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Forum Question

In a world of disinformation, social media, and “alternative facts,” how do you identify and vet credible information sources? How do you share those credible sources with students and public library users? What is a librarian’s role in helping the greater community find common ground in shared facts?

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February 10th, 2021

Reflection and Action

There are so many moving parts with which to work in helping the greater community find common ground in shared facts. Beliefs and community values, social/family connections and identity/place play a big role. Shared facts in a community will always rub against or coalesce with those in mind. To be effective, the public library first needs to build trust as a respected and reliable resource within that community.
Opportunities for the public library to build trust as the go-to place for the most reliable information include engaging/partnering with community organizations, grass roots networks and schools, and using social…

Tags: Accuracy, critical thinking, media literacy, Public trust, Sources

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February 9th, 2021

Start'em young and use their tools

I have worked in all types of libraries...academic, public, military, and public school. Teaching information literacy is crucial, but I also think it's is vital we use the tools our patrons use. I found that my high school students responded much better and demonstrated deeper understanding when I used social media apps in my lessons rather than the typical tools of a librarian. I still used databases, etc, but my students only engaged when I first used the apps like twitter to demonstrate the credibility (or lack thereof) and authority of tweets on a variety of topics. We talked about…

Tags: misinformation, Social media, Twitter

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February 9th, 2021

Comprehensive research guide for media/news literacy resources

I've learned about so many new-to-me resources through posts on this Forum. It has been great having this opportunity to learn from all the librarians here! It got me thinking about LibGuides--or other research guides--for media/news literacy resources. I'm aware of some that focus on specific grade levels or subjects, but not any that aim to be truly comprehensive and compile quality, up-to-date resources for media/news literacy (as an umbrella term). Is anyone aware of any? I'd appreciate any recommendations.

If this doesn't yet exist, I'd like to suggest it as an idea for the thought leaders…

Tags: information literacy, media literacy

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February 9th, 2021

When information clashes with disinformation

I was recently reflecting on a conversation I had with one of my student a short while back. I was lecturing on a topic of general interest when a hand went up. "Where did you get that from?", asked a student. The "that" in which they were referring to was a particular source of information on the topic at hand. Granted, I was somewhat proud that this student was asking a preliminary yet vital question in the vetting process, but I knew where the conversation was heading. "That's not what I heard" was their next comment.

The…

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February 9th, 2021

Can Resources Pass the Litmus Test for Validity?

Identifying reliable data relies directly on who authored the information. I recently attended an online training on Zoom. One of the presenters spoke about compiling information for a speech presentation. She remarked, "One does not have to go to the library when you have all the information you need on the computer." Yes, it's convenient to access from home; however, is the data obtained from a reliable resource? Internet websites do not necessarily provide us with the most authoritative information.
Primarily librarians are the best skilled in knowing the criteria for trustworthy information. They can create library website…

Tags: Accuracy

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