Andrew Walsh and Emma Coonan, both experienced library practitioners, have brought together a collection of solicited contributions broadly encompassing “information literacy”. Information literacy is defined as “about having abilities and awareness around searching out, organising, using and communicating information” (2). The contributed chapters are aimed at ensuring that this concept, which the authors regard as a “library term”, moves from being seen as the static acquisition of a skillset into a contextual information journey.
Walsh refers to his publication as an “unbook”. It is self-published and experiments with both the content's presentation and the content itself. This innovative approach both inspires and irritates the reader.
Digital content is interwoven with the hardcopy format. This works when it extends the hardcopy presentation. For example, Lynda Tolly relates the theoretical underpinning of the hero's journey in mythology to the information quest and illustrates her discussion by providing links to her series of tutorials based on this principle (The Adventures of Sir Learnsalot (http://innovativelibraries.org.uk/RR). At other times this disadvantages the hardcopy reader, for example, Andy Burkhardt and Alan Carbery's contribution is represented in the publication as a brief abstract with an illegible illustration – hardly sufficient to inspire the reader to follow up the Prezi link.
Very effective use is made of varying font types and hand drawn illustrations to differentiate between a contributor's reflections on their practice and the actual presentation of their tutorial material (Alke Groppel-Wegener & Geoff Walton, Mairi Cullen & Jenny Delasalle, Alke Groppel-Wegener). Some of the format experimentation though, whilst playful, serves little purpose. The reader is provided, for example, with a “Chapter Chooser” (designed as a chatterbox) in order to “pick a chapter at random” although the reader could do this as easily with the table of contents which is also provided.
Walsh and Coonan's experimentation extends to the content. Individual contributors have been chosen to reflect different facets of information literacy in ways as diverse as “traditional” texts, fairy story, video, graphics and deep self-reflection on their learning journeys. This broad content is organised into two sections – The Mapmakers chapters with “planned routes suggested and tested by knowledgeable guides” and The Travellers contributions which “show the process behind the information discovery journey”.
The Mapmakers section is of great practical help. Groeppel-Wegener and Walton provide engaging guidelines for navigating the information ocean and identifying what is in your fishing net, and another chapter by Groeppel-Wegener uses card games to teach undergraduate students the difference between simply collecting cards (an annotated bibliography) versus having a winning hand (a literature review). Norton also talks about the person-centred library which stresses the importance for libraries to create conducive environments for learners by providing “core conditions of realness, esteem, and empathy” (Nick Norton, 108).
The Travellers section is a more uneven collection based on personal experiences which sometime fail to inspire with their information journey – for example, the virtual conversation between two artists, including vignettes, is difficult to follow (Ines Amado and Ximena Alcarcon) and the relevance of the stable story (David Mathew) is not clear. However the fairy story by Bryony Ramsden called the Library is effective in highlighting the struggle of the information-seeker against the idiosyncratic organisation and behaviour of the “library” run by autocratic library bears who have strict rules which prevent you actually getting the answer to your question.
Only Connect is a must read for any librarian wanting ideas to move their information literacy programme beyond “getting bogged down with teaching technology or the terminology of information systems” (Zoe Johnson & Andrew Walsh, 83) and sections should be read by all library staff needing to be inspired to treat our clients with empathy and fun. The editors have shown a great willingness to be experimental in approach, to incorporate the emotional into the description of information search as well as place the process within a much broader context of learning. It's clear that libraries need to understand the emotional context of the information search and design not just tutorials but also their institutions and processes to be person centred places that facilitate, not hinder, the information journey.