves to Death, tried to talk about it with my boyfriend, and got into an argument! Way to go, Postman.
Seriously though, I was surprised how defensive the bf got of television! As I was trying to explain Postman's stance in various tidbits that stood out to me, he quickly struggled to argue against everything I was regurgitating. We talked for quite a while about it, and ended up agreeing that he also should read the book before we talk about it again. I think he was scared that what I was repeating were my beliefs and not those of Postmans.
While I don't necessarily fully agree with the intensity of Postman's arguments, It's obvious that tv has changed our society. Do the negative changes outweigh the positive? It might still be too soon to tell.
On thing that I am sure of - it is quite clear that most people get pretty offended when someone starts to knock television. And it makes sense! We grow up with it; it teaches, entertains, informs..it's simply a standard of living in america. I can't tell you how many people are shocked when I tell them that I don't have a tv. It is almost like I become slightly less relatable as a person. And it's not like I abstain from technology all together, I get to watch movies (and tv minus commercials) on my computer, with no extra monthly cable bill.
But a lot of us know that person, the person who abstains from almost all forms of 'new' technology. They usually piss us off, because maybe sub-consciously we agree with Postman on some level? That we know that tv has changed so much about our daily life, what we come to expect as human beings...and hearing someone brag about their intention on the return to 'purer' times makes us jealous?
Maybe. Or maybe they're just really annoying, as seen in this clip from a 90's HBO show "Mr Show" (it's about a minute into the clip):
Seriously though, I was surprised how defensive the bf got of television! As I was trying to explain Postman's stance in various tidbits that stood out to me, he quickly struggled to argue against everything I was regurgitating. We talked for quite a while about it, and ended up agreeing that he also should read the book before we talk about it again. I think he was scared that what I was repeating were my beliefs and not those of Postmans.
While I don't necessarily fully agree with the intensity of Postman's arguments, It's obvious that tv has changed our society. Do the negative changes outweigh the positive? It might still be too soon to tell.
On thing that I am sure of - it is quite clear that most people get pretty offended when someone starts to knock television. And it makes sense! We grow up with it; it teaches, entertains, informs..it's simply a standard of living in america. I can't tell you how many people are shocked when I tell them that I don't have a tv. It is almost like I become slightly less relatable as a person. And it's not like I abstain from technology all together, I get to watch movies (and tv minus commercials) on my computer, with no extra monthly cable bill.
But a lot of us know that person, the person who abstains from almost all forms of 'new' technology. They usually piss us off, because maybe sub-consciously we agree with Postman on some level? That we know that tv has changed so much about our daily life, what we come to expect as human beings...and hearing someone brag about their intention on the return to 'purer' times makes us jealous?
Maybe. Or maybe they're just really annoying, as seen in this clip from a 90's HBO show "Mr Show" (it's about a minute into the clip):
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