Today there is no problem more critical to tackle yet more seemingly overwhelming than the spread of misinformation and disinformation. The attack on the U.S. Capitol was a heart wrenching reminder of that. Millions watched on live television as an enraged crowd resorted to violence over claims of a “stolen” election that were verifiably untrue. While many libraries have launched initiatives to address the dangerous spread of misinformation, others with limited staff and funding aren’t in position to add more programs and services, especially during a pandemic. 

However, even the smallest libraries provide services that support media literacy every day, sometimes in subtle but significant ways. Public access to a broad range of professionally curated books, materials and databases, along with staff trained in identifying reliable sources of information, are essential resources. In addition to those core services, there are a few lesser known ways public libraries support media literacy on a daily basis, one bite at a time.

Browsing as Freedom of Choice

According to Pew Research Center’s report The Information Needs of Citizens: Where Libraries Fit In, trust in information obtained from public libraries is rated higher than trust in information received from health care professionals, family and friends, government sources, or local news. 78% of those surveyed reported either “a lot of trust” or “some trust” in information acquired via public libraries. 

What makes trust in libraries higher than trust in other authoritative sources? My opinion is that freedom of choice is a crucial part of this relationship. Unlike health care facilities or government agencies, libraries are places where people typically browse and make choices for themselves. Browsing– either physically in the building or via the online catalog- and selecting their own resources from a broad collection, is likely to give people more ownership, and thus confidence, in their choices. 

Libraries encourage this by ensuring physical and online browsing spaces are comfortable (whether in terms of good lighting in physical spaces or readable fonts in virtual ones) and engaging (colorful, with interesting displays and interactive elements). The ability to browse and make choices for oneself enhances trust, and trust is critical to development of media literacy skills. Studies such as that by the Media Insight Project show that people are much more willing to believe content shared by those they trust, regardless of the original source of that content.

Children’s Storytimes

Children’s storytimes are a beloved mainstay of any public library, whether those programs are virtual or in-person. Having worked in youth services for ten years before moving into adult services, I’ve conducted dozens of storytimes. Even with the youngest preschoolers, even before “Once upon a time…” we typically start with cover and title page of the book. We read aloud the title, and then point out and read aloud the names of the author and illustrator. In doing so, we’re demonstrating that this book is the creation of an individual person… it didn’t spontaneously grow on a shelf or fall off a tree! 

Realizing that each book is authored by a specific person empowers children to see themselves as potential authors and illustrators. Knowing the writer behind the work also empowers readers, even young children, to find out more about the author’s background, seek out other work by this author, and decide whether this person is a good source of information (for nonfiction) or enjoyment (for fiction). This is part of media literacy: considering sources. 

Looking for books by favorite authors is a step beyond judging books by their covers. Children like to browse and select their own reading choices as much as adults. Studies such as Scholastic’s Kids & Family Reading Report show that freedom of choice in reading material increases enjoyment and time spent reading by children. Which brings us to…

Fiction Counts!

Fiction and other forms of reading for pleasure support media literacy, too. Reading entire books as opposed to social media posts and memes trains our minds to delve deeper, to understand complexity and nuance. Fiction reading has been demonstrated to improve empathy skills (a recent Discover Magazine article links to a few studies). The ability to psychologically put ourselves in another’s shoes is important to being able to understand others’ motives, and therefore how and why local and world events occur. 

Understanding the perspectives of others can help to defuse anger, a much-needed salve in a polarized society. We aren’t in a position to logically evaluate information when anger is in control. Unfortunately, propaganda works to inflame emotion precisely for that reason. Conversely, empathy enhances the ability to to engage in more productive dialog, an avenue to solving problems rather than merely reacting to them.

Sharing the joy of reading promotes a sense of community, which circles back to trust, a critical component to media literacy. Addressing the cognitive aspects of media literacy without the dimension of emotions, beliefs, and allegiances is a mistake, Peter Johan Lor writes in Democracy, information, and libraries in a time of post-truth discourse: “…libraries should exert the soft power they have as trusted, non-partisan community resources, and they should nurture this trust” (p. 317). 

When all libraries are fully open again – complete with programs and group activities that have been on hold- we are likely to be met by people happy to return to normal. We’ll also be dealing with people who have been under a lot of stress, some of whom are angry about pandemic-related restrictions. We might have to deal with rebuilding some trust. Luckily, the library is a good place for that. One bite at a time.

“In the library I felt better, words you could trust and look at till you understood them, they couldn’t change half way through a sentence like people, so it was easier to spot a lie.” – Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

Opinions of the author are her own and not meant to reflect those of her employer or any other individual or organization.

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All too often, these days people seem to accept Tweets and Facebook posts as real news. Just to be clear, even though you like your friends, that does not mean everything they share on social media is credible. It has become increasingly more difficult to rely on the internet as a source for news and counsel about what is going on in the world.

Thankfully, statistics have found that people are turning to libraries to gather information and educate themselves. An admittedly limited but important example can be found at The New York Public Library. In 2017, they saw a 7% increase in circulation and a 150% increase in early literacy program attendance. Their 92 branches are packed full of people and their top checkout of the year was “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates.” (Marx 2018)  This book, written by the author to his teenage son about being black in the United States, is a prime example of people searching for real answers as opposed to relying on a hashtag to inform them. This is not a cry for people to only read nonfiction, political news.  Getting engulfed in a great work of fiction can do just as much to help shape and inform people.

Many libraries are following suit, as an example,  Brooklyn Public Library’s 2017 initiative to waive all fines that may be blocking patrons from using the library. This fresh start may be just what is needed in order to help people stay informed. As a community, we need to use our libraries to promote awareness of issues concerning social justice and racial justice and help our patrons find facts related to current events.

References

Marx, Tony. 2018. “In 2018, libraries to the rescue: Why Americans are right to crave facts, and books.” New York Daily News, January 01.

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The National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) organizes Media Literacy Week with the goal of raising awareness about the need for media literacy education. A host of organizations, schools, educators, and other partners will participate with NAMLE on a variety of events, including classroom lessons, online chats, PSA’s, and panel discussions.

“Media Literacy, the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, communicate, and create all forms of media, is proving vital especially with the current political climate and information onslaught the public must navigate,” said NAMLE Executive Director Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, according to the organization’s press release.

Public Library Programming Ideas

Fake news has been a popular programming topic over the past year. Public libraries have experimented with a variety of methods, from online resources to librarian-led forums on fact checking and panel discussions featuring journalists and other experts. Most of these programs are targeted towards adult patrons, and many of the resources suggested by NAMLE are focused on K-12 classrooms. While the idea of media literacy is often associated with politics, current events, and the term ‘fake news’, as the resources linked above makes clear, media literacy need not be tied to those topics. Media literacy skills can, and should, be applied across all disciplines.

With all this in mind, a flexible and adaptable approach to Media Literacy Week is ideal for a public library setting. Here are three ideas to consider.

1. Incorporate the principles of media literacy education into any existing programming. Critical thinking, the ability to encode and decode symbols, and analyzing messages is at the heart of media literacy education. No matter the subject matter of an existing program—health, science, literature, current events—if you include one or more of those skills it will be tied to media literacy. Find a wealth of resources on the NAMLE website, many of which could be adapted for a library program.
2. Examine the film version of a novel, comparing the portrayals, time periods, audiences, meanings, etc. This could easily be adapted depending on the size or age range of a group. You could incorporate it into an existing book discussion group, or create a standalone program. Discussion is key: What different messages do each of the mediums communicate? Why did the creator(s) decide to present them the way that they did?
3. Hold a program about advertising to discuss how messaging differs among various mediums. Younger audiences could create collages (page 17) from magazine ads and learn to distinguish between products (candy), brands (M&Ms) and companies (Mars, Inc.). Teens or adult audiences could be interested in hearing from area marketing professionals, who could present examples of their work and discuss the process of creating messages to sell different products. If your library has the equipment and staff capacity, host a program to create digital or video ads or PSA’s and share them on your library’s social media.

Any organization is welcome to contribute to Media Literacy Week efforts. Visit http://medialiteracyweek.us for tips and ideas, or reach out to medialiteracyweek@namle.net to learn more about participating.

Before, during, and after Media Literacy Week, the skills of critical thinking can be helpful educational components to add to your library program. Comment here to share any successful program tips you have!

The post Library Program Ideas for Media Literacy Week 2017 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

In Librarian Takes It Off in the Stacks, Goes Viral, I left off with some unanswered questions: How do public libraries teach information literacy? How do they incorporate it into their programming? In “Fighting Fake News,” Marcus Banks spotlights an eight-week training course in community journalism for high school students hosted by the Dallas Public Library called “Storytellers without Borders.” Programs like this exist for college and high school students, but what about everyone else? How do public librarians reach the rest of the population?

As librarians, we approach each and every question with the utmost professionalism. We cover all perspectives of a subject and gather multiple sources so our researchers can come to the most truthful conclusion. But in our hyperconnected, networked world, where information flows freely to devices with the tap of a finger, librarians are no longer the gatekeepers of information. Promoting our detective-like information-finding skills is important so people know they can still turn to us when Google can’t cough up a good answer.

I have put together some innovative ways librarians can shine the light on reference services and continue to be the super info-professionals in their communities:

The Roaming Reference Librarian

Visit with some of your regular patrons while they are roaming the stacks or in front of a computer, like the Chattanooga Public Library did. Let them know you are promoting the library’s reference and research services and would be happy to help them research any topic above and beyond what they have found on Google. Equip yourself with a tablet in one hand (and perhaps a pencil behind your ear to look official). You may not get any takers on your first round, but continue to do that for a few weeks, and they will soon seek you out with their advanced research questions.

Straight from the Source: Government Documents

Librarians can continue to grow civic-minded communities by highlighting both local and national government documents. Rather then read editorialized and possibly skewed (maybe fake) news, show your patrons how to get theirs directly from the source by following presidential executive orders, memorandums, and proclamations. Logs like the Congressional Record and the Federal Register help us keep up with congressional activities and proposed rules, final rules and public notices, respectively. Since combing through these sites is often time-consuming, teach your patrons how to utilize the site’s search alerts and social media feeds; ”like” or ”follow” to import the sites into Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram feeds.

Set the Record Straight with Database Content

By using social media streams, librarians can help set the record straight by offering multiple sources from the library’s premium databases. Yes, you can actually share full-text news and articles from some of the subscription-based databases in your digital collection—look for the “share” symbol! Sharing articles with the library’s social media fans promotes the vetted, trustworthy, but often underused resources and helps to validate the librarian’s role in the information space. Be mindful of your sources’ political leanings by providing balanced perspectives and viewpoints or sticking to middle-of-the road publications.

Gamification: Escape from the Library

By getting creative with gaming in the library, librarians can teach critical thinking skills that lead to scrutinizing sources and finding accurate information. One way to accomplish that is to create an escape locked in a room at the library. Escape rooms are physical adventure games in which a team is given a series of puzzles to solve and questions to answer in a limited time. A team may unlock one room only to enter a second room and answer additional questions. Escape rooms incorporate engaging elements such as collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity, which make them very popular with all ages.

I hope these ideas are just a start for you to engage further with your community and position librarians at the center of the information revolution. This is a great opportunity for librarians to flex their info-muscles and help our communities develop information and media literacy skills so they are better prepared to digest and think critically about the world around them.

I welcome your comments, questions and thoughts about innovative ways librarians can fight fake news in their libraries.

Further Reading

“Before The Internet, Librarians Would ‘Answer Everything’ — And Still Do,” npr.org, December 28, 2014.

See how they did it in Chattanooga Public Library: Meredith Levine, “A Roving Reference Assessment in Teen Services,” Public Libraries Online, January 21, 2016.

Katie O’Reilly, “Libraries on Lockdown: Escape rooms, a breakout trend in youth programming,” American Libraries, September 1, 2016.

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