Examining Transliteracy, Part I

The Georgia Public Library Service, in collaboration with Georgia Library System are offering a Wednesday Webinar series. I recently attended their first Wednesday webinar, given by Bobbi Newman, who talked about Transliteracy. Bobbi is a the author of Librarian by Day, and a contributor at Libraries and Transliteracy. I have often wondered, these past few years, with the changing face of technology, what would happen to libraries and more importantly...BOOKS!!

Bobbi really set my mind to working, rapid-fire, on just how important transliteracy really is. To understand transliteracy, first we need a definition. Through the large cache of research tools I've mastered online, I was only able to come up with two rather offbeat dictionary listings. The first is from Word Spy which claims to be "the word lovers' guide to new words."

n. The ability to read and write using multiple media, including traditional
print media, electronic devices, and online tools. —transliterate adj.

The second is from Wikipedia:


Transliteracy is The ability to read, write and interact across a range of
platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print,
TV, radio and film, to digital social networks. (PART 2007) The modern meaning
of the term combines literacy with the prefix trans-, which means "across;
through", so a transliterate person is one who is literate across multiple
media.

And from the Transliteracy Research Group:

Working Definition
Transliteracy is the ability to read, write and interact
across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through
handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to digital social networks

We now know that transliteracy is a relatively new term, and basically means to literate across a range of media. It was explained at the webinar, and became obvious to me as I listened, that in order to be literate now and in the future, one MUST be transliterate. Libraries and schools, to remain relevant in today's world, must provide access to these skills.

Bobbi illustrated this point by saying that years ago, one benchmark of a good education was the ability to recite all the US presidents, in order. She claims that such facts are of little use to memorize when Google can provide that information in 0.28 seconds. Instead, schools need to teach students how to :

• safely navigate the Internet


• protect your private information while surfing


• research and find the information you need
  
• identify which sources of information are reliable

Libraries need to fill in the gaps and educate those who are finished with school and now need to become literate in all the newest technologies. As a result of this webinar, our library decided to put up a sign to poll interest "Computer Classes for the Absolute Beginner" Within less than a week, we had 8 interested people, all over the age of 35. We did no advertising. To put this into context, our town has a population of less than 3,000 people. We will be running a series of classes.

Watch for Part II of this Examination of Transliteracy. The topic will be: Social Platforms