CritLib Chat: Visual Culture/Literacy
Description from CritLib page: "This chat will help us define visual literacy within our contexts and look at the ways critical librarianship can address the unique way visual information can impact and influence critical perspectives on the culture we live in."
- You can find all the questions for this evening's #critlib on visual culture (along with great resources) here: http://critlib.org/visual-culture/
- Before the chat began, a few folks offered some relevant works to assist in further investigation into visual literacy and culture!
- For the #critlib chat tonight I want to point out work done by colleague Nicole Brown, incl new ACRL book. http://www.amazon.com/Visual-Literacy-Libraries-Practical-Standards-based/dp/0838913814 …
Great image from @CAWI_IVTF on #inequality #inequity and #structural issues of inequality. #critlib pic.twitter.com/gbT87hxik9- We started with a nice set of introductions from participants.
- Hi #critlib! Librarian, cartoonist, poet, teacher here, @UWMadisonSLIS, work at DLF, have taught visual thinking, visual literacy, comics.
- #critlib chat starting now! All are welcome! Acad instruction lib*n RT-ing and faving from toddler bedtime. 😻💖🌟🔁 https://twitter.com/violetbfox/status/732736983835889664 …
- Hi #critlib! Seems appropriate that I'm late tonight because I was at #imagineOregonState, an outpost of the US Dept of Arts and Culture
- QUESTION ONE:
- One of the opening answers introduced independently produced texts & the added value of the visual within what used to be considered temporal or "throwaway" materials.
- A1. I think of visual literacy more in terms of museums. Housen and Yenawine's Visual Thinking Strategies http://www.vtshome.org/what-is-vts #critlib
- A1. @DenverArtMuseum did great projects in late '80s introducing art novices to skills used by art experts. #critlib http://denverartmuseum.org/about/research-reports …
- The idea of visual literacy being concentrated more upon analysis and synthesis and less on production is brought up.
- It is noted that guidelines are critical but they may hold you back from the greater range or strength that can be explored from a given set of visual images. Allow yourself some flexibility.
- And we have a great use of visual literacy and culture to close out question 1 with an image from John Carpenter's classic They Live (1988), a film that is entirely about visual culture and the way that we "see."
- QUESTION 1, PT 2:
- It appears that no matter whether you are a librarian or an archivist, whether you are dealing with moving images or still images/slides, space management and digitization is a major issue that concerns the entire preservation/information community (although ignoring may not be the answer).
- The topic of evolving the library's physical space visually was one that allowed participants to exchange ideas & discuss things that they have personally considered in their work experience.
- .@ohbendorf this article taught me so much about color/light/space & human interaction http://www.curbed.com/2016/3/2/11140210/gallaudet-deafspace-washington-dc … #critlib
- We began to investigate how library space and visual literacy can be connected to privilege and representation. We explored ways to restructure visual landscapes so that they would be supportive and representative of a racially and culturally diverse community.
- What might make these hidden collections valuable from a #critlib perspective? https://twitter.com/Jazz_with_Jazz/status/732742634305949696 …
- There are some ethical q's around visual info! Also for me, thinking abt whose art gets highlighted. #critlib https://twitter.com/acornelectric/status/732742368751943680 …
- Exactly...who's art is hidden. Not just art, but who's books are on display? #critlib #judgingbooksbytheircovers https://twitter.com/catladylib/status/732742895648661504 …
- @bethhoppe Choices don't have to be exclusive. Signage can include and name different voices. Portraits can rep more broadly. #critlib
- @lisahubbell Agreed, current state of affairs reflects poorly here. #critlib
- A2: critical issues around visual issues remain the same as ever: #representation, #intersectionality, #advocacy, #access. #critlib
- Before we closed out Q3, the topic of bridging communities came up...
- A2 analysis of graphic items in instruction =👍. Students are kinda used to doc analysis, not so w images. #critlib https://twitter.com/AcornElectric/status/732742368751943680 …
- QUESTION 3:
- A3 Attending VTS training next month ( http://vtshome.org ) Will teach workshops to teaching faculty & librarians on campus #critlib
- @kellymce @bethhoppe Boston @museumofscience and others do lots of visitor research for universal design of exhibits. #critlib
- Again, the topic of lack of interdisciplinary contact is raised & the topic of specialized labor becomes a topic. Having special classes in one's background or access to Special Collections colleagues is a bonus. But what if that is not an option?
- .@bethhoppe Right!! And as an media archivist, that is exactly why I feel like our communities should be hanging out more, right? #critlib
- @bethhoppe so true!! And visual bleeds into tactile/physical so much in special collections. #critlib
- A3: in my landscape, all we DO is visual-based. We need more interdisciplinary bridgework. #critlib #letsbefriends
- Next, a dialogue about graphic novels/comic books & "non-traditional" visuals like emojis. This discussion centered on critical issues of race and privilege, offering valuable links to articles about emoticons and their meanings.
- Q2 one of the things I want to talk about more is image manipulation, especially viz. body image + airbrushing, skin colour, etc. #critlib
- Q2: Consider comics as an example: not everyone knows how to read them (well). (is this creeping towards #metaliteracy?) #critlib
- My pre-reading 4 year old is in love with Owly, low-text graphic novel. Amazing for learning narrative. #critlib https://twitter.com/AprilHathcock/status/732748086875934720 …
- @stephliana Yes! @scottmccloud Understanding Comics opened my eyes. Chose to read it for paper in Library Management class. #critlib
- I wonder if I use too many emoji and then ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ so clear, so succinct. #critlib https://twitter.com/kellymce/status/732746330884333573 …
- And the fact that white ppl don't use them: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/white-people-dont-use-white-emoji/481695/ … #critlib
- @hailthefargoats and how do you make do when someone else controls the symbols? #critlib
- It's not discomfort; it's the power of whiteness as the norm. WP id w/the yellow tone as their own. #critlib https://twitter.com/kellymce/status/732748050309861378 …
- Various other conversation was had simply about visual literacy and communications - like typography.
- It is in art classes, but it can be tricky to try to teach both--the key is combining them. #critlib https://twitter.com/allanaaaaaaa/status/732747636906819584 …
- QUESTION 4:
- A4 As #scholcomm librn I do a lot of outreach on the importance of citing visual sources. Plagiarism is a real prob at all levels. #critlib
- During this question, everyone shared a variety of different projects, while two individuals discussed working with silent films as a way to establish visual literacy and engagement.
- Link to story and rough lesson plan: http://publish.illinois.edu/digital-literacy4all/films-at-uncc/ … #critlib
- . @bethhoppe silent films allow people to focus on how a story is told without words which is a powerful skill to have #critlib
- @hailthefargoats Yes, so good! Asking them to reflect on the same piece as only visual, sound, or transcript can be powerful #critlib
- Others shared documents for all to access! Great opportunities to learn from each other as a community and share ideas.
- I (painstakingly) mapped VL to framework & IL to make connections for specific assignments and objectives: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w3AX1-XRYBla6gxxoTFSoLY9cp3pr4yD85ON0-qlq34/edit?usp=sharing … #critlib
- A4 @stephliana & I developed an anti-stereotypical character dev workshop for comm arts students--which was fun and tied in #critlib
- A2 analysis of graphic items in instruction =👍. Students are kinda used to doc analysis, not so w images. #critlib https://twitter.com/AcornElectric/status/732742368751943680 …
- Asked a class to do article summaries as a series of tweets, use of emoji was amazing. #critlib https://twitter.com/donnarosemary/status/732750236645523456 …
- I also recc that people attend @homemovieday when it happens & bring their home movies. It=participatory & functions as community. #critlib
- Q4 as @AcornElectric said, also built a workshop to consider stereotype/representation in images, and the histories of THOSE images #critlib
- Out of curiosity, anyone have experience with the International Visual Literacy Association? ( http://ivla.org ) #critlib
- @Shhh_Librarian @nora_almeida In a recent #critlib chat @hsifnihplod suggested starting a #critLAM chat. Museum folks interested too.
- @Shhh_Librarian @nora_almeida I think there's a TON of critical reflection in museum studies that libraries can learn from. #critlib
- Thank you @AcornElectric and everyone else! Got lots of new thoughts on some displays I'm doing... #critlib
- And now, since this was a chat about visual literacy, let's have a look at all the fabulous gifs & goodbyes that everyone tweeted!
- Goodnight #critlib thanks for a fab chat pic.twitter.com/olNZS7tE6Y
- Thanks for a great #critlib, @AcornElectric & everyone! Really hoping we do more #critLAM & #vizlit in the future! pic.twitter.com/4LZMozcykp
- Many thanks to @AcornElectric and all #critlib contributors tonight, for mashing my worlds together and bringing up new perspectives.
