Digital Literacy

Thoughts: Digital literacy for me within my job is the concept of designing an effective, ethical, safe and high-quality online research strategy. 

 This is how I began my career in Librarianship as a reference and instruction librarian.  I loved it.  I got asked the most obscure and interesting question almost everyday.  It was a wonderful job for a life-long learner.  I got paid to figure out how to most efficiently answer a question.  Awesome.  First, I worked at a four-year liberal arts college and then landed my dream job.  A four-year arts college - the student body was magnificent - creative and energetic and just plain cool.  I got to watch them come in as freshman - so sure they knew everything and then get into a major and realized they only had touched the tip of the knowledge available.  By the time they graduated they had matured and grown as people and as artists. 

 It was also the dawn of web research: remember either learning or teaching the online research concept of CRAAP.   Then the days of Web 2.0 and social media.    After 14 years in public schools I wonder if I could run a reference desk anymore.  I miss it, and when a 3 year old sneezes all over me I really miss it.  HAHA  

I am passionate that learning to do research is learning how to teach yourself anything.  If you do it well it will help you make better decisions throughout your whole life.  In school it is how you show your teacher how well you can teach yourself.    For many it is stull drudgery but I hope they can see the possibilities for this being a life-long skill.  

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