2023-01-27 SPLAT Curiosity Report: Volume 13, Issue 5

Featured Story

Digital Literacy in the Job Market

While it has always been important since the dawn of the Internet, as more and more generations of people are online, understanding and promoting digital literacy has become a necessity.

Killen (2018) lists six elements included in the Jisc Digital Capabilities Framework for Individuals. At the center is information and communication technologies proficiency. Surrounding that are the elements of digital creation, problem solving, and innovation; digital communication, collaboration, and participation; digital learning and development; and information, data, and media literacies. All of these elements contribute to our digital wellbeing and identity (see Figure 1).

Venn Diagram titled Digital Identity and Wellbeing with four overlapping circles that make up ICT Proficiency. Media literacy, digital creation, digital communication, and digital learning. Figure 1: The six elements of Jisc Digital Capabilities Framework for Individuals
Note. From Jisc Digital Capabilities Framework, by Prifysgol Aberystwyth University, n.d. (https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/is/library-services/digital-capabilities/digital-capabilities-framework/digital-capabilities-framework/).

Not only is digital literacy important individually for disseminating information, problem solving, and collaboration and participation, but it is important in job hunting as well. Flavin (2021) lists five digital literacy skills that hiring managers have shared as important skills in the job market.

 

  1. Independent research. Being able to adapt to constantly changing technologies, problem-solve, and independently research is an incredibly valuable asset.
  2. Familiarity with terms and common platforms. Having experience with basic software and being familiar with common terms means you “know your way around the digital landscape.”
  3. Collaboration. Combining independent problem-solving and collaboration is a well-rounded professional characteristic.
  4. Adapting to new technology. Being comfortable with learning new platforms and technologies as new innovations are implemented in the workplace allows for agility and progressiveness in a company’s industry.
  5. Teaching or explaining technologies you use. Digital literacy is both learning and teaching on a continuous basis and will be part of the rest of your career.

How do we continue to develop digital literacy skills to stay relevant in the workplace and marketable as librarians and library staff?

  • Take advantage of free tutorials. If you are interested in programming languages, websites like C3Schools offer dozens of tutorials on several different programming languages.
  • Utilize YouTube. YouTube offers literally millions of how-to videos on a variety of technology related (and other) topics.
  • Use what you may already pay for. If your library (or you personally) already subscribe to platforms such as Adobe Creative Cloud, Camtasia, SnagIt, etc. The vendor has tutorials they have created specifically for their customers to use.
  • Pay for services. For example, inLearning (formerly Lynda.com) is a subscription service that offers tutorials on a wide range of topics, not just technology. They have tutorials on things like customer service, project management, and many other topics as well. One of the public libraries that I subscribe to provides access as part of their patron resources.

While adding one more to-do to your list may seem overwhelming, developing professional skills is an essential part of our career progression. Find something that interests you and go out there and learn something!

References:

Flavin, B. (2021, September 20). What is digital literacy? 5 skills that will serve you well.  Rasmussen University https://www.rasmussen.edu/student-experience/college-life/what-is-digital-literacy/

Jisc Digital Capabilities Framework. (n.d.). Prifysgol Aberystwyth University. https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/is/library-services/digital-capabilities/digital-capabilities-framework/digital-capabilities-framework/

Killen, C. (2018). Collaboration and coaching: Powerful strategies for developing digital capabilities. In K. Reedy & J. Parker (Eds.). Digital literacy unpacked. Facet Publishing.

Reedy, K. & Parker, J. (Eds.). (2018). Digital literacy unpacked. Facet Publishing.

By Tania Harden

Fail Forward

We’ve all been there. You pour your heart into a program, and no one shows up. You try something new, and you fall on your face. Sound familiar? Fail Forward is the place to share your failures, and give you the opportunity to share what you learned from them. Did you promote your program in a different way after no one showed up? Maybe you took a new approach to the new thing you were excited about? Awesome! Share your story via our online form so others can learn, and realize that failure is often part of the process.

FAILING FORWARD

If you have ever worked in the reference area/technology assistance area at your library for computer, copier, and printer services, then you know how often every level of technology assistance can fail at any given time. It never matters how much I think I know an app, software program, or the functions of a copy machine, something will always come up to humble me and turn the mini instruction session into a collaborative effort to just get the darn phone to print a set of papers, or to help a patron with a tricky (yet seemingly easy) copy job or formatting question. At least I know that I can rely on forums, instructional videos, or staff knowledge to help me out when it gets tricky, and we can all go about our days with (hopefully) forms in hand, even if it takes a few tries. Three cheers for rapidly changing technology services!

By Monique Gaddy

Crush Corner

Is there a library you follow on social media who is always doing new and exciting things? How about a blog you follow that inspires you? What about a new idea, book, or resource that you want to share? Library Crush Corner is a place for those working in Idaho libraries to share what inspires them, and who or what they’re crushing on… in a professional sense. Share your story via our online form so we can publish it in a future issue!

Lewiston Public Library

Shout out to Lewiston Public Library! I visited this library for the first time this month and it is ADORABLE. If you get a chance to visit I highly recommend it. The staff is so friendly, the space is well thought out, they’ve seamlessly blended pieces of the town and library’s history with modernity and art, and they have some really awesome displays. They even have a rooftop garden/lounge space! Such a fun library.

By Maggie Dumont

SPLAT explores the ever-evolving library world and supports library folks as they adapt to meet the needs of their communities. Library folk throughout the state of Idaho volunteer to serve on the Special Projects Library Action Team (SPLAT). Learn more about SPLAT at splat.lili.org

SPLAT is brought to you by the Idaho Commission for Libraries and was made possible, in part, by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (LS-246156-OLS-20). The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.