BFTP: Michael Jensen's information ecosystem

A weekend Blue Skunk "feature" will be a revision of an old post. I'm calling this BFTP: Blast from the Past. Original post, May 6, 2006.

"Today, if something's not available digitally, it's rapidly becoming as good as invisible." Michael Jensen.

As a part of the College of DuPage's Library Challenges and Opportunities April 28, 2006 teleconference, "Google Book Search," Michael Jensen, Director of Publishing Technologies at the National Academies Press, listed a number of ways in which one type of information is becoming more valued than another by today's searchers.

Here is the list he shared. When it comes to information:

• Free trumps cost.
• Open trumps firewalled.
• Easy trumps intricate.
• Fast sufficiency trumps clumsy quality.
• Integrated/linked trumps siloed.
• Findable trumps precise.
• Recommended trumps available.
• Updateable trumps static.

What Jensen shared is what a number of us see happening with K-12 students and their information seeking/using behaviors. They (and many adults, me included) are "satisfic-ing."

While Jensen is looking at information ecosystems through a scholarly publishing lens, we as school librarians and teachers need to be thinking about what this evolution means in regard to our programs and resources as well.

• Are our libraries/schools providing information resources that are "free, open, easy, fast, integrated, findable, recommended, and updateable"  or "costly, firewalled, intricate, clumsy, siloed, unfindable and static?"
• Is there any reason to be buying print reference materials? 
• How hard do we struggle against this evolutionary trend, working to put "quality" information into students' hands and ask that they give it priority in their own research?
• How do we as educators need to adapt to a new environment ourselves?
• Are we really committed to teaching the evaluation of information quality? Are we making any head-way getting all teachers interested in teaching kids about evaluating the quality of information?
• What must libraries do to successfully evolve given the evolving relationship people seem to have with information?

Humility: the hidden learning requirement

I learned two related facts this week. First, from Savage Chickens (a vital part of my PLN), I learned the 4th of May is Star Wars Day.

And a related factoid I learned from a first grader while visiting one of our media centers. When I wished him a Happy Star Wars day, he asked me if I knew why it was Star Wars day.

I had no idea.

"May the 4th ... be with you," he replied with a smile.

I've often made the prediction that a vital skill for today's educator is the ability to consider oneself a "co-learner" with one's students. But to be a "co-learner" requires a pretty large degree of humility.

"I don't know. Show me how," might be the six smartest words anyone can say.

And remember to embrace your inner confusion.

For my non-U.S. readers only

As I prepare my workshops and other sessions for the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) "Libraries at the Crossroads" conference in Istanbul next week, I face a recurring problem: what issues do ALL librararians share, regardless of location.

I am keenly aware that I have a U.S.-centric approach to school library programs, despite having worked in an international school as a librarian, having served as a consultant to some international schools, and having interacted with international school librarians at conferences at least a couple times a year for the last ten years or so.*

But I am still a little muddled. 

To what extent are these areas of concern to U.S. school librarians also of concern to international school librarians?

• How today's students are different from previous generations and how libraries can serve them
• How e-books and online materials are impacting library services, programs and facilities
• How to deal with Internet filtering issues in schools
• How to do effective library planning and advocacy
• How to address the librarian's role in teaching/enforcing copyright in the digital age
• How to work with your technology staff
• How libraries can help students master "21st Century Skills"
• How to reduce plagiarism in student research
• How to make the most of a fixed library schedule
• How to help keep kids safe and ethical on the read/write web
• How to create library budgets in tough economic times
• How stay relevant by learning with a Personal Learning Network

Help me out, international school librarians, please. What are your top couple picks of issue that have relevance to you, either from the list above or something I've overlooked. An if there items on NO interest at all, please clue me in!

I thank you and the victims attendees of my workshops next week, thank you.

*The majority of attendees at the conferences I speak at tend to be from schools with American, British or IB programs - not national schools.