DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? What Images are telling Us Presented by Alessia Zanin-Yost Reference Librarian, MSU-Bozeman ARLIS/MW Annual Conference 30 September- 2 October, 2004 Denver, CO Denver, CO

Overview What is Visual Literacy? What is Visual Literacy? Visual Literacy and Infromation Literacy Visual Literacy and Infromation Literacy Why teach Visual Literacy? Why teach Visual Literacy? Visual Literacy in the Library Visual Literacy in the Library

What is Visual Literacy? Visual literacy is the ability to understand and produce visual images Visual literacy is the ability to understand and produce visual imagesEASY?

I can understand images Create a visual message for this slogan: Create a visual message for this slogan: Feed your brain Consider:  Can your words, numbers, symbols be understood by a variety of people?  Is the color you are using appropriate for the image? Does it have a different meaning in another culture?  Do you know who your audience will be?

Visual Literacy I define Visual Literacy as: I define Visual Literacy as: the ability to process information as well as having knowledge of the images. Images alone are not the sole aids for visual thinking.

Visual and Information Literacy Information Literacy is the ability to understand, locate, evaluate, and effectively use information Information Literacy is the ability to understand, locate, evaluate, and effectively use information Visual Literacy is the ability to understand and evaluate visual messages, and effectively use images to communicate with others. Visual Literacy is the ability to understand and evaluate visual messages, and effectively use images to communicate with others.

Information Literacy: standards Use ALA five standards Use ALA five standards Each standard has performance indicators and outcomes Each standard has performance indicators and outcomes

Visual Literacy: emotions There are no standards. There are no standards. Our personal experiences and knowledge can interfere with our ability to understand the message of the image. Our personal experiences and knowledge can interfere with our ability to understand the message of the image.

Learning and Visual Literacy People are becoming less involved with print and more involved with images. People are becoming less involved with print and more involved with images. Visual Literacy is a learnable skill. Visual Literacy is a learnable skill. Visual Literacy needs to be multidisciplinary. Visual Literacy needs to be multidisciplinary.

Visual Literacy in the library What are we communicating to our patrons? What are we communicating to our patrons?  Information in the form of directions, library instruction and who we are.  Do our patrons understand the signs in our library?

Information: library instruction How do we do it? How do we do it?  Handouts Are they working? What type of information do you include/exclude? After the instruction is over, are they used?

Visual Literacy Survey In collaboration with another librarian from MSU- Bozeman in 2004 we did a survey of how students perceive handouts. In collaboration with another librarian from MSU- Bozeman in 2004 we did a survey of how students perceive handouts. Of the 78 survey collected, 71 students preferred the modified handout.the modified handout included charts, various fonts (sizes/types), black space etc. Of the 78 survey collected, 71 students preferred the modified handout.the modified handout included charts, various fonts (sizes/types), black space etc.

Do our patrons know who we are? How can we let them know who we are: How can we let them know who we are:  Use name tags  Proper attire  Be aware of what is going on around you

How do we promote services What and how we are promoting our services? What and how we are promoting our services?  Is an handout better than a web page?  Is color better than black and white? Think about what information you need to give, to whom, and how.

Concluding thoughts Visual literacy is a complex discipline because it includes many variables. Most of all, it deals with perceptions of the individual. Visual literacy is a complex discipline because it includes many variables. Most of all, it deals with perceptions of the individual. In order to continue to meet the needs of our learners, we must learn how to use images to communicate information. We also need to learn how our learners use images. In order to continue to meet the needs of our learners, we must learn how to use images to communicate information. We also need to learn how our learners use images.

THANK YOU You may be wondering why a presentation about Visual Literacy has no visuals. This Power Point is a modification of the one I used at the conference. Due to copyright limitations I had to strip the images that I used in the original presentation, consequently, some of the slides are missing. Overall, the main points of the presentation are still here. Thank you for you collaboration and understanding. Alessia Zanin-Yost