Open Digital Badges are a rather important topic for librarians. Public libraries and library associations, particularly in the United States, have been the earliest adopters of badges, and have led innovation in this area. For example, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) received funding in 2012 to develop a virtual badge program for a library staff with skills related to the competencies for serving youth in libraries. Project funding was provided by three of the key players in the digital badge landscape: HASTAC, the Mozilla Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation.
Rodgers and Puterbaugh (2017) describe how digital badges are used in the library instructional programs in the Eastern University Library’s. There are also articles on the use of digital badges for information literacy at Middlesex University and creating pre-arrival support for international students at Coventry University (Rose, n.d.).
The Australian National University Library designed an INSIGNIA project to support research candidates in the development of key transferable skills around digital literacy and research integrity, using open badges (Rutherford et al., 2015).
O’Brien and Jacobson (2018) have even published a book “Teaching with Digital Badges: Best Practices for Libraries” which provides examples of how librarians are using badges to enhance and invigorate the teaching and assessment of information literacy.
However, Hall-Ellis (2016, p. 234) notes that “Although the library and information profession recognises the importance of technical skills and core competencies, the adoption of stackable micro-credentials (e.g. digital badges) as evidence of advanced learning and professional development has remained minimal”.
However, during the last years the use of Open Digital Badges in libraries have increased. Integrating micro-credentialing into libraries have provided an innovative and individualised way to recognise and certify learning and achievement. Open Digital Badges have mainly been used in libraries to develop information literacy.
Video 3: Digital Badging at the Penn State University Libraries