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Hey Samantha,
Really interesting post!
I still have a few zines that I found while I was doing my undergrad and dug them out after reading this. I totally agree with you on the fact that the physical nature of them is really important. They are unique artistic expressions and I just can’t imagine getting the same feeling from a digital version. Though at least the new electronic zines are more easily stored by libraries. They provide a snapshot of culture that really does need to be documented.
Hey Samantha,
Thanks for your comment! It can be such a biased system when the few are able to dictate the study pursuits of the many. Perhaps a separation of politics and academia could go some ways to fixing this system but judging from how it works between church and state I don’t really think it would. Unfortunately Australia doesn’t seem to really consider its international standing – we have Tony to thank for our current reputation.
Hi Kate,
Glad you enjoyed my post! I hadn’t been considering the parents either until I really thought about the points Kate Davis was making with regards to programs empowering people. When I ran the ‘babies, books and rhymes’ I probably interacted more with the parents than with their kids, only because a lot of them were new to the program and had so many questions. I had no idea that adult literacy levels could be improved when parents attend these programs with their kids but it makes perfect sense – thanks for mentioning that!
A house of mirrors and a popcorn stand! Touch screen games! I know where I am going when I have some free time back after all the assessment is in. This space sounds really cool and like they have genuinely considered the needs and interests of the target demographic. It is a real shame that some parents see libraries as a childcare centre. If I had kids and went somewhere like this you can be damn sure I would be hitting that dress-up box with them not out having a coffee. Okay, maybe a quick coffee…but then I’d be serving popcorn like it was my job.
Hi Katherine,
I really agree with the conclusions you made here about this service needing to be taken further. It is an innovative use of the medium (I didn’t know that libraries were using social media like this and thought they were limited to a Facebook page or twitter feed) but from what you have explored here it seems that it is not as effective as they may have hoped. It is good to see that libraries are attempting to reach the users in these ways but there needs to be a greater emphasis placed on the marketing and advertising that surrounds these new tools. If the users don’t know it exists or feel they may be censored or mediated when they do use it then I don’t think it will ever really take off. It is a challenging endeavor and one that could use more support, innovation and time.
Hi Hanan,
I really enjoyed your reflection on the twitter chat and agree with many of the conclusions you reached regarding creativity and its importance in modern life. There was one point you made that really resonated with me and that was the idea that the way schools focus on standardised methods and solutions can really limit creativity and ‘outside the box’ thinking in current educational practice. Creativity and exploration have helped develop some of the most important innovations in recent history such as modern computing. I think there should be more of a focus placed on abstract solutions and the practical application of creative method in schools which is why I was so glad to hear that coding will be introduced to younger grades in the coming years. While coding can be seen as just another rigid methodology I feel that its applications are many and varied and inspire people to think creatively in order to achieve the outcomes they want from it.
Hey Chris,
It was interesting to read that while the program plan had outlined the need for spare sheets due to cutting errors they hadn’t provided a risk assessment for cutting injuries. I would have thought that would have been a given for a plan that from what you have said was otherwise pretty comprehensive.
I had a quick look over the pdf from the link you included and it is as professional as you would expect from SLQ. If they have a blank template of this document it would be very easy to create thorough plans for new programs using this framework as a basis. I am just as impressed as you are.
Hey Jennifer,
Awesome post! You chose a really cool topic to explore from a perspective I’d not ever thought about before. In this day and age where babies are using tablets and smartphones it’s easy to forget that a large component of understanding stems from information literacy and reading skills and not just the ability to click on things. It was really interesting to read about the picture based interface but from what you’ve discovered it sounds like they could really take it a bit further and continue to improve the service capabilities. I know my young self would have wanted some quick links to trucks and superheroes too!
Hi Stacey,
I still remember a cartooning event similar to the one you described that I attended when I was a kid which goes to show that it really is an engaging format, both visual and interactive. It is a real shame that the library story time you attended did not come close to the standard set by Dave Hackett. I think some people are just better suited to a performative role and really get something out of it while others try to avoid it or simply don’t put the necessary effort in. I did a prac during my diploma in a public library and they had me run the toddler story time because most of the staff really disliked having to perform and sing whereas I found it to be a welcome break from shelving and loved making the kids laugh. It can be hard to find staff who relish the opportunity rather than seeing it as just another daily task.
Hey Chris,
Cheers for your comment.
I’m in a bit of a political mindset this week as I am doing an issues based reflection on research support which had me thinking about how much power current political opinion has over things such as which grant application should receive funding and which should be dismissed – a state of affairs I find to be fairly unethical or at least unbalanced or biased. So when I read your comment and thought about our reliance on technology I couldn’t help but consider it through this political lens – where politics will influence robotic development for the advancement of particular groups in society rather than all people. It made me think of a post I saw on Reddit a few days ago about a comment that Stephen Hawking made where he said that we need to be more afraid of capitalism than robots. As manual labor jobs and low skilled enterprise are replaced by robotic systems the profits from this will be distributed to those who are already in positions of power. I found an article about it here if you are interested in having a read.
It is inconceivable that I could have made such a foolish error Claire and yet there it is before me. I’ve hurriedly fixed it but the damage is done. I guess I had better go back to where they found me. Unemployed….In Greenland.
Glad you liked it!
Hi Kirsty,
Interesting post! I agree with the point you made about being a voracious reader not being an essential qualification for providing a good readers advisory service. For me it comes down to the fact that all people are individual and just because you may have read the same book as me we may not share the same opinions about it. I feel that due to this reason readers advisory provided by someone who merely reads a great amount and makes recommendations based on personal experience needs to take care that this does not become information that is personally biased. To this end I feel that the use of RA tools and resources can provide better assistance to patrons because they are created in consultation with many people and are formed from many opinions therefore catering to as many people as possible.
This is a really strong post Stacey!
I completely agree with your points about the unnecessary pressure that is placed on students. It is something that the education system needs to address as I feel it can have lasting effects on the psyche of students and their perception of their own abilities. When you mentioned “the sky is falling” rhetoric that comes from educators it reminded me immediately of the pressure I felt years ago during grade 12 when told that everything hinged on my OP and that my future would be dictated by how I did that year. I was completely overwhelmed by that concept even though I was a fairly high achiever. It caused me to doubt a lot of my assessment pieces which as you say does not really promote personal empowerment through learning. This is something that needs to be resolved in early education and put into practice throughout the entirety of schooling years. You don’t want children to feel like they are already on the back foot at the beginning of their learning journey.
Hey Chris,
Great post! After reading through it I had the exact same impression that Kate McKelliget did above. How do they expect users that have issues with technology and digital content to find these courses and apply for them on a digitally hosted platform? That seems really counter-intuitive to me. You mention budget concerns for public libraries too and I’m sure that that plays a role in the marketing of these classes as it is going to be much more affordable to advertise on the website that is already paid for than to produce lots of physical information and pay for physical advertising. Perhaps more time should be spent analysis the actual needs of users through surveys etc. but I suppose the problem then becomes how do you reach a large enough proportion of the target demographics to make this service data viable?
I can’t believe three staff members were engaged with only two participants. Do you think this might have been because they usually get a lot more people? Even still, everyone commenting seems to agree they could have maybe distributed staff a bit more efficiently.
Hi Leena,
Thanks for stopping by my forum and commenting on my Twitter Chat post!
I have bookmarked the video you have linked in this post and am interested to watch it when I have some more time.
You would know from my post that I feel that having so many titles for literacy concepts that share so many similarities can be difficult for the uninitiated to grasp – especially since these titles are most commonly used in the library industry meaning that many are unfamiliar with their intended use. I reflected on this though after reading the point you made on my post about it being important for concepts to be given labels so that it can encourage people to search more deeply for the differences that exist between them. After reading your post here I really agree with the comments you have made about the idea of creating a single changeable framework for literacy that is applicable in a variety of contexts depending on the needs and aptitude of the user. I am also excited to continue to explore these concepts! It is such a changeable and developing field of study.
