Unit One Readings

Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy
Deals with the difference between IT literacy and Info literacy. How we need more today than just skills - we need an understanding of how technology works.

1. information technology literacy = understanding the technological aspect of today's society as well as the implications in social/legal spheres

• skills and the ability to use various tools (internet, word processing, etc.) vs understanding how the systems and technologies work
• simply teaching tools leaves skills outdated quickly
• severe lack of education as to how tech works at all levels
• but if you aren't working in IT what's the point? - increasingly important because of the degree of IT integration in the workplace/world, will soon be a necessity to function in educated society (already is at this point?)
  

1. information literacy = being able to access and understand the various types of information storage systems we use today - goes far beyond just textual, also includes multimedia

• we need to accept that non text sources of information are also valuable, as well as recognize that formerly reliable sources (e.g. a photograph) can now be altered with easily available tech
• the newly central role of computerized searches in organizing, storing, and retrieving information - but also the limitation of such a system as some sources will remain undigitized
• people need to gain a conception of what information sources are best for their needs and what the limitations of all the different types are

Information Format Trends
Libraries need to adjust to the changing ways that information is disseminated. Since libraries are no longer the sole source of information, there is a need to find a new role. Also, the new trend of buying rights to use something rather than the thing itself is increasing. Article is a bit out of date - some of the trends it is mentioning have begun to slow (specifically ringtone sales).

• the recent changes have 'unbundled' the traditional ways of getting info (books, journals, etc.) and are now provided as needed from outside the library
• format agnostic - patrons no longer care about where the info comes from
• we are offered snippets of info for free (amazon search within a book) but then must pay to get the full content
• print publishing is slowing, good information is beginning to show up on the internet - i.e. medical schools and scientists are publishing their papers on personal websites as well as in traditional journals
• info consumers are increasingly self sufficient, but they are also more discerning and demanding
• the message is changed based on the mode used to disseminate
• the internet and smart phones are decreasing traditional methods like mail and ILL, with no apparent cost
• format of content becomes less important than getting it quickly and easily
• content sent through email (journals, links, etc.) is significantly higher than that sent through traditional ILL channels (although libraries don't track virtual transactions like sending an article)
• people are no longer tied to computers with the advent of smart phones - and the relative cheapness of mobile phones makes them more affordable/accessable
• micro payment for micro content - we now pay for small parts of rights rather than the whole thing
• social publishing - wikis and blogs could be a new way for librarians to reach out to their patrons
• dayparting - when an online newspaper publishes different things at different times of day (weather and traffic in the morning, clubs and food at night)
• ebooks are the fastest growing part of publishing
• academic libraries are forced to cut costs - are looking more towards digital content
• as open access increases (allowing students and faculty to download information free) library budgets will decrease
• libraries must move beyond being just a collector of content and must now be a certifier - i.e. be able to say 'this info is good because we have it'

Lied Library @ 4 Years

A description of the technological updating of the Lied Library at UNLV including descriptions of new software systems, logistics, and the financial burdens related to the update.