Category: Information Literacy

Call for Papers: Informed Agitation: Library and Information Skills in Social Justice Movements and Beyond

by RoryLitwin

Call for Papers TITLE: Informed Agitation: Library and Information Skills in Social Justice Movements and Beyond (An Edited Collection) EDITOR: Melissa Morrone is a librarian at Brooklyn Public Library and has been involved in Radical Reference as well as other social justice groups. BOOK ABSTRACT: In librarianship today, we encourage voices from our field to … Read more Call for Papers: Informed Agitation: Library and Information Skills in Social Justice Movements and Beyond

Beyond Access

by RoryLitwin

I was honored when Rory Litwin asked me to write for Library Juice. I have followed the blog for some time now and have always found it a source of interest. As this is my first post, I thought I’d write on an issue that I find to be central to librarianship, namely, the tension between our … Read more Beyond Access

Repressive Tolerance (link to essay by Marcuse) and a comment on information literacy

by RoryLitwin

For those who have noted, along with Jon Stewart, that in the Fox News era the media treats facts in a relative way, as a matter of political taste… This phenomenon was first described by Frankfurt School critical theorist Herbert Marcuse, in his 1965 essay, “Repressive Tolerance.” According to Marcuse, it is a problem of … Read more Repressive Tolerance (link to essay by Marcuse) and a comment on information literacy

CFP: Information Literacy and Social Justice: Radical Professional Praxis (An Edited Collection)

by RoryLitwin

CFP: Information Literacy and Social Justice: Radical Professional Praxis (An Edited Collection) Editors: Shana Higgins and Lua Gregory are instruction and reference librarians at University of Redlands. They recently co-taught a first-year seminar titled, “Bleep! Censorship and Free Speech in the U.S.” Outline: In her award winning essay “Information Literacy and Reflective Pedagogical Praxis,” Heidi … Read more CFP: Information Literacy and Social Justice: Radical Professional Praxis (An Edited Collection)

Study finds college students not engaged in their research projects

by RoryLitwin

Librarians doing bibliographic instruction in college settings will most likely find little in this study out of the citation project that they didn’t already know from first-hand experience, but it is very good to see it as a research finding: ATLANTA — An analysis of research papers written in first-year composition courses at 15 colleges … Read more Study finds college students not engaged in their research projects

Terrorists meeting at the Capitol Building today? Government information and alternative media

by RoryLitwin

I was discussing the free press with a Russian friend once, and she told me that the main difference between Soviet Russia and the contemporary USA was that Russians knew they were being lied to, while Americans have naively believed that what the news says is the truth. Amusingly, right wing skeptics are presently doubting … Read more Terrorists meeting at the Capitol Building today? Government information and alternative media

Americans largely mistaken about Obama’s record… librarians included?

by RoryLitwin

I don’t read a lot of blogs so I don’t know, but I would guess this story is being blogged like crazy: Yesterday the Washington Post reported a Bloomberg National Poll: “Poll shows Americans don’t know economy expanded with tax cuts.” The story starts: The Obama administration cut taxes for middle-class Americans, expects to make … Read more Americans largely mistaken about Obama’s record… librarians included?

The underlying reason that the American Right will always be irrational, and a couple of ideas as to why the problem is presently so acute

by RoryLitwin

As the more civic-minded among us have observed, the American Right has mostly rejected rational discourse in favor of strategic communication. There is a reason for it that has to do with more than a calculation of what will be most effective, or a fear that rational discourse will “prove them wrong,” though that is … Read more The underlying reason that the American Right will always be irrational, and a couple of ideas as to why the problem is presently so acute

Christine O’Donnell is just what I’ve been talking about

by RoryLitwin

Recently I have rubbed some people the wrong way by speaking frankly about the problem of ignorance in civic life and people’s lack of concern and lack of shame regarding it. I argued that we should not be trying to increase voter turnout when Americans feel so little responsibility in the way of self-education on … Read more Christine O’Donnell is just what I’ve been talking about

Extinct Citations, Missing Links and Other Bibliographical Wonders

by RoryLitwin

Chapter one of Vanishing Act: The Erosion of Online Footnotes and Implications for Scholarship in the Digital Age, by Michael Bugeja and Daniela V. Dimitrova, is now online: Extinct Citations, Missing Links and Other Bibliographical Wonders A decade ago, most research was done in the library rather than through its Web site, and scholars, editors, … Read more Extinct Citations, Missing Links and Other Bibliographical Wonders

Critical Library Instruction – editors’ chat

by RoryLitwin

Maria, Emily, and Alana met in Google Chat, as they did often over the course of this book project, to reflect on the process and product of Critical Library Instruction: Theories & Methods. Alana: Hello! Emily: Morning, y’all! Maria: Hi! Emily: How’re we all doing? Maria: I’m doing okay. Nervous about my presentation at noon … Read more Critical Library Instruction – editors’ chat

Critical Library Instruction: Theories and Methods

by RoryLitwin

Critical Library Instruction: Theories and Methods Editors: Emily Drabinski, Alana Kumbier, and Maria Accardi Price: $35.00 Published: March 2010 ISBN: 978-1-936117-01-7 Bringing together the voices of a range of practicing librarians, this collection illuminates theories and methods of critical pedagogy and library instruction. Chapters address critical approaches to standards and assessment practices, links between queer, … Read more Critical Library Instruction: Theories and Methods

Pres. Obama Declares October National Information Literacy Awareness Month

by RoryLitwin

I look forward to Republicans coming out against this…. THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary ____________________________________________________ For Immediate Release October 1, 2009 NATIONAL INFORMATION LITERACY AWARENESS MONTH, 2009 – – – – – – – BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION Every day, we are inundated with vast … Read more Pres. Obama Declares October National Information Literacy Awareness Month

“Verbiage,” “Intuitiveness,” respect for language, respect for users

by RoryLitwin

“Verbiage” is a derisive word describing prose that uses many words to say not a lot, or more particularly, prose that uses words carelessly, to create impressions without attending to what the words actually mean in a specific sense. For techies, “verbiage” is stuff that English majors add later for the benefit of end users, … Read more “Verbiage,” “Intuitiveness,” respect for language, respect for users