information literacy

Question the Bureaucracy

By | September 1, 2023

As of late, bureaucratic practices in higher education have been steeped in a neoliberal ideology that manifests as managerialism, or applying a corporate model to run a nonprofit or academic institution. Neoliberalism emphasizes capitalist free-market values, including a focus on efficiency, maximizing productivity, and individualism over collectivism. With managerialism, academic libraries are asked to adopt … Continue reading Question the Bureaucracy →

Photo of ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall. Text says "From the Executive Director by Tracie D. Hall"

Growing Our Own

By | July 19, 2023

At a break, one participant and I agreed that a key factor in libraries becoming an equalizing force in information literacy is serious and intentional workforce planning. To reach individuals and communities that most need support, we need to grow capacity within the field, both in terms of skill set and demographics. This is especially … Continue reading Growing Our Own →

Katie Strand, first year experience librarian at Utah State University, speaking at the “Connecting Library Experiences: Collaboration Across Library Types to Better Support our Patrons” session at the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on June 24

Library Collaboration to Improve Information Literacy

By | June 25, 2023

USU’s efforts are one example of the benefits that can be gained when different types of libraries collaborate. Librarians from USU and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, shared success stories in the session “Connecting Library Experiences: Collaboration Across Library Types to Better Support our Patrons” at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and … Continue reading Library Collaboration to Improve Information Literacy →

Dispatches - Yvonne Mery

Busting Brain Myths

By | September 1, 2022

Focus on andragogy when teaching adult students. Pedagogy centers on how children learn, while andragogy is about how adults learn. Activating our adult students’ prior knowledge allows them to reflect on what they may already know about a topic and build on that with new information. Allow adult students to choose different paths and skills … Continue reading Busting Brain Myths →

Illustration: Open laptop that looks like theater with people sitting in rows of seats and instructor pointing at image on screen (©wei/Adobe Stock)

Fighting the Spread

By | March 1, 2021

“As medical professionals and librarians, we tell people what to do, but we don’t often explain why,” she says. “A lot of times people are like, ‘I don’t want people telling me what to do.’ But if they understand the science behind it, I think it really helps.” In response to the unfolding crisis, Daly, … Continue reading Fighting the Spread →

Photo of ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall. Text says "From the Executive Director by Tracie D. Hall"

Defending the Fifth Freedom

By | January 4, 2021

The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world. About 698 per 100,000 of the national population are in some form of detention. According to a March 2020 report from the Prison Policy Initiative, the US criminal justice system detains almost 2.3 million people in various facilities in the US and its territories. Chief … Continue reading Defending the Fifth Freedom →

Illustration: Kristen Solecki

After the Census

By | March 2, 2020

“Census data is the mother of all open data sets,” says Jeffrey Lambert, assistant director of digital inclusion and workforce readiness at Queens (N.Y.) Public Library (QPL). “It’s a huge resource about people who live in the United States, and it’s accessible to anyone.” Libraries have an important part to play in accessing that data, … Continue reading After the Census →

Graphic: Libraries use tech tools to fight fake news (Illustration: Drew Bardana)

Check Your Facts

By | November 1, 2019

The Albuquerque Journal’s coverage of the event was headlined “Drag Queens Dazzle at Library Storytime,” while enthusiastic parents voiced support on the library’s Facebook page. Other Facebook commenters voiced opposition, sharing links to conservative websites and articles with headlines like “Parents Beware—Registered Sex Offenders Are Performing for Small Children at Drag Queen Story Hours in Public Libraries” … Continue reading Check Your Facts →