Information age inquiry and hydrangea

Thanks to Tom Kaun, I’ve alerted to an information literacy related  website Information Age Inquiry which was created by Danny Callison and Annette Lamb and is based on their teaching at Indiana University as well as workshops and publications. It brings together a wide range of aspects of information literacy and defines information inquiry in a similar manner in which many of us might define information literacy skills. For example, the authors identify 5 “interactive components of information inquiry – questioning, exploring, assimilation, inference and reflection”. This site really is a mine of information and I’ll be alerting my students to it. There are videos as well as many links to sites and articles. There are also suggestions that you read the authors’ books e.g. The Blue Book but this is not done in an overtly commercial way. I would recommend The Blue Book for TLs/SLs to read.

In our garden this year, one of the most successful shrubs has been the hydrangea - a multi headed display of colour which lasts for weeks. These plants originated in Asia and South America and the word hydrangea comes from the Greek words ‘hydro’ (water) and ‘angeion’ (barrel or jar) as the flower heads look like water cups or holders. The picture below – a close up – shows the colours of the flowers but has, I think anyway, an abstract quality. Maybe that’s me being pretentious. See what you think.

Hydrangea

Motivation and sweet peas

So what motivates TLs/SLs? In the UK and New Zealand, for example, it is certainly not the money. And what is motivation? If you do a search, you’ll come across many definitions, including: a) “What drives you to behave in a certain way or take a particular action. It is your WHY”; and b) (from a business perspective) “Internal and external factors that stimulate energy and desire inpeople to be continually interested in and committed to a job”. There are of course, other types of motivation such as moral motivation (we do what we think is right according to our own principles) or political motivation (we do what we think will succeed or get us power). So, in schools, being motivated may come from a range of factors, some to do with yourself (how do I feel today?) or with others (how did I impact on other people today).  The problem is often that we are too busy doing e.g. helping students or staff, and have little time for thinking. For those of you thinking that it’s OK for James Herring in his ivory tower saying all this, it’s the same up here.

In my garden and, particularly in my neighbour’s garden, at the moment, there is an abundance of sweet peas - delicate flowers which don’t last long but are very colourful when in bloom and have a welcoming scent. You need to cut the flowers to keep more coming, so don’t just admire them. The poet Keatswrote that ” the bees hum about globes of clover and sweet peas”. See photo below for a mix of colours. No blog for the next week or so, as I’m taking a well-deserved (according to me) holiday.

Sweet peas

Job satisfaction and “Weeds and wild flowers”

One of the projects I want to do in the near future is to focus on what might formally be called Motivation and Job Satisfaction amongst Teacher/School  Librarians. This might be less formally stated as What makes TLs/SLs tick? There was a survey done by the School Library Journal in 2008 amongst its readers, which include school and public librarians. The report in SLJ reported that there were differences between librarians and schools and those in public libraries, in relation to what they most liked and most disliked. Amongst the likes of those in schools, were working with young people; and connecting students to reading and lifelong learning. However, only 4% identified collaborating with teachers as a chief  satisfaction. In one of the workshops I do, I ask TLs/SLs what they like best about their job and what most annoys them. I don’t ask them to share this, just to think about it. Getting people to think about these aspects is sometimes the best way to get them to do something about it.

In the post, a new book from The Poetry Book Society, of which I am a member and 4 times a year I get a parcel and don’t know what’s in it – AND it’s not my birthday or Xmas. This time it’s  Weeds and Wild Flowers which includes poems written by Alice Oswald  and illustrations (black and white etchings) by Jessica Greenman. It’s a big book – about twice the size of most poetry books and beautifully made. I’m not sure if I like the etchings or not – you are so used to seeing flowers in colour – but I think they are growing (forgive the pun) on me, as I look at the shapes. The poems are witty, innovative and imaginative. From Daisy – “I will not kneel low enough to her lashes/to look her in her open eye/or feel her hairy wiry strength/or open my mouth amongst her choristers”.  Check it out.

Open Library and summer cycling

In the technology section of the Guardian, there’s an ineresting article on The Open Library. the article states that the Open Library hopes to “bring the web and books closer together” by developing “a single page on the web for every book that has ever been published”. The Open Library is part of the non-profit Internet Archive - itself a very interesting an worthwhile site. The idea of the single page for every book is not just to give brief information on the books i.e. not a cataloguer’s dream, but to have multiple links on the page, so that “information from around the internet” on a book can be included. The Open Library is not Google Books and has no intention of trying to be so. One of the issues with The Open Library is that, while many libraries have signed up with Google, other libraries may take a commercial view of their holdings. According to the article’s author, the library world “despite its meek appearance” [my italics] is “big business” these days. However, the academic world – and I think schools would come in here- may be the saviour of the Open Library.

Ah, summer cycling. I put on my Bicycle Wagga Wagga cycling top, shorts and fingerless cycling gloves and go cycling in the heat. OK – for those of you reading this in Australia and other countries, 23 degrees may not constitute much heat. but after 2 weeks of not very warm easterly winds coming off the sea, 23 is a delight. The route yesterday went past Barns Ness Lighthouse, along the side of the shore on a hard, bumpy track to Skateraw Beach, round the power station, across the main road and under the bridge, with a stiff climb up to Innerwick.  Great views across the abundantly cropped fields to the sea from here. Hard work at times but it’s great to get out and feel the sun on your back.

The Innovative School Librarian and Great Corby

There’s a new book from Facet Publishing who have published a number of my books.  Innovative School Librarian looks very promising and contains chapters such as:  the librarian’s vision and values; integrating the library; and innovating. The book is edited by the effervescent Sharon Markless, who has done some excellent work in the school library field over a number of years. Sharon’s co-authors appear to have produced a book which not only has an innovate title but also takes a new and much needed look at the role of the school librarian. This looks like an interesting and potentially very useful book for school librarians and teacher librarians, and not just in the UK where it’s published. Check it out.

At the weekend, my wife and I went to visit our son Jonathan and his wife Rebecca in the historic and attractive town of  Carlisle.  There’s an interesting walk in the town centre where you can visit the  very large cathedral and the impressive castle. There are also nice walks along the river where lots of sheep graze happily, ignoring the 2 lanes of traffic above them on the bridge. In the evening, we went to the very impressive and great value for money restaurant at The Queen Inn, where the service is excellent, the food first class and the rural setting is exquisite. If you go, try the chicken and pistacio nut pate, the loin of venison or pork, and the puddings (to die for) including a very sweet but irresistible sticky toffee pudding. Very good wines and a regular section of very good real ales. I had Coniston Bluebird Bitter - tasty and refreshing.