Pathfinders, or a compiled document that lists books, websites and other materials on a particular topic, have been a useful tool to librarians for years, and a common assignment in library school. However, as we proceed into the digital age, librarians everywhere are using social media tools in place of hard copies of these lists. For example, at the Ames Free Library we use Pinterest to highlight new arrivals, staff picks, movies for kids, summer reading and more.
Which brings me to a new social media tool I found out about recently. Scoop-it is a web-based curation tool, and the idea behind it is a combination of a traditional Pathfinder using a Pinterest style platform that is visually appealing. I had to create a Scoop-it "topic" for my Children's Literature class. A topic is a page where one chooses a subject, and uploads "scoops"-websites, books, articles and pretty much anything that can be found on the web to support that topic. Scoop-it is growing in popularity for school projects and even with libraries supporting school projects, because a teacher or librarian can create a topic and provide students with trustworthy information on exploring that topic. The topic is also interactive between users, who can comment on the "scoops." This makes Scoop-it a fun place where teachers, librarians and students can communicate for projects.
Click here to read more about Scoop-it and be sure to check out the topic I curated, Hit it! A History of African Americans in Baseball:inspired by the Coretta Scott King Award Winning Book, "We are the ship:the story of Negro League Baseball" by Kadir Nelson by clicking here.
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