Renee Hobbs addresses the Connecticut Library Association on April 29, 2014.

1. Digital Literacy
& Libraries:
What’s Coming Next
Renee Hobbs
Harrington School of Communication and Media
University of Rhode Island
Connecticut Library Association
April 29, 2014

2. PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING
Reflect on contemporary life with media and technology
to examine how literacy is changing
Identify key competencies of digital literacy and examine
specific examples in practice
Consider seven strategies for integrating digital literacy
programs and services into your library
Goals for Today’s Session

4. ROGER HOBBS
Author of Ghostman
New York Times
Bestselling Author
RACHEL HOBBS
Grassroots Campaigns Fundraiser

5. Harrington School of Communication and Media
University of Rhode Island

6. www.harrrington.uri.edu

8. http://mediaeducationlab.com

14. Stakeholders in Digital Literacy
TECHBUSINESSACTIVIST
GOVERNMENTLIBRARY
EDUCATIONCREATIVE

15. Rhetoric
Print Literacy
Visual Literacy
Information Literacy
Media Literacy
Computer Literacy
Critical Literacy
News Literacy
Digital Literacy
Literacy in Historical Context

17. LOVE HATE
PRINT VISUAL SOUND DIGITAL
Librarians’ attitudes about media, technology and popular
culture shape their work with the community

18. Protection

19. Empowerment

20. Digital Literacy Embraces
Protection & Empowerment

21. Expanding the Concept of Text

22. Digital Literacy & Libraries:
Designing What’s Coming Next
Digital literacy is the ability to use information and
communication technologies to
find, evaluate, create, and communicate
information requiring both cognitive and technical
skills.
-ALA Digital Literacy Task Force

23. ACCESS
ANALYZEE
CREATE ACT
REFLECT
ACCESS
expanding the concept of literacy

24. A Lifelong Process

25. A Lifelong Process

26. A Lifelong Process

27. Digital Literacy Competencies
Access, Use and Share
 Keyboard and mouse skills
 Be familiar with hardware, storage and file
management practices
 Understand hyperlinking & digital space
 Gain competence with software applications
 Use social media, mobile, peripheral & cloud
computing tools
 Identify information needs
 Use effective search and find strategies
 Troubleshoot and problem-solve
 Learn how to learn
 Listening skills
 Reading comprehension

28. Access: Read & Comprehend

29. Very young children access ideas and explore an
expanded conceptualization of authorship
in relation to print, visual, sound and digital media

30. Access: Engage with an Author

31. Access: Engage with an Author

32. Digital & Media Literacy Competencies
Analyze & Evaluate
 Understand how symbols work: the
concept of representation
 Identify the author, genre, purpose and
point of view of a message
 Compare and contrast sources
 Evaluate credibility and quality
 Understand one’s own biases
and world view
 Recognize power relationships that shape
how information and ideas circulate in
culture
 Understand the economic context of
information and entertainment production
 Examine the political and social
ramifications of inequalities in information
flows

33. Analyze Primary Source Materials
LINK

34. Digital Literacy Competencies
Create & Collaborate
 Recognize the need for communication and
self-expression
 Identify your own purpose, target
audience, medium & genre
 Brainstorm and generate ideas
 Compose creatively
 Play and interact
 Edit and revise
 Use appropriate distribution, promotion &
marketing channels
 Receive audience feedback
 Work collaboratively
 Comment, curate and remix

35. Create: Digital Library Lab

36. Digital Literacy Competencies
Reflect
 Understand how differences in values and
life experience shape people’s media use
and message interpretation
 Appreciate risks and potential harms of
digital media
 Apply ethical judgment and
social responsibility to
communication situations
 Understand how concepts of ‘private’ and
‘public’ are reshaped by digital media
 Appreciate and respect legal rights and
responsibilities (copyright, intellectual
freedom, etc)

37. Reflect: Reading &
Community Connections

38. Digital Literacy Competencies
Take Action
 Acknowledge the power of
communication to maintain the status
quo or change the world
 Participate in communities of shared
interest to advance an issue
 Be a change agent in the family &
workplace
 Participate in democratic self-
governance
 Speak up when you
encounter injustice
 Respect the law and work to change
unjust laws
 Use the power of communication and
information to make a difference in the
world

39. Act: Create a Public Service
Announcement

40. ACCESS
ANALYZEE
CREATE ACT
REFLECT
ACCESS
expanding the concept of literacy

41. What strategies help public libraries
advance digital literacy?

42. #1
Manage the Momentum

43. #2
Identify Community Needs

44. #3
Find Good Partners

45. #4
Decide What Matters

46. #5
Measure Impact

47. #6
Tell Your Story

48. #7
Give it Time to Grow

49. www.harrrington.uri.edu

50. www.harrington.uri.edu

51. URI Graduate School of Library and Information Studies
Prepares Outward-Facing Library Professionals
Foundations: Graduates will understand the changing nature of knowledge and will
know how to research, organize, and apply a broad range of interdisciplinary resources
to meet the information needs of diverse users.
Lifelong Learning: Graduates will understand how to assess and meet the needs of
users and develop community partnerships in order to empower lifelong learners.
Digital Media: Graduates will understand how changing media and technologies
reshape information and society, applying digital competencies and critical thinking
skills in order to contribute to innovation.
Leadership and Ethics: Graduates will understand ethical principles of global citizenship
and will demonstrate leadership skills towards creating equitable access to and use of
information.
www.harrington.uri.edu

52. Summer Institute in Digital Literacy
June 13 – 18, 2014
Providence RI
www.harrington.uri.edu

53. Media Smart Libraries
Children/Youth Librarians & Children’s Media Professionals
www.harrington.uri.edu

54. Renee Hobbs
Professor and Founding Director
Harrington School of Communication and Media
University of Rhode Island
Email: hobbs@uri.edu
Twitter: reneehobbs
Web: http://mediaeducationlab.com