Week 1: Reading notes

OCLC report: Information Format Trends: Content, Not Containers (2004)

• content consumers are becoming “format agnostic” in that they do not care much what sort of container—such as a book, journal, blog or a Web page—the content comes from.
• "Traditional print publishing is indeed slowing. E-books have entered the adoption phase. And good quality content is leaking out of its containers and making its way to the open Web, facilitated by self-publishing tools and communication devices and technologies." Also - e-publication of journals?
• "By 2006, IDC predicts 60 billion e-mails will be sent each day" !!!
• "Worldwide, almost 2 billion SMS (Short Message Service) text messages are sent daily using mobile devices." !!!
• Increase of e-learning at universities and even high schools (cyber-schooling)

Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture

• Information literacy vs. information technology literacy - related but different aptitudes
• Information technology literacy - use of tools (computers, internet, etc) and understanding of concepts (even at superficial levels)
• Information literacy - understanding how to find, access and utilize information in beneficial ways.
• Where do schools come in? Traditionally students are educated in information technology literacy, but information literacy is becoming more popular and takes a more direct role in many school library curriculums.

Vaughan, J. (2005). Lied Library @ four years: technology never stands still. Library Hi Tech, 23(1), 34-49.

• Interesting case study of one library's struggle to stay current on information technology issues.
• "complete replacement of every desktop PC in the main and branch libraries, over 600 units, in 2003" - fascinating to think of what a complex operation this would be! Academic libraries have the advantage of performing such operations over the summer, when traffic is greatly reduced - this is not an option for public libraries.
• Interesting insight into the need to balance student and community needs at an academic library - students are the priority, but community members must get some benefit from the library as well.