Reconsidering Literacy

Literacy, until recently, was defined as the ability to read printed text and tounderstand the nuances of both the form and content of that printed text. More recentlythere has been a focus on subsets of literacy – data literacy, numeracy, visualliteracy, media literacy, etc. – that recognizes the means of communicating ideas andfacts are not limited to the printed text and that there are multiple means which may bemore powerful ways of communicating in our world. In recent years, higher education hasbeen redefining what it means to be educated – from a focus on specific bodies ofknowledge, or disciplines, to a focus on developing and mastering skills for varyingmodes of inquiry. Simultaneously, there has been a growing focus on expanding howstudents and faculty communicate knowledge – what was once strictly the term paperapproach is being replaced by the oral presentation, the poster session, or the artisticresponse. In a world where ideas are more readily communicated via social media such asYouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, the ability to accurately assess additionalmodes of communication is critical. This paper will explore different subsets ofliteracy, describe a method for developing mastery of those literacies in highereducation, and advocate for academic library professionals to become specialists focusedon literacies as much, if not more, than on content.