This is an imitation of the Common Craft "in Plain English" videos. Very clever!

I was reading a blog, the NeverEnding Search, and found an article about how students are searching online. This blog post gave an overview of an article, "Why Kids Can't Search" (by Clive Thompson) from Wired magazine. It covered a study that revealed students rely heavily on the top search results when using a search engine. In the study, students were asked to find the answers to some questions. For some of the students, there were false ranking orders on the results page. 

The significance of this article is that the topic of search skills (or lack thereof) has made it into a mainstream technology magazine. It addresses the lack of critical thinking students are using when seeking information. They often do not consider the source, investigate the credentials of the author, or evaluate for purpose or opinion. 

I think the most important statement made on the article, however, is that "a good education is the true key to effective research" as researchers need to have some background knowledge on the subject if they are going to evaluate the information in it. Could this make a difference to help people understand the need for deliberate instruction in information literacy, and the changing role of the librarian? It helps. 

I've been immersing myself in some professional development for the last 24 hours or so by taking part in the Library 2.011 conference. It is a global digital conference held completely online in multiple timezones using Blackboard's Collaborate. I have SO enjoyed the experience thus far.

This entry is just to comment about how I'm enjoying the delivery experience. I've learned so much in just one dedicated day. What's great is that this is self guided, so I attend what I want to attend. Many of the presentations are inspirational which leave me with a vision of where librarianship is headed, but as always, the steps in between are still unclear. Other sessions have been more hands on, learning how to use a particular app, for example.

I will try to at the very least list the sessions I have attended so far and hope to write something up about them each in a separate entry. The challenge is time, as my kids are asleep, and soon I will inevitably be interrupted. Such is the story of my life as a stay-at-home student/mom.

Sandra Hirsch was the opening keynote speaker on New Career Pathways for Information Professionals in a Library 2.0 world. While not so relevant to someone like me who is near the end of my M.Ed. program and specifically going into teacher librarianship, she addressed many of the work areas where people with information management skills can go into. Here is the link to the recorded session.

Michael Stephens presented the Hyperlinked Library. Overall he was just so well spoken and well presented. He showcased various "techno" terms to highlight how we are responding to technology. He showcased how some libraries are responding to innovative technology, such as the outright NO, versus those that embrace the technology. He emphasized that we as information professionals and institutions need to modernize, and make the library a center for encouraging conversation. He encouraged social networks as a means of accessing information and library professionals, and keeping the interaction "human." However, he is a fan of their opportunities as personal learning networks, more than anything. I loved how his presentation was so well done, filled with wonderful complimentary and thought provoking images, despite the fact that the technology slowed things down just a bit. Here is the link to his recorded session.

I then decided to view a presentation that I missed last night, because it was on so late (in the USA). It was given by Tasha Bergson-Michelson, and so far I think her session was the most practical, useful, and hands-on friendly for me. She basically highlighted different ways we can improve our online searching using major search engines. While there were many specific strategies she used, her main message, in my view, was that we need to think before searching, and search for our answers, not the question. In other words, we need to first decide what we think the perfect result might show us (keywords, table, infographic, etc.?). Again, very very well done. Here's the recorded session.

I also attended a workshop on location based gaming using SCVNGR app for creating scavenger hunts in libraries. This was put on by Linda Barron, and while it is just one specific activity, it is an easy and non-threatening way to put your library into an app, and create more innovative practice. Our local school does not use iPhones or iPods as educational tools, but it is an interesting idea. Her recorded session is here.

Finally, Helen Partridge spoke about Becoming a Librarian 2.0. She showcased her findings from research, which highlight the key skills and attributes required for librarians today. This very much addressed the philosophical understandings of librarianship. It Emphasized the need for library preservice programs to combine both the knowledge and skills in librarianship programs with awareness of what the role and identity of a librarian is today--a good combination of epistemology and ontology. Her recorded session is here.

This is a bit of a wondering and thought trail, but I thought the best place to document it would be here.

While I was off this past term, I encountered several opportunities to tell people about how I'm studying to be a teacher librarian. It's a bit funny, but I'm becoming more comfortable in admitting that I'm not much of a reader, but I'm going to be a librarian. A lot of people don't get that, and even I started to worry about it a bit while I was off this past term. A librarian that doesn't read much? I love books, don't get me wrong. It's just that I never seem to have the time to commit to a book for an extended period of time. I'm a new mother--getting through the day is hard enough, let alone spending any time committed to a book. I need to often explain to people that being a librarian is not just referring people to books, and showing them how to find them. That is only part of it. Particularly true with being a school librarian, in my opinion, it's the whole concept of research and how to find information (not just books) that is a big part of the job.

I am planning a few study visits with information centers in different places. I was particularly interested in visiting a corporate library. I contacted a couple of companies (not many, but about 2-3) and in all cases, I was told that they used to have a corporate librarian, but that job was eliminated 10 years ago, or something like that. I was thinking about that. Why are corporations eliminating their librarians? If they are gone, what is taking their place? I assume that the employees themselves have assumed the responsibility of gathering information on their own. This means that corporations without librarians need to have employees who are also strong in research and information skills, right? How do they get there? Well, these new employees are going to learn their information skills in school and university right? This made me realize that my job as a teacher librarian who teaches information management is especially important in today's world, if corporations are no longer hiring their own librarians.