My new column is up at Library Journal and it’s all about the incredible community of LIS folks in new Zealand: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/12/opinion/michael-stephens/notes-from-some-small-islands-office-hours/ Something struck me about this conference, in addition to my interactions with the library folk I met as we traveled down the North Island, stopping in Wellington for a talk I gave at Victoria University and on to the South Island. At a combination #hyperlibMOOC and library folk tweet up held at Pomeroy’s Pub in Christchurch, I finally asked the assembled group, “Why does the LIS community here feel so cohesive and tight-knit? Is it the isolation?” Between the […]
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The #hyperlibMOOC is included in this new article at Library Journal: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/12/digital-content/opening-up/ In the Hyperlinked Library MOOC, Stephens modified the common MOOC style of watching a video lecture or reading a lesson and then taking a quiz on the covered material. Instead, student work is reviewed by their peers, who offer their thoughts on what’s working and where there’s room for improvement. Stephens, Jones, and a team of assistants also view the work, but peer evaluation is a huge asset to the structure of the course, Stephens says.While the first course offering hasn’t wrapped up quite yet, he Stephens said […]
I have long been interested in the idea of why we believe what we believe. I have been interested in this relating to information literacy instruction. How do we evaluate sources and how do we make decisions about what counts as truth? Recently, I have been doing some reading in psychology and neuroanatomy focusing on the complex ways that the brain utilizes outside inputs to make decisions. This research highlights some disconnects and points where our practice, as instructional librarians, may be falling short with these new developments in the literature. Over the history of the 20th century the emotions […]
The study “Judgment of Information Quality and Cognitive Authority in the Web“ by Soo Young Rieh is one of those studies that I keep coming back to throughout my career. (I have mentioned Rieh’s study in previous TTW posts Things We Do in Private, and I Don’t Get Discovery Platforms) I like this study, because Rieh gracefully hits upon a key difference between expert and novice searchers, which is the ability to make predictive judgments. Expert searchers have a feeling for the domain of knowledge in which they’re searching. They have an expectation for a quality and scope of information […]
I have an article in the Fall 2013 issue of Internet Learning MOOCs for LIS Professional Development: Exploring New Transformative Learning Environments and Roles Abstract The rapid development of emerging disruptive technologies is a driving force behind the evolution of the library and information science (LIS) profession and is causing a redesign of the traditional approaches to LIS professional development. Historically fairly static, LIS environments have evolved into dynamic reflections of the enormous societal changes occurring as a result of open communications and access throughout the Web. In addition, 21st century LIS professionals must consider and prepare for the new roles […]
I am LOVING this: The winner of the #YLibrary of the Future Writing Competition is Sophie Manion. Sophie will receive an iPad mini. Congratulations Sophie! Here is her winning entry: I want to hear the voices of a million lives. I want to brush their hearts with the tips of my fingers and feel as they feel, with their skin and their lungs and their ears. It takes a moment – a light on a screen, a battery cord plugged in – but then I can. In a moment I am timeless. The library is a passport to worlds that […]
Dear TTW Readers – Mike McQueen is a teacher-librarian who is trying to publish his book, Getting Boys to Read. Please watch his short video and support him if you’d like. Follow this link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikemcqueen/getting-boys-to-read-quick-tips-for-parents-and-te
I was honored to be asked to contribute an essay to the State Library of Queensland #ylibrary project: http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/slq-today/2013/11/26/ylibrary-making-the-case-for-the-library-as-space-for-infinite-learning-by-michael-stephens/ A snippet: This isn’t a new idea. The Melvil Dewey quote that I used to open this essay resonates with me. “The time is when the library is a school and the librarian is in the highest sense a teacher…” He wrote that in 1876, and as librarians, we are evolving, and it is still true. Librarians should seek every opportunity to be teachers in their communities. Library users should look to the library for opportunities to experience new things, new […]
We’re winding up the #hyperlibMOOC. Students are posting entries in the “Virtual Symposium,” sharing their learnings. Here are just a few: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r-B7Rbwm3U#t=23 Hyperlinked Library MOOC Symposium ~ #HyperLibMooc from Brendon Moir http://mooc.hyperlib.sjsu.edu/actionitems/2013/11/21/virtual-symposium-hyperlibmooc-mixtape/
Don’t miss this article about “23 Things for SLIS Students & Alumni” that Elaine Hall wrote for Alki, Washington Library Association Journal. Elaine Hall is a Washington Library Association (WLA) member and a MLIS graduate student at San Jose State University. She lives in Arlington, Washington and is pursuing interests in academic libraries, emerging technologies, information literacy, and research. Hall, E. (2013, November). Building a sustainable 2.0 community for lifelong learning and professional development. Alki. Washington Library Association Journal, 29(3), 22-23. Retrieved from http://www.wla.org/assets/Alki/alki%20november%2013%20-%20final.pdf The students and alumni of San Jose State University’s School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) have developed a Learning […]