LIBE 465 Lesson #1: Dear Dewey

Good old Dewey. Where would we be without him and his lovely system of organization? But with the increase in online resources, will Dewey go the way of the dinosaur? Hard to tell.

A close relative of Dewey is "Dewey the Library Cat". For those of you who haven't read this lovely book, look it up. Now available are picture books of Dewey which kids love.

http://www.deweyreadmorebooks.com/

Question for reflection: After reviewing the two example competencies, look through the entire document again to determine if there are many areas of Professional or Personal Competencies that do not require a knowledge of how to organize and a commitment to good organization.

The following quote from CASL sums up the absolute imperative of organization in the library:

Students' Information Literacy Needs in the 21st Century: Competencies for Teacher-Librarians

Students in Canada today need to be able to think rationally and logically. With more and more sources of information, both print and electronic, and the increasing difficulty of ensuring that students can derive meaning from this information, the role of the teacher-librarian becomes central. Teacher-librarians are skilled in accessing and evaluating information regardless of delivery system, book or computer, and providing leadership in the appropriate use of newer information technologies.

Particularly note "with more and more sources of information, both print and electronic" being highly important. Today, there is so much information out there, yet finding what is appropriate and relevant, particularly for kids who are learning to read and developing the skills to evaluate information, the librarian's job is more important than ever. BUT, we have to be able to find the information ourselves, so having a good understanding of the physical collection as well as online resources is essential. Otherwise, it's too easy to get lost in the information jungle.

I still think that for younger children, the first step in learning information literacy skills must parallel their acquisition of reading literacy skills: start with books! The supply is limited and manageable, the books are finite, they can take them to their classroom, put them in their desks, share them with friends, sit in a quiet corner and read them, and enjoy their physical presence. My experience is, that kids LOVE books! I don't work with them in the computer lab, though I know they love computers as well.