A Healthy Information Diet

When I put "information diet" in Google, two types of responses populated. The term information diet can actually mean two different things, though somewhat related. Apparently a person's information diet can be the information they are consuming from all types of sources, but it can also be someone restricting the amount of information they take in. This follows very closely with how we think about our food consumption. Both types of information diet are noteworthy.

When I examine my own information intake, I do guiltily still utilize Google, though with a keener eye for the sources I trust. I get most of my news, similarly to a lot of other people my age, from Facebook where I follow our local news stations like Fox and NBC. I use a The Weather Channel app on my phone for current weather information. If I need to do serious research or fact check, I use Thomas Cooper Library database search or Google Scholar. I also use Snopes.com for the nonsense celeb and popular events articles that seem to find their way into my Facebook feed frequently.

On the flip side, I think it is beneficial to limit the amount of information you take in from some sources. If I am constantly seeing reports of crime and cruelty, it can change my mood and make me sad or depressed. These are things we should also help our students to understand. When people say "you are what you eat" or "if you eat junk you feel like junk" it is very similar to how the information you consume can effect your mental health and mood.

Universal Design for Learning

In a school library, we want all students to feel welcomed and to find a place. Equity of access is a foundational value of the library profession. When I was enrolled in an Exceptional Child class, one of our assignments was to assess a public building to see if it was up to current ADA guidelines. It evaluated everything from measurements of door heights, to bathrooms, to the parking lot. I love how Spina (2017) not only focuses on improving usability of those with different abilities, but also on how those can be functional for all library users. I don't think anyone wants to feel "different" or isolated and by setting up a library in a way that is focused on use for everyone (all-inclusive) it could help to make a child not feel as isolated as a big blue handicap sign. Spina gives a lot of different ways that libraries can be inclusive and incorporate a universal design that I find helpful. I think that it is important for librarians to read articles like this and keep these things in mind, because often times someone who is not differently abled will not take many of these things into consideration unintentionally.

The ALA has an interesting article on Equity vs. Equality for some additional thoughts to chew on.

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF

I obviously had a little too much fun playing with Microsoft Creator. These are some of the results I got when describing myself in a library with different parameters and styles. I couldn't pick a favorite.

References:

Spina, C. (2017, May 5). How universal design will make your library more inclusive. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/story/how-universal-design-will-make-your-library-more-inclusive