On Saturday, June 25, the ALA Annual meeting in New Orleans, the Library Information Technology Association (LITA) Transliteracy Interest Group offered two sessions that defined and presented issues related to transliteracy. 

In the first session, transliteracy was described in detail. I missed this session due to a scheduling conflict. However, transliteracy is defined loosely as 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. 

I attended the second of the two sessions which spoke to matters related to transliteracy. The second session was a mixed public and academic library panel who focused on varying issues related to transliteracy. Speakers on the panel included: Amy Mather, Lily Ramin, Jamie Hollier and Matt Hamilton.

What I found most useful and informative was the emphasis on providing for literacy across platforms and formats in support of academic needs and recognizing that among demographics more and less effort may be needed to address matters related to change than the actual technology. One bright idea that emerged was the 30 Days of Creativity Project, http://30daysofcreativity.com/ and how the social learning construct could be borrowed and leveraged for expanding transliteracy among internal and external constituencies. The thirty days are at heart meant to help grow and extend creativity. Jamie Hollier argued that those 30 days could instead be applied to becoming transliterate.

Overall the panelists encourage thinking differently about how we approach learning, literacy and technology.  Above all, knowing that people have a need to know or to learn easily at the point of need means we must also include and acknowledge the change process as part of our skill set, particularly at the outset when we begin to help transition knowledge and skills into achievement for our patrons.

Here is a link that might be useful for learning more about the topic: http://librariesandtransliteracy.wordpress.com/  This blog is supported by leaders in research related to transliteracy, including Bobbi Newman who helped start and now chairs the LITA Transliteracy IG.