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Hi folks! On Jan 18, Jean Lowery shared her concern about the use of the term Cybrarian in the cover story for MultiMedia Schools magazine. (Jean, I'm glad you asked the list before shooting anywhere or anyone!). While I can't speak for Ted Nellen (the author), as editor I can share the thinking that went into selecting this piece, title and all. Info Power defines information literacy as "the ability to find and use information", and in helping students to do so, both teachers and LMS's will find their roles redefined and sometimes overlapping. When Janet Murray describes this new role as TeAchnician, I hope that teachers aren't getting upset at a perceived incursion upon their identity. Instead, I'd hope we are building awareness that will lead to the blending of our hardwon talents into effective teams at our schools. I believe Ted selected this term meaning to honor the skills of those "who have mastered the use of cyber space to find information" and certainly not to diminish or usurp anyone's rightful recognition. I have visited Ted and think that you'd find him a Cybrarian at heart, if not by training, because he puts students at the center of their own learning, and leads them to problem solve in ways that are completely compatible with the information literacy standards. I'm sorry if his choice of words distracted anyone from his primary message: that the introduction of technology demands restructuring of how we conduct teaching and learning. This is true for teachers, librarians and cybrarians, however we define them. In Robert Frost's poem "Mending Wall," the refrain "good fences make good neighbors" is called into question. "Before I built a wall I'd ask to know What I was walling in, or walling out and to whom I was like to give offense" As we strive to reach the student goals set out in Information Power 2 and the InfoLit standards, classroom teachers may find themselves becoming more like "librarians" and LMS's may find themselves functioning more like instructional designers. Boundaries will be blurred and growing pains are likely. I haven't checked to see if some enterprising person has trademarked Cybrarian, but I certainly hope not. I hope our umbrella will prove large enough for individuals of diverse backgrounds and talents to contribute to the development of students who are information literate, independent learners and socially responsible users of information, regardless of their original training. For certainly, all of us will renew our professional learning relentlessly from this time forward, and certainly we need each other to achieve our common purpose. I'd be most interested to hear from anyone who can suggest the characteristics that contribute to someone being an exemplary Cybrarian... feel free to reply offlist to: ferdi@infotoday.com Thanks! Ferdi ______________________________________________________ Ferdi Serim phone: 609 638-5104 fax: 609 924-4815 Editor, MultiMedia Schools http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools ferdi@silicon-desert.com http://oii.org/ferdi/Ferdi.html co-author: NetLearning: Why Teachers Use the Internet http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/netlearn/ "We are more than the sum of our knowledge, we are the products of our imagination." - Ferdi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-= All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law. To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST), send email to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST 3) SET LM_NET MAIL * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv For LM_NET Help & Archives see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=