Week 1 Readings

Articles

2004 Information Format Trends: Content, Not Containers. (2004). OCLC. Retrieved from http://www.oclc.org/content/dam/oclc/reports/2004infotrends_content.pdf

 

          The OCLC report – “Information Format Trends: Content, Not Containers” (2004) – itself is an update to the report, “Five-Year Information Trends” (2003). Referencing the trends predicted in the earlier account concerning the distribution of information, the OCLC maintains that such patterns have been surfacing. These include a growing usage of digital technology and mediums to communicate and acquire information as well as a decrease in utilizing traditional (ie print) materials. The main article makes its own predictions, overall claiming that these trends will continue as they are doing with an increase in digital users and resources while print consumers and products will decrease.

            I had a hard time differentiating the report as its own article since it kept reminding me of what is occurring today in 2013. As far as I am aware, its predictions have been true – lots of people nowadays prefer using digital resources over print and the numbers increase every day. In fact, except for the occasional reminders of its dating, I would have taken the article as one written in 2013. It seems like the views back them are concurrent to ours now.

Lynch, C. (1998, February 21). Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture. Retrieved from http://old.cni.org/staff/cliffpubs/info_and_IT_literacy.pdf 

 
           In Clifford Lynch’s article “Information Literacy and Information Technology,” Lynch explains to the reader first and foremost that his work is a reply to a demand for feedback on a study of information technology literacy. Thereafter he defines two literacies that he believes is important for someone in modern society to have: information technology literacy and information literacy. Such knowledge and how one learns it determines not only the quantity and quality of careers open people, but also how well they can interact with others in their community. Society has become more involved with and dependent on the information technologies that not knowing how to use them would be a barrier to anyone fully function as a human being. Thus Lynch advocates that the general populace should learn more than the basic tools, but understand what and how they use the information technologies, the limitations at hand, and the issues inherent.
            I have mixed feelings about the text. I am impressed by the amount of thought Lynch put into his response, determining what literacies exist and what each involved. He, however, claims that his training and past careers would help him provide a good overview for all of the sectors asked. While such a stance is beneficial – he tries to connect everything together rather than focus on one field – I’m wondering if that was too much or even possible. If I was more familiar with his background, I would question what he has done that made him confident about his ability to take most the fields into account. Each sector may follow similar guidelines, but each is distinct in what they do or accomplish.

Muddiest Point

What I still don't understand is if there is an exact formula or format we have to follow for creating our posts. Do we have the leniency to choose how to post our notes, or is there a standard that all of us have to follow (beyond summarizing our assignments and reflecting on the ideas)?