In April 2016 public libraries and library information schools were invited to submit proposals to adapt and pilot Mozilla’s Web Literacy training and digital badges/credentials with library staff or students beginning in the summer and running through January 2017. Last month, we announced the selected pilots:
- Anythink Libraries (Colorado)
- Central New York Library Council (Upstate New York)
- Cleveland Public Library (Ohio)
- METRO NY (New York City)
- Multnomah County Library (Oregon)
- Providence Public Library (Rhode Island)
- Toledo-Lucas County Public Library (Ohio)
- iSchool at the University of Washington — Library Information School (Washington)
These pilot projects are a part of the Web Literacy Skills for Library Staff project, funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services. The project aims to adapt and refine Mozilla’s Web Literacy training and tools, as well as digital badges/credentials to help library staff improve their web literacy skills. Throughout the pilots, Mozilla will facilitate a community of practice, which includes online collaborations and monthly community calls to share challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned so pilots can benefit from their shared experiences.
On June 7, 2016, we kicked off our pilot projects with an interactive meeting held in Chicago. The meeting started with an introduction to Mozilla’s web literacy training and concluded with pilots teams thinking through their implementation plans and setting timelines and outcome goals.
As an anchor to the meeting, we spent time discussing the Mozilla Web Literacy Map and the role of the pilots in testing the curriculum, training, and credentials associated with the web literacy skills so they can be customized to library staff.
The morning continued with the introduction to Mozilla’s Web Literacy training, which was facilitated in a “train-the-trainer” manner asking pilot participants to reflect after each activity and consider how they might adapt and localize the activity for their own libraries. What surfaced was a rich dialogue and ideas about the needs of their staff and the ways the training could be augmented to better meet them.
The afternoon was spent with small teams working on their project implementation plans, expected outcomes, and timelines before reporting out on their plans. The report-outs facilitated cross-pilot sharing and learning about potential resources, as well as identified challenges and opportunities.
The next convening of the pilots will take place in August and September, where the pilots will engage in Mozilla’s daylong Web Literacy skills training and reflection, which will enable them to launch their respective pilot programs in their libraries and library information schools.