4. Now that the
cost of posting
things in a
global medium
has collapsed,
much of what
gets posted on
any given day
is in public but
not for the
public.
- Shirky
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotorita/2031523502
8. Transliteracy is the ability
to read, write and
interact across a range of
platforms, tools and
media from signing and
orality through
handwriting, print, TV,
radio and film, to digital
social networks.
-Thomas, et al
9. Origins of Transliteracy
• 2005
• Transliteracies Research
Project
• Alan Liu from the
Department of English at
the University of
California at Santa
Barbara
• “intersections of the
humanistic, social, and
technological disciplines”
10. Origins of Transliteracy
• 2005
• Sue Thomas
• Institute of Creative
Technologies at De
Montfort University
• PART Group (Production
and Research in
Transliteracy) - >
Transliteracy Research
Group.
11. The concept of
transliteracy calls for a
change of perspective
away from the battles
over print versus
digital, and a move
instead towards a
unifying ecology not
just of media, but of all
literacies relevant to
reading, writing,
interaction and culture,
both past and present.”
-Thomas et al.
12. Origins of Libraries and Transliteracy
• 2009
• Bobbi Newman
• Libraries Need to Focus
on Transliteracy
13. Libraries have focused
on literacy, the ability
to read, write and
interact, for years.
People need to be
literate in order to be
involved in and
contribute to society.
Times are changing,
technologies are
evolving rapidly, it is
no longer enough to
focus on the ability to
read and write alone.
14. Origins of Libraries and Transliteracy
• 2010
• Libraries and
Transliteracy Project
• Tom Ipri
• Bobbi Newman
• Lane Wilkinson
• Gretchen Casserroti
15. Because of the ways in
which transliteracy
questions authority and
devalues hierarchical
structures proponents
tend to advocate for
issues that help level the
information playing
field, such as ensuring
neutrality and bridging
the digital divide
- Ipri
23. not just about
computer-based
materials, but about all
communication types
across time and
culture. It does not
privilege one above
the other but treats all
as of equal value and
moves between and
across them.
-Thomas et al
24. Transliteracy happens in the places where
different things meet, mix, and rub
together.
-Thomas et al
78. Questions?
Bobbi Newman
librarianbyday.net
@librarianbyday
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
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States License.
To view a copy of this license, visit
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79. References
• Andretta, S. (2009). Transliteracy: Take a walk on the wild side. In World
Library and Information Congress: 75 th IFLA Genreal Conference and
Assembly, Milan, Italy: 23-27. http://eprints.rclis.org/handle/10760/14868
• Ipri, T. (2010) Introducing Transliteracy. College & Research Libraries News,
71(10), 532-567.
• Karp, J. (2010, Oct 25). What is this buzz word “transliteracy”? (Blog)
Retrieved from http://spotlight.macfound.org
• Newman, B. (2011). Beginner’s guide to transliteracy. Available online at
• http://librariesandtransliteracy.wordpress.com/beginner’s-guide-to-
transliteracy/
• Saveri, A., Rheingold, H., & Vian, K. (2005). Technologies of cooperation.
Palo Alto CA. Retrieved from
http://www.rheingold.com/cooperation/Technology_of_cooperation.pdf
• Shirky, C. (2008). Here comes everybody: The power of organizing without
organizations. New York: Penguin Press.
• Thomas, S., et al. (2007). Transliteracy: crossing divides. First Monday,
12(12). Online.
