a prescription for healthier school

librarianship: transforming our

practice for the 21st century

presented by buffy j. hamilton

university of wisconsin slm
orientation
challenges that threaten to
reroute our mission
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lack of full funding and budget
cuts
a climate that values
standardized test scores over
inquiry
filtering fears are
debilitating to our
growth

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A shift in who counts as experts and
the decision making model has met
some hostile environments
we can decide which approach
we will take to these
challenges
we can choose to accept the lemons
we ’ ve been handed
or we can make lemonade

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/lara604/4563393579/sizes/l/
 “ innovation is the ability to see
change as an opportunity -
not a threat ”
Image used under a CC license from william pollard
http://www.flickr.com/photos/star-dust/709945164/sizes/o/
 1
Make our practice transparent
to the world

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web - based mindmap
flickr
youtube
twitter
facebook
blog
transparency and data
transparency and data
transparency and data
share your practice via
social media
embrace instructional
leadership
 2
Create and nurture a participatory
culture that invites conversations
for learning , multiple forms of
literacy , and multiple modes of
learning

cc licensed flickr photo by Suttonhoo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/suttonhoo22/2512983749/

inviting and engaging
participation

cc licensed flickr photo by domesticat:

sparking conversations

cc licensed flickr photo by Laenulfean:

http://flickr.com/photos/laenulfean/2913482048/
values learning as
conversation over information
objects

cc licensed flickr photo by Siebuhr:

knowledge construction and
creation

cc licensed flickr photo by Ian Muttoo:

inquiry

centered
libraries are in the change
business
 rethinking what “ collection ”
means

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/hams-caserotti/3432780140/
ebooks and mobile readers
mobile computing
 gaming

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 digital equipment

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/skokiepl/3521970447/sizes/l/
information evaluation and social
scholarship via research pathfinders
information evaluation and social
scholarship via research pathfinders
inquiry , engagement , and
collective intelligence
literature circle wiki
1 . 2 . 5 Demonstrate adaptability by changing the inquiry focus ,
questions , resources 1 . 1 ,. 9 orCollaborate
strategies with
when others to to achieve
necessary
success . broaden and deepen understanding .

active reflection and

metacognition
digital citizenship and
ethical use of information
scaffold alternate ways of representing
learning and knowledge
research portfolio with
Google Sites
multigenre elements
multigenre elements
netvibes personal learning
environments and learning
artifacts
collaboration , leadership , and social
responsibility for shared knowledge
construction
cloud computing :
google docs
diigo : group
bookmarks
evernote
blog comments
 3
Build your collaborative tribe through
listening , sharing , and risk - taking

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planting seeds
takes both
faith and
action
making space for the
unorthodox
physical space
going against the grain
expanding our concept of
collection and the containers for
it
give students a voice and
ownership
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4
Energize your mind and spirit by
plugging into the wisdom of the
crowd and growing your personal
learning network

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/sookie/101363593/sizes/l/in/faves-10557450@N04/
youtube rss
youtube
slideshare rss
delicious rss
diigo rss
citation 2 . 0 rss
organize and manage with
google reader
organize and manage with
iGoogle
organize and manage with
netvibes
virtual conferences and
webinars
virtual conferences and
webinars
virtual conferences and
webinars
face to face conferences
skype
face to face informal
gatherings
virtual and f2f friendships
strengthen us
Embrace your role as a fearless advocate
for intellectual freedom and equitable
access to all forms of information

5
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make the argument for access to a specific
resource or tool by collecting examples of
effective instructional practice

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develop and present a concrete plan
for use of the resource and how you
will implement its use
remind decision makers that students need
guided instruction and opportunities to
learn how to use social media thoughtfully
and wisely

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tie your requests to performance
standards
if our goal is for students to be information
fluent learners , we must have access to the tools
so that students can ultimately act as their own
filter

cc licensed photo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/verbeeldingskr8/3638834128/sizes/o/ /
 6
help our students learn multiple ways
of reading and writing today’s world
by acting as sponsors of transliteracy
 transliteracy is the ability to read , write and
interact across a range of platforms , tools and
media from signing and orality through
handwriting , print , TV , radio and film , to digital
social networks .

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/somegeekintn/3368983089/sizes/l/
 a sponsor of literacy includes any agent who
enables , supports , teaches , and models , as well as
recruits , regulates , suppresses , or withholds
literacy — and gains advantage by it in some way
“ literacy is the
energy supply of the
information age .”
deborah brandt
“ as new and powerful forms of literacy
emerge , they diminish the reach and
possibilities of receding ones ”
deborah brandt
the idea that literacy is only about
print materials is slowly
disappearing
we're on the cusp of

profound changes in what counts

as a “ text ” and literacy
helping patrons and stakeholders understand
the expanding definition of literacy is a
muddy but playful endeavor

cc licensed flickr photo by harold . lloyd ( won't somebody think of

the bokeh? ): http :// flickr . com / photos / safetylast / 4068790874 /
 “ we have to make sure schools and
libraries invite critical and active
uses of media that strengthen our
democratic potential .”
Deborah Brandt
 knight foundation recommendation 6 :
integrate digital and media literacy as
critical elements for education at all
levels through collaboration among federal ,
state , and local education officials
 as sponsors of transliteracy ,
libraries can close the participation
gap
what does transliteracy look like
in a school library?
privilege and support multiple containers
and pathways to information

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teach students multiple and dynamic ways of
connecting with real world experts to help
answer their questions
 teach students collaborative
tools for creating and sharing
knowledge
skype
blogging
wikis
social bookmarking

Image Attribution:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dav/104349246/si
diigo
evernote
evernote
teach students how to harness the power of
cloud computing and social media tools to
create personal learning environments and
information dashboards
student created netvibes portal
student created netvibes portal
student created netvibes portal
student created netvibes portal
student created netvibes portal
student created netvibes portal
cc licensed photo by The Shifted Librarian: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shifted/3360687295/
“ Learning and innovation go hand
in hand . The arrogance of success
is to think that what you did
yesterday will be sufficient for
tomorrow .”
william pollard
transparency
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participatory culture
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embrace leadership and building
your tribe : students , teachers ,
administrators , community

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discover and share ideas through
your personal learning network :
invest in yourself
chip away at filtering
policies
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disrupt limited perceptions of
literacy and open up conversations
about the possibilities of
transliteracy

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view failure as an essential part of the
learning process and keep trying

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be bold and fearless
leave it all on the
road
fight the machinery for our
students
Cc licensed photo from
http :// theunquietlibrarian . wordpr
contact information

buffy . hamilton@gmail . com

http :// theunquietlibrarian . wordpres

http :// theunquietlibrarian . wikispac

works cited
Brandt, Deborah. “In Their Own Words: Students Provide a Video Tour of Their Netvibes Learning
Portals .” Interview by Buffy Hamilton. The Unquiet Librarian. N.p., 25 Mar. 2010. Web. 8 Apr.
2010. <http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/‌2010/‌03/‌25/‌sponsors-of-literacy-in-
contemporary-culture-an-e-interview-with-dr-deborah-brandt/>.

Brandt, D. (2001).  Literacy in American Lives.  New York:  Cambridge University Press.

Hamilton, Buffy. “In Their Own Words: Students Provide a Video Tour of Their Netvibes Learning
Portals .” The Unquiet Librarian. N.p., 26 Mar. 2010. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
<http://theunquietlibrarian .wordpress .com/‌2010/‌03/‌26/‌in-their-own-words-students -provide -
a-video-tour-of-their-netvibes-learning-portals/>.

The Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy.

“Recommendation 7.” The Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a
Democracy. Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program , 2 Oct. 2009. Web. 8 Apr.
2010. <http://www.knightcomm.org/‌recommendation7/>.

-- -. “Recommendation 6.” The Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a

Democracy. Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program , 2 Oct. 2009. Web. 8 Apr.
2010. <http://www.knightcomm.org/‌recommendation6/>.

Lankes, R. David. “Introduction.” The Participatory Librarianship Starter Kit. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr.
2010. <http://ptbed.org/‌intro.php>.