For immediate release | January 4, 2024

New from ACRL - “Unframing the Visual: Visual Literacy Pedagogy in Academic Libraries and Information Spaces”

CHICAGO – The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) announces the publication of “Unframing the Visual: Visual Literacy Pedagogy in Academic Libraries and Information Spaces,” edited by Maggie Murphy, Stephanie Beene, Katie Greer, Sara Schumacher, and Dana Statton Thompson. This collection provides new ideas and inspiration for how to unframe, adapt, and apply visual literacy pedagogy and praxis in your work.

Visual literacy is an interconnected set of practices, habits, and values for participating in visual culture that can be developed through critical, ethical, reflective, and creative engagement with visual media. Approaches to teaching visual literacy in higher education must include a focus on context and not just content, process and not just product, impact and not just intent. Unframing is an approach to visual literacy pedagogy that 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 Visual Information Landscape
  • Perceiving Visuals as Communicating Information
  • Practicing Visual Discernment and Criticality
  • Pursuing Social Justice through Visual Practice

Twenty-four full color chapters present a range of theoretical and practical approaches to visual literacy pedagogy that illustrate, connect with, extend, and criticize concepts from the Framework for Visual Literacy in Higher Education: Companion Document to the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Topics include using TikTok to begin a conversation on academic honesty and marginalization; supporting disciplines to move to multimodal public communication assignments; critical data visualization; and exclusionary practices in visual media.

“Unframing the Visual: Visual Literacy Pedagogy in Academic Libraries and Information Spaces” is available for purchase in print and as an ebook through the ALA Online Store; in print through Amazon.com; and by telephone order at (866) 746-7252 in the U.S. or (770) 442-8633 for international customers.

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The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) is the higher education association for academic libraries and library workers. Representing nearly 8,500 individuals and libraries, ACRL (a division of the American Library Association) develops programs, products, and services to help those working in academic and research libraries learn, innovate, and lead within the academic community. Founded in 1940, ACRL is committed to advancing learning, transforming scholarship, and creating diverse and inclusive communities. Find ACRL on the web, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, and YouTube.

Contact:

Erin Nevius

Content Strategist

ACRL

enevius@ala.org