1. New email addresses for DPI staff
2. British library study debunks myths of "Google Generation"
3. Apply for Picturing America grants through April 15, 2008
4. Website of the Week - Statistical Abstract of the United States
5. Calendar
1. NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES FOR DPI STAFF
Earlier this week, most Department of Public Instruction staff, including all staff in DPI's Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning, changed their email addresses. The staff user name is the same as the one used previously (i.e., first name.last name), but the email domain has changed from @dpi.state.wi.us - to - @dpi.wi.gov.
The old emails will still work for many months. But as time permits, please update your email address book, any email lists, Websites, etc., with the new DPI/DLTCL staff email addresses. Similarly, the DPI/DLTCL Web addresses changed in 2006 to begin http://dpi.wi.gov/ and now enough time has elapsed that the former "dpi.state.wi.us" addresses are no effective. If you have any questions or problems sending to the new addresses, please contact Bob Bocher (608-266-2127, robert.bocher@dpi.wi.gov).
2. BRITISH LIBRARY STUDY DEBUNKS MYTHS OF "GOOGLE GENERATION"
A new study overturns the common assumption that the "Google Generation" - youngsters born since 1993 and brought up in the Internet age - is the most web-literate. The first ever virtual longitudinal study carried out by the CIBER (Centre for Information Behaviour and the Evaluation of Research) research team at University College London claims that, although young people demonstrate an apparent ease and familiarity with computers, they rely heavily on search engines, view rather than read, and do not possess the critical and analytical skills to assess the information that they find on the web.
The report, "Information Behaviour of the Researcher of the Future," http://www.bl.uk/news/pdf/googlegen.pdf (PDF format; 1.67MB) also shows that research-behavior traits commonly associated with younger users - impatience in search and navigation, and zero tolerance for any delay in satisfying their information needs - are now becoming the norm for all age-groups, from younger pupils and undergraduates through to professors. The report concludes that much of current literature and practice overestimates the impact of ICTs (Information and Computer Technology) on the young and underestimates its effect on older generations.
The report finds that many characteristics of information seeking behavior are not confined to a specific age group or type of user. Some of the traits of digital information seeking behavior are:
-- "Horizontal information seeking," a form of skimming activity where users skim one or two pages from an academic site, then "bounce" out to other links or resources, perhaps never to return to the source document.
-- Navigation: people in virtual libraries spend as much time finding their bearings as actually viewing what they find.
-- Broad scanning but not deep viewing: the average time spent on e-book and e-journal sites is very short. There are signs that new forms of "reading" are emerging as users "power browse" horizontally through titles, contents pages, and summaries going for quick results.
-- Squirreling behavior: academic users have strong consumer instincts and download considerable content, but there is no evidence as to the extent to which downloads are actually read.
Commissioned by the British Library and JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee), the results were compiled from a methodology developed to recreate a longitudinal study from available literature together with some new primary data culled from a study of how users navigate the British Library and JISC websites. The report claims to be the first time information seeking behavior of virtual scholars has profiled by age. The 35-page executive report, as well as corresponding research reports, is available at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/slais/research/ciber/downloads/.
3. APPLY FOR PICTURING AMERICA GRANTS THROUGH APRIL 15, 2008
Applications are now being accepted for Picturing America (SM), a project of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), conducted in cooperation with the American Library Association. Applications may be submitted online at http://picturingamerica.ala.org through April 15, 2008.
In order to enhance the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture, Picturing America brings some of the nation's greatest works of art into school classrooms and public libraries. Successful applicants will receive a set of forty high-quality reproductions of American masterpieces, a teachers resource book, and additional educational resources available at http://picturingamerica.neh.gov.
Public, private, parochial, and charter schools and home school consortia (K-12), as well as public library systems and school districts, are invited to apply. Awards will be announced in May 2008 and distributed in September 2008 for display during the 2008-2009 school year and beyond.
For more information about Picturing America, including a list of the artwork featured, grant guidelines, and the online application, visit http://picturingamerica.ala.org.
With questions, contact the ALA Public Programs Office at publicprograms@ala.org or 800/545-2433, extension 5045.
4. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Statistical Abstract of the United States -- http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract.html -- The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published since 1878, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. Sources of data include the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and many other Federal agencies and private organizations.
5. CALENDAR
February 1, 2008 - Library Information Technology Advisory Committee meeting, Madison
February 22, 2008 - HOLA! Project workshop, South Central, Madison
February 29, 2008 - HOLA! Project workshop, South West, Fennimore (Snow date March 7)
March 5, 2008 - HOLA! Project workshop, Nicolet, DePere
March 6, 2008 - HOLA! Project workshop, OWLS and Winnefox, Appleton
March 14, 2008 - Council on Library and Network Development meeting, Hartford
April 3, 2008 - HOLA! Project workshop, Winding Rivers, LaCrosse
April 6-8, 2008 - Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association spring conference, Milwaukee
April 16, 2008 - HOLA! Project workshop, Milwaukee and Waukesha, Milwaukee
April 16, 2008 - HOLA! Project workshop, Eastern Shores and Manitowoc-Calumet, Manitowoc
April 16-18, 2008 - Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians annual conference, Manitowoc
April 24, 2008 - HOLA! Project workshop, Arrowhead, Janesville
April 30-May 2, 2008 - Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries annual conference, Stevens Points
May 5-6, 2008 - COLAND Statewide Library Strategic Visioning Summit, Green Lake
May 19, 2008 - Library Information Technology Advisory Committee meeting, Madison
June 26-July 2, 2008 - American Library Association annual conference, Anaheim, California
June 29-July 2, 2008 - 2008 National Educational Computing Conference, San Antonio, Texas
October 10, 2008 - Library Information Technology Advisory Committee meeting, Madison
For more details about these and other meetings, see the WISDOM calendar at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/wisdom.html and the BadgerLink and WISCAT training site at http://dpi.wi.gov/rll/wiscat/training.html.
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For information about Channel Weekly or to submit article ideas, please contact:
Roslyn Wise, Editor, at (608) 266-6439
For questions about this information, contact Roslyn M. Wise (608) 266-6439
Last updated on 2/12/2008 12:34:18 PM
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