Last updated on November 8, 2006
This week’s 4cast:
1. A Nation of Information Illiterates?
According to a recent study, only 13 percent of high school and college students were found to have adequate information literacy skills (i.e. were able to find needed information, and separate what was useful and what was not). Meanwhile, educators and librarians continue to argue (with each other and themselves) over the best way to teach these skills.
- Will an information literacy exam become the next SAT? (Ars Technica)
- Information literacy skills: much work yet to do (eLearning Service)
- The Information Literacy Facade (ACRLog)
- The challenge of information literacy? the faculty (digital digs)
2. Screencasting = Slick Training
Screencasting refers to the process of recording what’s happening on a computer screen, and then accompanying it with voiceover narration. Many libraries are using screencasts for training videos and software tutorials. Click here to download a screencast OPLIN produced about how to filter spam in Microsoft Outlook.
- The Joy of Screencasting (Information Wants To Be Free)
- Show and Tell The Easy Way – An Introduction to Screencasting (Beyond the Job)
- The door is open – share your tutorials! (ANTS) (The Distant Librarian)
- Roll your own training videos and post them online (Lifehacker)
3. Flickr Really Satisfies Libraries
Lots of libraries are using Flickr, the popular photo sharing website, to showcase their libraries, promote programs, snazz up presentations, and more. Now, there’s even an official Libraries and Librarians Flickr group.
- Why Flickr Is So Great for Libraries (The Shifted Librarian)
- Flickr Explained for Librarians (The Shifted Librarian)
- What Can We Do With Flickr? (I Didn’t Know You Could Do That with Free Web Tools)
- Libraries + Flickr Update (Libraryman)
4. Organize Your Info with Zotero
Zotero is a free Firefox 2 extension designed to allow students (or info junkies) to easily organize and keep track of their web-based research.
- Putting a finger on info you’ve come across (Bleeding Edge)
- Early Adopter Download of the Day: Zotero (Firefox 2) (Lifehacker)
- Firefox for humanities scholars (Boing Boing)
- Zotero – is this what we’ve been waiting for? (Information Wants To Be Free)
