Information Literacy

For this assignment I will discuss Information Literacy and its 5 components....

I will list the five components in separate post to fully explain each. First I would start off with the definition of Information Literacy.


Definition of Information Literacy

"Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning."  (ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education 2015)

I'm back!! I have been gone for quite some time. I mostly use this blog for academic work for my classes. I have read the previous blogs I have posted and they were hilarious. I traveled, experience the library as a career and so much more since these blogs. I am in my second to my last semester of graduate school at the University of Southern Mississippi. I have an assignment to post a blog topic along with a gadget.

Let's see what I can do!!

FASHION: FROM SCHOOLS, TEXTILES AND BEYOND!!

My intended audience is for those students interested in a life of fashion. My grade levels will include those students from high school onto college. I wanted to share a pathfinder where students can reference back to fashion and all the concepts that feature into it. Fashion has become a mainstream fixation like no other in the last couple of years. Needless to say fashion has always been a stepping stone from people around the world dating back before Christ.

Part 2: Written Resources (5)

1. 2 Reference Books

Eicher, J. B., & Oxford University Press. (2010). Encyclopedia of world dress and fashion. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

This encyclopedia is an awarding winner to the Dartmouth Medal. Since 2010, the Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion is the largest reference source on dress and human adornment worldwide. The reliability is great seeing that is it an awarding winning encyclopedia of dress and fashion. The individual volumes, each coordinated by a specialist Editor, provide wide-ranging coverage of dress and fashion in different regions. In-depth and original articles on countries, themes, cultural groups, and types of dress are amongst the popular section in the source. Great pictures snapshot articles featuring illuminating examples and case studies. A wide range of excellent bibliographies and fashion suggestions are after each reading article.

Steele, V. (2005). Encyclopedia of clothing and fashion. New York: Scribner/Thomson.

This is a three part volume encyclopedia of clothing and fashion. Some almost a decade ago this book was an outstanding resource of 2005. The source is edited by Valerie Steele is a fashion historian, curator, and director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Over 300 reputable academics, journalists, and fashion industry professionals are cited in the encyclopedia. This impressive reference work compares a unique bond between culture and fashion through alphabetically arranged articles. Within this fashion manual it shares the history of clothing and textiles, great fashion houses and trends, and cultural/ethnic aspects of dress. Some 640 articles describe the colorful facets of couture and textiles, from fabrics of chintz, corduroy, and etc.

2. 3 Journals (online database)

About Us. Berg Fashion Library. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from the Berg Fashion Library database.

The Berg Fashion Library is an online e-journal that offers insight into fashion. I find the site to be very detailed with information referring to fashion in all different aspects. It’s an encyclopedia also that shows color images from museum costume collections, and e-books on world dress and fashion throughout history. This library is just a great online source to fashion students. Lesson places are placed on the site for teachers who need to use to construct their plans.  There are even lesson plans one as a fashion student major can follow for classes. The library has several other books and journals that reference fashion which include A-Z of Fashion to a Specially-created taxonomy. All are updated several times a year for students, scholars, and professionals of cutting edge fashion subjects.

 Buyer Praise Paris: Creative and Salable. WWD: Women’s Wear Daily,207, 1. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from the EbscoHost database.

This journal discusses tips on buying and selling fashion items in Paris, France. Paris is the ending place for designers to conclude showing their collection during fashion week. This is the place where fashion merchandising is taken to the extreme. Women’s Wear Daily talks about 2014 fall fashion week and how designers need to design more commercial pieces. The journal cites many designers who gave their insight on how fashion week is coming together for the upcoming fall. It also cites how the popular fashion designers have to get creative with their collection this year. Top buyers are discussing how each popular fashion label quality and texture is the reason why they are buying their pieces. The fashion shows give sellers a chance to expose themselves through fashion.

Ferrara, J. S. Retailers Target Younger Audience. Value Line Research Center. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from http://libguides.lib.usm.edu/article_database_list

Value Line Research Center provides information about how to fashion retailers target younger audience. Value Line’s leading publications covering stocks, mutual funds, options, and convertible securities, as well as special situation stocks. The journal discusses how teens have been one of the fastest-growing populations in the U.S. Also the second-largest age group after the baby-boomers of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s according to statistical data.  Since the 2007 recession, sales are low and many retailers have reached out to a much younger crowd such as babies and teens.  The journal also cites many popular stores that are popular amongst teens and retailers such as American Eagle Outfitters, The Gap Inc. and Aeropostale.  Retailers have fallen prey to advertising and designing clothes for that age group.

3. Other (if applicable)

Part 3: Online Resources (5)

1. Web sites

Fashion. (2014, January 1). . Retrieved May 1, 2014, from http://www.universityoffashion.com.

The University of Fashion was founded and developed by Francesca Sterlacci, a New York fashion designer, educator and author. Her mission is to preserve the art and craft of fashion design by bringing together the best fashion industry professionals to create lessons that inspire and educate students, teachers, home sewers and the fashion curious. A professor and chairperson in New York City and later in San Francisco for 20 years combined. The University of Fashion has been in development for over 5 years. We conducted surveys and focus groups with students, teachers, home sewers, and with members of the fashion community. With their input we discussed which lessons to film. We categorized each into one of the five fashion design disciplines of Draping, Pattern Making, Sewing, Fashion Art and Product Development.  After carefully choosing the best fashion college professors and industry professionals we made several pilot lessons. Our studios in New York City and Vancouver, Canada are furnished with state-of-the-art equipment. Our team of videographers and editors carefully frame each shot using multiple cameras to make sure that the instructor’s every step is captured.

Ivanova, I., & Milman, A. (2007, January 1). Art, Design, Fashion resources, Fashion portfolios, Textile. Retrieved May 1, 2014, from http://www.artdesignfashion.com/

This website was created by fashion designers and educators Irina Ivanova and Andre Milman. The site offers insight into fashion portfolio gallery to share with Fashion students and expertise. On the site presents projects that are emerged by fashion, textile, and costume designers. There are four virtual galleries within the website that consist of costume design and creative fashion, textile and screen printing, fashion drawing illustrations, and fashion art and design portfolios. These are all projects that students are to meet as a goal instructed by the website.  All projects put on the site are presented to professionals to be graded by criteria enlisted to review on a regular basis.

State University of New York. (2014).Fashion Institute of Technology. Retrieved May 1, 2014, from https://www.fitnyc.edu/library.asp

Fashion Institute of Technology is home to State University of New York. FIT’S site discuss everything from accreditation to library resources. FIT stems from the Educational Foundation for the Apparel Industries created by Mortimer C. Ritter and Max Meyer in the 1940s.  During this time, the college’s curriculum was growing beyond traditional notions of fashion, to include subjects like photography and advertising and interior design. The college wanted to further expand its curriculum by offerings bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The institute’s mission and vision is one that promotes creativity, student empowerment, and academic excellence. It also houses a museum on its ground at the university. FIT museum is known for being one of the most fashionable in NYC. The Museum’s permanent collection encompasses some 50,000 garments and accessories from the 18th century to the present. The institute has a strong policy of safety and security to ensure all students that they will be greatly taken care of.

Fashion United. (2014). Retrieved May 1, 2014, from http://www.fashionunited.com/education

The Fashion Education Network, a non profit initiative by FashionUnited, is an online platform uniting the global fashion education market. It is a place where Fashion Schools can present themselves towards other institutes, students and the global fashion industry. It offers from job opportunities to lookbook indexes. The objective is to stimulate interaction between schools, students and industry leaders by sharing knowledge and intelligence. The Fashion Education Network wants to contribute by providing free information and resources and help develop a talented and skilled next generation of fashion professionals. This is a great site to utilize if you are a high school student on the hunt for a fashion design school. Especially if you are undecided on fashion being a major you would love to turn into a career.

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of German resolution. (2014). iXPOS. Retrieved May 1, 2014, from http://www.ixpos.de/IXPOS/Navigation/EN/Your-business-in-germany/Business-sectors/Consumer-goods/textiles.html?view=renderPrint

iXPOS is an German business portal for textile. A large market in fashionable goods and modern technical textile around the world. The domestic industry is made up of almost 1200 mostly small and medium sized enterprises with a workforce of 120,000 in the different industry segments alone. The textile and clothing industry in Germany is one of the most important sectors in the country.  The country is also the second largest textile importer after the United States and has become an attractive market for many textile exporting countries since the 1980s. iXPOS has supporting institution of textiles in Germany foreign manufacturing that they are associated with.  The site shows the steps to gaining access to Germany textile through an agent through distribution channels.

2. Other (podcasts)

Victoria and Albert Museum. (2005). Curating Contemporary Fashion [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://itunes.apple.com

Victoria and Albert Museum is known for being the world’s greatest museum of art and design. Located in London, England this enriched museum has been introducing podcasts to the public since this year. The museum is trying to expose its vision and mission of fashion worldwide for the future. The V&A has collected contemporary objects ever since it was founded in the nineteenth century. In this episode, Glenn discusses the importance and challenges of collecting and displaying fashion with Brix Smith Start and Oriole Cullen. Brix has long been established as a fashion icon since she emerged in the 1980s as a member of post-punk band The Fall. Oriole, a curator in the museums fashion and textile department, specialises in contemporary dress. Together, they discuss how the V&A situates the fast-paced world of fashion within the museum context.

Writing Capstone Paper while interning at the AAMHM

These past two weeks I have really had my hands full with completing my capstone paper for graduation. The task has been challenging with trying to work, complete other schoolwork, as well as finish up my internship hours at the African American Military History Museum. I officially have completed my paper to my advisor Dr. Teresa Welch at the University of Southern Mississippi. In my paper I discussed the development of the AAMHM as well as its past appearance as the Historic 6th Street USO Club. I also discussed the organizational structure of the museum and the commission in which the museum is associated with. The Hattiesburg Convention Commission funds the AAMHM as well as other tourist locations around Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Mrs. Cruthirds, museum curator as well as Ms. Latoya Norman, museum public relation associate along with Heather Sanchez, Divah Griffin, and Eddie work along with me at the museum . We all work closely together to keep the museum functioning properly and to guide tourist around the museum. The most exciting information I conducted while doing my paper was discussing the museum exhibits. I discussed the 11 different war exhibits within my paper from the Revolutionary War to the Global War on Terrorism today. The museum and I focused on the brave unnoticed figures of each war that American has played a role in from Buffalo Soldier's Cathy Williams to Ruth Bailey Earl to Ensign Jesse L. Brown to Private Milton Olive III along with many other military servicemen and women.

This paper I has shown me that it is so much history out in the world and I am just scratching the surface. Three specific individuals I noted above were some of the people in my own state of Mississippi I did not even know about that fought and gave their life to the war cause. Many of their service and sacrifice has gone unnoticed to the United States as well as the world, but the AAMHM has brought their untold stories to the light. This museum is such a inspiration to the life of the African American experience towards the Armed Forces. Many wars has taken place all over the world and I did not think it would or would not have been successful if it was not for the African American. One of my favorite quotes from the AAMHM I will share below is a true one.

"There has been no war fought by or within the United States in which African Americans did not participate."

-Unknown

New Harmonies Exhibit, Cataloging Book, & Visitor Stats

The AAMHM has been very busy this month with many projects and events. This month the museum as been working with other associates to unveil an exhibit that highlights the music experience in Hattiesburg. Mrs. Cruthirds the museum curator as well as Heather one of the research specialist at the museum have been over at the Train Depot for weeks now constructing the exhibit. Tomorrow is the unveiling of the museum and I will surely be there to see the finishing product.

One tough task I have been managing to complete is the cataloging of books in the museum's library. The books are so delicate and fragile that I barely want to touch them to do my cataloging. Many of them are well preserved and in mint condition dating back to the late 1800s. I am trying to establish a system so the museum can know what materials and books they have in the library for future reference. Some of those books might be of historic value to the museum and they have yet to know. Plus the museum's library is off limits to the public; I thought this was something that they museum needs by it just getting established itself.

I have been quite busy continuing to work on establishing a visitor statistic log for the museum. I have used Microsoft Excel to give me a detail account of how many visitors have came into the museum since it's opening in May 2009. This week I have completed this long task of visitor numbers by looking through months of visitor log-ins and calendar appointments. Since May 2009 to April 2011 the African American Military History Museum has seen over 11,000 visitors in city and beyond. I feel that is quite good for a museum that is coming upon its 2nd anniversary in May. I have update the Excel spreadsheet for the next two years with formulas to calculate monthly and yearly visitor numbers for the museum records.

Cataloging Small Collections within the Museum

This week I have started to cataloge a formatted list of small collections for the African American Military History Museum closed library. First the library was a small writing room for soldiers visiting the USO when they were off duty or in town. Later the small library was made formal to the public in the 1950s. This library came into existence because the Forrest County Public Library was segregated and did not allow African Americans to check out books, so a small library was started within the USO.

The small library has a very knowledgeable collections that it offered to the African American public who were interested in reading and research. Going through the collection I have found a variety of novels, cookbooks, academic literature, atlases, dictionaries, encyclopedias, magazines, poetry books, newspapers, and bibles. Majority of these books dated back to the late 1890s to the late 1950s, and some of them are in very good condition. Some of these items were donated to the library from the public and several were second hand books thrown out from the public library. Yet the USO made use of all these books and items in the 1950s and they still remain in the library to this day. Even though the library has not been in public use for awhile, the story of its existence and legacy remains in the USO.

Processing Historical Documents/Spring Break Volunteering

This week has been a highlight for me because I learned how to process pictures, documents, and other historical data. I have been learning that as well as giving to the community of Hattiesburg. I am interning at the African American Military History Museum where they are covered by the Hattiesburg Convention Commission. I volunteered my time to help the Hattiesburg Convention Commission with their latest project the Hattiesburg Zoo. The convention commission as well as myself all help in the reconstruction of specific things in the zoo.

This was Spring Break for me and I am dedicating my time to the museum because this month is National Women's History Month. Mrs. Cruthirds along with the help of Heather, and I organized several top military officials that were women. Notable Hattiesburg natives are among the open collection display which includes Col. Shelia Varnado, Major Raylawni Branch, Ruth Bailey Earl, Valerie Easterling, Felicia Young, Ila Williams, and Nakita Adams. I respectfully acknowledge all these women for there bravery and courage in the U.S. Army.