February 2024 MBR The Library Science Shelf

The Library Science Shelf

Unframing the Visual
Maggie Murphy, et al.
ACRL Books Association of College & Research Libraries
c/o American Library Association
https://www.ala.org
9780838939918, $120.00, PB, 452pp

https://www.amazon.com/Unframing-Visual-Literacy-Libraries-Information/dp/0=
838939910

Synopsis: Visual literacy is an interconnected set of practices, habits, an=
d values for participating in visual culture that can be developed through =
critical, ethical, reflective, and creative engagement with visual media. A=
pproaches to teaching visual literacy in higher education must include a fo=
cus on context and not just content, process and not just product, impact a=
nd not just intent. Unframing is an approach to visual literacy pedagogy th=
at acknowledges that visuals are a pervasive part of everyday life, as well=
 as embedded into every scholarly discipline.

In four parts, "Unframing the Visual: Visual Literacy Pedagogy in Academic =
Libraries and Information Spaces" explores: Participating in a Changing Vis=
ual Information Landscape; Perceiving Visuals as Communicating Information;=
 Practicing Visual Discernment and Criticality; Pursuing Social Justice thr=
ough Visual Practice

Twenty-four full color chapters present a range of theoretical and practica=
l approaches to visual literacy pedagogy that illustrate, connect with, ext=
end, and criticize concepts from the Framework for Visual Literacy in Highe=
r Education: Companion Document, to the Framework for Information Literacy =
for Higher Education. Topics include using TikTok to begin a conversation o=
n academic honesty and marginalization; supporting disciplines to move to m=
ultimodal public communication assignments; critical data visualization; an=
d exclusionary practices in visual media.

In exploring the discussions and engaging with the activities in "Unframing=
 the Visual", you will find new inspiration for how to unframe, adapt, and =
apply visual literacy pedagogy and praxis in your work.

Critique: Of special note is that "Unframing the Visual: Visual Literacy Pe=
dagogy in Academic Libraries and Information Spaces" also includes a comple=
te listing of the editors, contributors, and their credentials. Expertly or=
ganized and presented, and unreservedly recommended for personal/profession=
al reading lists and college/university library collections, "Unframing the=
 Visual" is an ideal textbook that will have a very special value to reader=
s with an interest in Library & Informational Science, and supplemental Gen=
eral Library & Information Science curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Maggie Murphy is an associate professor and art and desi=
gn librarian at UNC Greensboro, where she works with students, faculty, and=
 curators in the School of Art, Weatherspoon Art Museum, and Departments of=
 Interior Architecture and Media Studies. Her scholarly interests include p=
ractice-based research methods for studio artists and speculative pedagogie=
s for creative engagement with artificial intelligence. As a practicing art=
ist, her print and mixed-media work explore the vulnerability of existentia=
l disquietude.

Editorial Note #2: Stephanie Beene is an associate professor and art, archi=
tecture, and planning librarian at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Al=
buquerque, New Mexico, where she supports the Art Department within the Col=
lege of Fine Arts and the entire School of Architecture and Planning. Steph=
anie received an MSIS from the University of Texas at Austin, an MA in art =
history from the University of California, Riverside, and a BA in art and a=
rt history from Colorado State University. She served as a member of the As=
sociation of College and Research Libraries Visual Literacy Task Force and =
is active in the Art Libraries Society of North America, the Association of=
 Architecture School Libraries, and the International Visual Literacy Assoc=
iation. Before coming to UNM, she worked at Lewis and Clark College in Port=
land, Oregon, as the visual resources and arts librarian. Her research inte=
rests include visual and information literacy frameworks as they relate to =
trust, lifelong learning, and the politics of identity.

Editorial Note #3: Katie Greer is an associate professor at Oakland Univers=
ity in Rochester, Minnesota. She has an MA in art history from the Universi=
ty of Notre Dame and an MLIS from Drexel University, and is currently pursu=
ing a PhD in educational leadership from Oakland University. Her published =
research includes undergraduate information behaviors and best practices fo=
r online pedagogy and information literacy. She is currently studying the p=
roblems of conspiracy ideation and how that is affecting information profes=
sionals, and how librarians and educators can utilize pedagogical and affec=
tive strategies to help engender metaliterate and information literate lear=
ners.

Editorial Note #4: Sara Schumacher is the architecture image librarian at T=
exas Tech University, where she works to improve visual media resources and=
 promote visual literacy through discipline-specific and professional appli=
cations. She holds an MA in art history from the University of Oregon (2007=
) and an MS in information studies from the University of Texas at Austin (=
2011). Her research interests include ethical concerns surrounding using an=
d creating visual media, disciplinary-based visual literacy instruction, an=
d bias within visual collections. She serves as the content editor for the =
Visual Resources Association Bulletin, has published articles in Journal of=
 Documentation, Journal of Visual Literacy, portal: Libraries and the Acade=
my, and Art Documentation, and was part of the task force that authored the=
 ACRL Framework for Visual Literacy in Higher Education.

Dana Statton Thompson is a research and instruction librarian at Murray Sta=
te University in Murray, Kentucky. In this capacity, she supports the teach=
ing, learning, and research of students and faculty within the Arthur J. Ba=
uernfeind College of Business. Dana holds an MLIS, an MA in art history, an=
 MFA in studio art from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisian=
a, and a BA in journalism and studio art from Washington and Lee University=
 in Lexington, Virginia. She is the president of the International Visual L=
iteracy Association and an Institute for Research Design in Librarianship s=
cholar. She served as a member of the Association of College and Research L=
ibraries Visual Literacy Task Force and is active in the Art Libraries Soci=
ety of North America. Her research and teaching interests focus on the inte=
rsection of visual literacy and news literacy, the integration of visual li=
teracy instruction into higher education, and the scholarship of teaching a=
nd learning.

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