Did You Know 4.0-The Digital Shift and Information Policy: an INF506 OLJ Blog Entry

The video, "Did You Know 4.0" looks at how our world has changed since the introduction of modern digital technology.  When we look at how we use technology everyday for personal, professional or educational purposes, what are the guidelines we use? Are there guidelines?  In fact, there are rules when it comes to the technological world, but some have yet to be developed and some are still evolving.  These rules are called "information policy."

 "Information policy is the set of all public laws, regulations and policies that encourage, discourage or regulate the creation, use, storage and communication of information" (Weingarten, 1989). 

 When we make comments on Facebook, update our Twitter feeds, send emails and search the web, what rules do we follow? How are our physical interactions different than our virtual ones?
After watching this video, I noticed 5 changes in our society that can be defined as "shifts" based upon changes of the digital world that so many of us now depend on.

1 & 2.  Digital Literacy and Copyright-Not only do less people read and purchase newspapers, we now access information differently.  Instead of using print books to find answers, we browse the web.  In libraries specifically, we rely heavily on the use of databases instead of large reference books and we now offer e-books in addition to regular print books.  While there are definitely benefits to digitization, there are problems that arise.  If library patrons are going to use the Internet instead of books to get the information they need, it is the librarian's job to make sure patrons are trained in how to tell if something is trustworthy information.  By providing databases on the library website, the library is selecting reputable sources that patrons can search with confidence, thereby promoting "digital literacy."  In addition, offering e-books at libraries has been a controversial topic because of copyright issues.  When a library buys a print copy of a book, it has unlimited circulation.  With e-books, there is a limit to how many times a book can be checked out without renewing the license.  These types of problems can be addressed with proper information policies, something many e-book lenders have been trying to fine tune this past year as e-books have become more and more popular.

3 & 4.  The Digital Divide and Library Internet Use- President Obama was able to raise more money than John McCain in the 2008 election because he used social media to boost his campaign.  With 69% of adults using social media, Obama was able to reach many more people through digital media than McCain was the traditional way.   Advertising on a social networks is going to reach a lot of people, mainly those who are familiar with the Internet.  However, let us not forget that there are people out there who don't have access to the Internet and those people should not be discounted.  Perhaps if the Internet was free and available to all, this issue of the "digital divide" could be addressed.  By providing free Internet and computer use at the library, libraries work to promote online literacy and skills, hoping to close the digital divide.  However, in order to provide fair and equal opportunities to all,  libraries must create policies for acceptable use for this service to run smoothly.

5.  Social (Networking) Etiquette- With so many people using social networking sites, what is the etiquette or policy we follow? Many people keep their Facebook pages private, but some aren't very careful.  This video uses an example of an employee talking negatively of her boss on her Facebook page, and he sees her post because he is her Facebook friend! We need to remember to remain professional if we are going to open up our virtual lives for all to see.  We need to act as if we would in person when we are on social networks, and sometimes people forget that.  Even though we can access so  information on the go on our cell phones, there are situations when it's acceptable and when it's not.  For example, when we are out to dinner in public or at work in a meeting we should be focused on the people or the task at hand, not texting or updating our Twitter status in 140 characters or less.

Information policy is reflected in our physical  interactions every day, and it should be in our digital lives too.  Check out the video yourself and see what shifts you can identify!