I was flattered a few weeks ago to see that Sheila Webber blogged my blog on her well known Information Literacy Weblog at http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/ ( see her post of 24th Nov) and has also added a permanent link to it. As there is also a link from the Information Literacy Website at http://www.informationliteracy.org.uk/ I’m starting to feel quite famous!
Fern at Milford Sound, NZ
Since my study leave ended last week and I returned to work, I am faced with the dilemma of balancing project work with picking up the strings of my real job as liaison librarian while at the same time having a home life. For now, I think the Christmas shopping is winning! However, I know there a few folk out there (my “blogees”!) who have been reading the blog regularly – you range from friends and family, colleagues from Newcastle and the libraries I visited, plus quite a few info lit friends from the UK and elsewhere. Although I won’t be posting as many items from now on, I do plan to keep the blog goig at least for the next 2 years, which is the life of the NTF project, so do keep reading it, if only for all the photos I still have. (Jack, one of our Library porters, didn’t believe I’d taken the photos – I’ll take that as a compliment, rather than amazement at my unsuspected skills!)
The sea at Chrsitchurch, NZ
Today saw the official launch of the Newcastle Info Lit toolkit. The toolkit contains a variety of resources, suggestions and guidance for academic, library and educational development staff to use in order to integrate information literacy into the curriculum. Based on the SCONUL 7 pillars model, the toolkit allows staff to select basic, intermediate or advanced level activities, which may be online tutorials, Blackboard quizzes, lecture notes and slides, worksheets, discussion documents etc. There is information on meeting specific skills outcomes on module outline forms as well as how to design a whole programme with embedded information literacy.
The next stage in our project will be to evaluate the impact of the toolkit, as well as continuing to develop and add to it. We’ll be looking at attribution statements and a rating system too.
I took my camera along to the launch but was far too busy talking to manage to take any photos!
Here are some flowers from Christchurch Botanic Gardens instead!
The Watching Wall at CPIT Library
I’ve started to write up my notes from my study visit now, so will start to post items relating to the trip which I didn’t mention at the time.
A nice idea from Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology Library is the Watching Wall – a bank of TVs which are tuned to international channels. Surrounded by beanbags and couches they provide a place where students can watch TV programmes from around the world – great for international students to feel they are keeping in touch with home. Students use their own headphones or can borrow them. They can also watch dvds here.
The SCONUL WGIL is the group which produced the 7 pillars model of IL, on which we are basing our IL toolkit at Newcastle. I am delighted that I have recently become a member of the Working Group, as I hope this will enable me to make a real contribution to IL in the UK.
There are some useful links to publications on their website.
Kookaburra in Queensland