E. Is a Picture Really Worth a Thousand Words?

Presenter: Sara Marcus (Touro University International)

Abstract:

When looking at a source, besides looking at solely the 'content' or what it says, also look at 'how' it is said. How is it laid out? What about the images? What do the pictures say? Is a picture really worth a thousand words in evaluating a source?

Looking at various 'rubrics' for evaluating websites, the session will address how often information literacy really calls upon visual literacy skills as well. There are many rubrics out there to guide the user in determining the worth of a source for research. However, how much of the rubric is really about the content, and how much is about the visual impact of the source? Does the librarian work to improve only information literacy, or does the librarian of today need to be visually literate as well? With the proliferation of image-dense materials available for the seekers of information, the guide to the information, also known as the librarian, needs to ensure the patron knows how to evaluate not only the textual information available but also the media-enriched materials proliferating in today’s society.