MLA 2018 - Fake News in a Fact-Averse World.

The 2018 MLA conference hosted a variety of presentations that provided valuable information and practical applications for public librarians. 

One session that was a highlight for me was Fake News in a Fact-Averse World.  This thought provoking class, presented by Andrea Rice from Queen Anne’s County Library argued that librarians are on the front lines in terms of informing their patrons about what she called “media literacy.”  She mentioned a startling statistic that in one poll 64% of the respondents were confused as to what constitutes accurate news.

Ms. Rice also discussed how the ability to fact check can also be seen as a generational phenomenon – with Gen Xers better equipped to verify information sources than Millennials and Baby Boomers. 

She provided a number of resources for information professionals to assist in helping to verify sources.  Some of her preferred tools included:  Allsides, Media Matters, Fact Check, Open Secrets, Politifact, & The Sunlight Foundation.  Ms. Rice also proposed a technique called “triangulation,” or the use of two additional sources to help in verifying a piece of information.

Ms. Rice also discussed the concept known as “click bait,” where sensational stories are fabricated simply because they attract a lot of attention and therefore are popular with advertisers.

She pointed out that the term “fake news” is frequently used by people as a tactic to dismiss something that they are inclined not to agree with in the first place.  “Confirmation Bias” is the notion that we tend to stick to our pre conceived beliefs when it comes to trusting a news source.  This is why Ms. Rice embraces what she calls “media literacy” as a more methodological approach for information professionals (and the public) to help determine the validity of news items – and tell the difference between fact and fabrication.

Greg Fromme
Herring Run Branch

PLA 2018: The Accidental Trainer: Teaching Technology in a Modern Day Library

So often as programming librarians we create our own presentations for workshops from scratch. I have found over the years that had I checked online I would have had a nearly there version that could have cut down on planning time while still being a high quality, unique program. Even so, putting together a detailed and intentionally educational program can be quite time-consuming. This is especially the case for librarians responsible for prioritizing the needs of patrons approaching their desks in addition to planning programs. There may be a few minutes here and there for planning but no dependable blocks of time. Creating materials for teaching technology and computer skills is just as time consuming.  

Fortunately, in 2015, the staff at Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, IL developed a grant funded digital literacy toolkit for trainers.  This initiative continues via a partnership with the Public Library Association. The toolkit consists of an instructor’s guide and all necessary materials for each computer course. The toolkit is valuable because they follow best practices for quality e-learning content development. The trainer website can be found at https://training.digitallearn.org/  and the learner website is https://digitallearn.org/ .

During The Accidental Trainer workshop, I realized the importance of ensuring busy librarians have structured tools for creating programs and workshops that lessen the burden of planning, yet provide the freedom to add important personalized details.

Here are some of the highlights of the DigitalLearn Trainer website:

• Includes a content outline and agenda, topics, talking points and a step by step guide.

• Provides templates to create your own Powerpoint presentations and videos using Articulate Storyline software.

• Provides handouts that include screenshots to give to patrons in addition to a well-designed survey for evaluation of the course.
• Provides complete course material for relevant topics addressing hardware, software and applications, Google tools, Microsoft tools, resumes, social media and more. One course example is entitled: Learn how to build your own computer and perform basic computer repairs in this three-part, hands-on series https://training.digitallearn.org/courses/all-about-computers.

Rose Anne Ullrich
Info. Services

Spice Up a Program with a Dash of Literacy

Spice Up a Program with a Dash of Literacy

YALSA Webinar presented by Kelly Czarnecki of Charlotte, NC
 Sep 6, 2016

Ms. Czarnecki presented 5 specific forms of literacy that can be relatively easily incorporated into programming for tweens and teens: 

·         Critical—critical thinking skills

·         Cultural—multicultural, multiethnic, etc.

·         Digital—the use of digital devices as well as social media, the internet, etc.),

·         Information—identify, locate, evaluate and effectively use information

·         Print literacy—following print instructions such as a recipe

and

·         Multiple literacies—incorporation of more than one literacy into a program.

She clarified that there certainly more literacies than she enumerated but did not list them.  These 5 are certainly wide-ranging and allow for a great deal of innovation and interaction.

Many of her examples were quite involved in time, planning and execution (Turn It Up  Teen Radio, SCRATCH (a game-maker tool from MIT at https://scratch.mit.edu/ ), QR Code Scavenger Hunt, Kitchen Chemistry, Cotton Club-esque talent show, etc.

However, we at RLN have some experience with interactive bulletin boards and scavenger hunts – both part of her “self-directed” programming.  Below is a photo of the bulletin board we put up at RLN for Black History Month that shows the influence of this webinar.  Jay pulled articles and headlines from the online database for The Baltimore Afro-American and created an appealing bulletin board that includes instructions on how to access the databases. 

After discussing the ideas with Stefanie Thomas, the children’s librarian, we think we may be able to incorporate some of the literacies into activity sheets (scavenger hunts, bulletin board displays, maker space programs, etc.) that we hope to tie into this summer’s SRP themes and use during the SRP.  

Julie Johnson
Roland Park Branch

You can view the webinar at :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceGcnPWhbTo

ALA 2016 - Libraries and Community

ALA Annual placed a large focus on inclusion of patrons from all walks of our communities, whether or not they fit into our majority demographic. From collection development practices to programming development, attendees were encouraged to listen and learn from their patrons.

I attended so many inspiring programs, but my top three were:

• We Need Diverse Books and More: This panel - which included authors and scholars - discussed best practices for creating a truly diverse collection of voices in YA and children’s departments. Librarians were encouraged to investigate books for authenticity and strive to include characters who have intersectional identities.
• Literacy Inside and Out: When one member of a family is incarcerated, it has a lasting effect on the entire family. How can we serve our community members during and after incarceration? One excellent program idea came from the Hennepin County Library: their program, Read to Me, allows incarcerated parents read a children’s book and record it on a disc for their child.
• YALSA’s President’s Program: Grant recipients presented inclusive programs they created for young adults, including teen parents, GLBTAQ youth, and teens who are blind.

If I had to choose one key piece of advice that echoed throughout every program, it is the importance of building your library according to your entire community. While we think we know what our community wants, we should never assume we’re doing the right thing. No event should be planned without input from your target audience; creating space for dialogue and listening without judgment is the key to creating lasting community relationships.

Rebecca Starr

Information Services