9/10/15

Week 1 Reading 

OCLC Report: Both people who remember when the library was different and people who are in the field often discuss how the format of the information in the library has changed. This is discussed positively, neutrally, and from a negative standpoint, but it is discussed! What struck me most about this report is how the current generation of information consumers is not format dependent; they look for the information, not a specific medium. They'll take out a book or read an e-book or use a database, as long as it provides the answers that they are looking for.
                          I thought, too, that the WebBrain search web is a useful tool both for understanding the ideas and for finding what the consumer is searching for. Seeing the key words and phrases, idealogies and concepts, in relation to each other, puts the information into context, which helps people learn. I have seen such search webs and found them to be useful.

www.cni.org position paper: This paper discusses the definition and importance of information technology literacy parallel to its discussion of information literacy. This immediately got my attention. The education of information literacy is a large part of why I am pursuing a career in library. In a world that is saturated with information, critical thinking and a broader, big-picture comprehension are key. The author sees information technology literacy and information literacy as related concepts that should be taught in tandem.
                                                The skills involved in using technology are important, and the author acknowledges this. However, to merely know how to use a computer as a tool for a set of tasks is too limited in its scope in this society. I agree with this point. In a society that is increasingly affected by technology at all levels of its existence, we need to go beyond that. Technology is part of the structure of the systems that we are a part of, and all those parts do relate to one another.