Visual Literacy for Libraries: A Practical, Standards-Based Guide

by Nicole E. Brown, Kaila Bussert, Denise Hattwig, Ann Medaille

Overview

The importance of images and visual media in today's culture is changing what it means to be literate in the 21st century. Digital technologies have made it possible for almost anyone to create and share visual media. Yet the pervasiveness of images and visual media does not necessarily mean that individuals are able to critically view, use, and produce visual content. The ACRL Visual Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education were developed to address these distinct characteristics of images and visual media. Based on those standards, this book provides librarians and instructors with the tools, strategies, and confidence to apply visual literacy in a library context. Readers will not only learn about ways to develop students' visual literacy, but also how to use visual materials to make their instruction more engaging. Ideal for the busy librarian who needs ideas, activities, and teaching strategies that are ready to implement, this book

• shows how to challenge students to delve into finding images, using images in the research process, interpreting and analyzing images, creating visual communications, and using visual content ethically;
• provides ready-to-go learning activities for engaging critically with visual materials;
• offers tools and techniques for increasing one's own visual literacy confidence; and
• gives strategies for integrating, engaging with and advocating for visual literacy in libraries.

With this book's guidance, academic professionals can help students master visual literacy, a key competency in today's media-saturated world, while also enlivening instruction with visual materials.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780838913819
Publisher:	American Library Association
Publication date:	03/15/2016
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Kaila Bussertis the Foundational Experiences Librarian at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where she leads a foundational information literacy program. Her research interests center on the role of visual literacy across the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. She holds an MA in Near Eastern Studies and an MLIS from the University of Arizona.

Editorial Reviews

★ 07/01/2016
Intimidated by the phrase, "visual literacy?" You no longer have a reason to be. Brown (multidisciplinary instruction librarian, New York Univ.), Kaila Bussert (foundational experiences librarian, California Polytechnic State Univ.), Denise Hattwig (curator of digital collections, Univ. of Washington, Seattle), and Ann Medaille (assessment librarian, Univ. of Nevada, Reno) have written an excellent and readable introduction to the concept and how it can be incorporated into teaching practices. The authors approach visual literacy in a way that is complementary to information literacy: finding, interpreting, evaluating, using, and creating images. This text treats readers as learners and teachers, helping to develop or refine skills in order to apply them in teaching activities. Short, reflective exercises are provided throughout, and each chapter includes recommended resources for further research along with several activities that library professionals can use to guide their teaching, including how-to explanations and a sample worksheet. This text can be read cover to cover, but chapters can also stand alone. VERDICT Required reading for any library professional, from students to seasoned librarians, who participate in teaching activities. A must-have for all academic libraries.—Amanda Folk, Univ. of Pittsburgh Lib., Greensburg

Library Journal