My new column is up at Library Journal exploring the impact of podcasts and how libraries can respond. What do I listen to now? More than a few folks shared this sentiment online in the days following the release of “S-Town,” a podcast hosted by Brian Reed and created by the producers of “Serial” and “This American Life.” It topped ten million–plus downloads within four days of release. I binged all seven episodes over spring break and found the series to be a moving, insightful, and well-conceived piece of audio journalism. Podcasting has experienced a renaissance of content, production values, […]
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As information disseminators, curators and creators, journalists and librarians often walk the same ground as these professions seek to serve communities. I was fortunate to interview Jeremy Shermak, Moody College of Communication Doctoral Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin about journalism, fake news, libraries, and “truth.” This interview is available at: Circulating Ideas Podcast episode 108: Jeremy Shermak. This interview is part of a series I am doing on fake news & information literacy. My first interview can be found here: Circulating Ideas episode 104: Lane Wilkinson. —————————– Troy A. Swanson is Department Chair and Teaching & Learning […]
On May 5, we held our 16th annual Information Literacy Summit in Illinois. This event is a partnership between Moraine Valley Community College Library and DePaul University Libraries. We are excited to share the keynote address by Wendy Holiday. This is an insightful talk that challenges us to think about how libraries, librarians, and information literacy connect to the curriculum in higher ed during challenging times. Boundaries and sovereignties: Placing students at the center of information literacy (keynote)
I was honored to serve on the expert panel for the 2017 Horizon Report Library Edition. Please download the report and take a look.
Just a note to say how much I appreciate this programming idea from Anythink Libraries: One kind word can warm three winter months To help spread kindness and compassion throughout the community, Anythink will host the One Kind Word Project this Feb. 6-11, 2017. Inspired by a Japanese proverb – One kind word can warm three winter months – this weeklong initiative invites community members to write notes of kindness to strangers. Materials for creating these custom cards will be provided at each Anythink location, where they will then be collected and distributed to organizations across Adams County in an […]
Friends in the library world. I am thrilled to support Loida Garcia-Febo for ALA President. Please take a look at her campaign site for more. I am pleased to endorse Loida for ALA President. I have followed her work with the association and other international groups for some time. Loida recognizes the importance of inclusive service for everyone, and to do that we must advocate for ourselves, our institutions and our users. She also recognizes we must also develop our own skills and policies as the nature of information and access to information continues to evolve. I am confident her […]
I was excited to be a guest host on the Circulating Ideas podcast where I interviewed Lane Wilkinson,Director of Library Instruction at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Listen to our conversation here: Circulating Ideas episode 104: Lane Wilkinson. Lane and I discussed how librarians relate to knowledge in a time of fake news and alternative facts. “How information contributes to knowledge should be of the utmost concern for librarians. After all, librarians have deep-rooted affinities for both information and knowledge-creation…Patrons do not want misinformation or disinformation; they do not want to be deceived” (Lane Wilkinson, “Theories of Knowledge in Library and […]
I am honored to be a guest on the Circulating Ideas podcast! Steve chats with Dr. Michael Stephens, Assistant Professor in the School of Information at San Jose State University and author of The Heart of Librarianship. He also writes the monthly column “Office Hours” for Library Journal. SHOW NOTES: Tame the Web The Heart of Librarianship The Transparent Library “Talk About Compassion” (Office Hours) “Dream, Explore, Experiment” (Office Hours) “Adopt or Adapt” (Office Hours) “The Hygge State of Mind” (Office Hours) And for all the folks out there who may need something to soothe their soul:
IN an “Office Hours” piece from early 2014 on Reflective Practice, I wrote about the human face of the library. PUTTING A FACE ON THE LIBRARY This reminds me that the library should be human. It means that behind the keyboard, behind the blog, and behind the Facebook page, there’s a person ready to have a conversation: ready to help, ready to listen. I’m always looking for good examples of this. So I was thrilled to see this cool project from the fine librarians at the University of Colorado Boulder. Shared via librarian Adam Lisbon on Facebook who was part […]