Transliteracy is a concept that has only been formally identified within the last decade and its definition is still evolving. Academic research of the topic "originated with the cross-disciplinary Transliteracies Project group, headed by Alan Liu from the Department of English at the University of California-Santa Barbara" (Ipri, 2010, p. 532). The working definition of transliteracy, as put forth by Sue Thomas, professor of New Media at De Montfort University in the United Kingdom, states that it is; "the ability to read, write, and interact across a range of platforms, tools, and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio, and films, to digital social networks" (Ipri, 2010, p. 532). At the heart of transliteracy is the ability to discern meaning across different types of media. One does not learn about textual, visual, or digital literacy in isolation from one another, but rather becomes cognizant of the interaction of these literacies in certain activities. Simply put, "transliteracy is a move toward a unifying ecology of not just media, but of all literacies relevant to reading, writing, interaction, and culture" (Ipri, p. 532, 533). This phenomenon can be best illustrated by discussing some common scenarios of how people encounter the challenges of transliteracy in daily life.
Ipri,T. (2010). Introducing transliteracy: What does it mean to academic libraries? College & Research Libraries News, 71 (10), 532-533, 567.
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