Thursday 26 May 2011

It's just not the same : mobile information literacy

This is the presentation Andrew Walsh (University of Huddersfield) and I gave at M-Libraries in Brisbane.

This was the abstract :

"Libraries are increasingly developing services that take into account the massive effect of mobile devices upon our users. But what does this increase in use of mobile devices and related services mean for information literacy?
Some databases and library catalogues are delivered in mobile friendly formats, or cross platform search tools (such as Summon at University of Huddersfield). More of our users have the equipment to take advantage of these services each year, with mobile access to the internet soon expected to overtake fixed access. When a library user is as likely to search for information on a mobile phone, tablet or handheld
gaming device as on a fixed PC or in the physical library, will that change the concept of what it means to be information literate? How does mobile search change the discovery, evaluation and re-use of information?
We should consider how the concept of information literacy may be affected in this pervasive mobile context and whether we need to develop a new lens through which to view the literacies required by our clientele.
This paper will first consider the mobile context for information literacy. Then the presenters will compare and contrast their experiences in meeting and harnessing these devices in the delivery of Information Literacy in their own institutions, the University of Bedfordshire and University of Huddersfield in the UK."

You can see a pdf here

Wednesday 25 May 2011

Social media survey

There is a survey about use of social media, from the International Federation of Library associations and Institutions.
"In an effort to learn more about how librarians, library workers, library students, and library associations use social media, the Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression committee of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has developed a short survey on these topics. Our hope is that the results will allow us to communicate better with those in the worldwide library community - using the most effective tools at our disposal. We're also very interested in those who DON'T use certain social media, and why they don't."
"If you have not yet done so, please take a few moments to complete the survey (deadline: Wednesday, 1 June 2011) and share it widely with your colleagues and members!" Also you can "Be a fan of FAIFE on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/faife"
In English: http://www.surveymonkey.com/IFLAsocialmedia
En Español: http://www.surveymonkey.com/IFLAredessocial-espanol
En Françes: http://www.surveymonkey.com/IFLAreseauxsociaux-frances

M-Libraries 2011 : Keynote: Stephen Abram

I have heard Stephen talk before but his was way the best : entertaining, challenging and in the end hard to keep up with! Here it is :

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Back from Oz!

This has been the longest gap between posts-ever!
Most blogs which I follow are drying up a bit so I guess I am not unusual. However the main reason is that much of May I have been in Australia visiting and attending the RAILS seminar and M-Libraries Conference in Brisbane. I shall be posting about these as fast as I can.
The first presentation at M-Libraries I want to showcase was one I didnt even go to! It is by Sally Cummings, Julie Cartwright and others from Charles Darwin University, at Darwin. It is an excellent description of how they have used a treasure hunt to engage new users both on and off campus. The slides show uses of QR codes and how the treasure hunt helped to encourage the use of these. There are details of how effective they felt the hunt had been and pointers for the future.I particularly liked the plans for future use of QR codes there "Aim for high impact low cost.Linking physical spaces or items directly to associated electronic resources."A lot of the presentation resonated with our experience at University of Bedfordshire but there are some great tips which we can use too. Wish I had gone to this session and isnt Slideshare wonderful that we can all "attend" it now!