Metaliteracy has been a hot topic in the library world. In their paper “Proposing a Metaliteracy Model to Redefine Information Literacy,” Jacobson and Mackey define metaliteracy as a “comprehensive model for information literacy to advance critical thinking and reflection…” In fact, this paper examines how metaliteracy is dependent upon many similar literacies interacting together in order to succeed with 21st century learning. Accepting this thinking leads me to believe that if being literate in multiple, inter-connected ways is necessary to succeed in the 21st century; then multiple-interconnected illiteracies will also stack making success more difficult for individuals.

Being computer illiterate creates challenges that public librarians are very familiar with. Basic illiteracy creates challenges that public librarians are very familiar with. Dealing with patrons who suffer from both is exponentially challenging. Most directions are written out and low literacy and reading comprehension can render a person unable to follow basic steps. Being computer illiterate means the patron is unaware of the different tools available online and the way that they interconnect. Printing out a form becomes more challenging when the person does not know the many, many different ways to copy and paste, download files, or the various formats documents can come in.

Much discussion revolving around the digital divide focuses on matching low-income patrons with technology so that they can meet the demands that our technology centered society has. The digital divide impedes job hunting, medical and financial literacy, and staying in contact with loved ones. Nevertheless, there are a plethora of nonprofits and government programs that provide low to no cost technology to the impoverished. Public libraries are also a measure against an increasing digital divide. According to PEW research, “In this survey, 29% of library-using Americans 16 and older said they had gone to libraries to use computers, the internet, or a public Wi-Fi network. (That amounts to 23% of all Americans ages 16 and above.)” A list of groups who provide technology will be found at the end of this post.

Connecting patrons to devices is not the issue that public libraries must face. It is a patron’s inability to understand the multiple, inter-connected issues that life online creates that puts them at risk. These meta-illiteracies create circumstances where patrons’ multiple illiteracies increase. Not being able to do online banking or schedule medical appointments and see test results online creates situations where patrons who used to gain these literacies in person, are unable to follow their finances or health trends and lose their medical and health literacies. Not having these literacies ultimately make a patron vulnerable to phishing, scamming, and identity theft. As the Nielson Norman Group points out, “Because they lack the initiative and skill to take matters into their own hands, some users remain at the mercy of other people’s decisions.”

The challenge that public libraries face is how to overcome the meta-illiteracies afflicting our patrons, especially if they are technology resistant. Every library I have worked at has offered computer classes and every one stopped hosting them because patrons did not attend them. At my current library, we utilize volunteers as tech guides who sit with patrons one on one and assist them with personal devices and using library resources. This is very convenient for basic tasks, but becomes more challenging with more personalized information. A patron once asked our tech guide to set up their online banking. The tech was not comfortable with that, and I cannot blame them. Knowing so much detail about a stranger’s personal life makes for uncomfortable situations. I also know of libraries that offer patrons the opportunity to book a librarian. This is similar to the tech guides at my current library and would suffer similar problems with personal information.

I believe that the solution lies in providing STEM education for adults. According to Anne Jolly of Educator Week, “STEM develops a set of thinking, reasoning, teamwork, investigative, and creative skills that students can use in all areas of their lives.” In her article Six Characteristics of a Great STEM Lesson, she states that the sixth characteristic is “STEM lessons allow for multiple right answers and reframe failure as a necessary part of learning.” The other characteristics also support meta-literacy; however, this aspect truly addresses meta-illiteracies. Once patrons understand that there are multiple ways to succeed and that initial failure is not a problem, learning technology and focusing on overcoming meta-illitercy becomes easier.

Technology Programs:
http://www.startgrants.com/free-government-laptops-for-low-income-families.php
https://freegovernmentcellphoneguide.com/free-cell-phone-companies-offer-smartphones/
https://www.pcsforpeople.org/
https://www.computerswithcauses.org/
https://computersforlearning.gov/htm/hp_eligibility.htm

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This article was emailed to me by no more than seven different people, and shared widely on social media, but I can’t help but feel we’re preaching to the proverbial choir. What was different about Nieman’s article is that she specifically called out how unhelpful it is when people tout the feel-good wistfulness of libraries of old: “If we allow ourselves to indulge in nostalgic middle-class ideas of quiet places and well-stuffed bookshelves, then we have failed to understand them too. In fact, we have endangered them.”³

Nieman argues that portraying libraries in this golden-hued light inadvertently labels them as a non-essential service. When deciding how to spend a shrinking municipal budget, a quiet haven for books palls in comparison to a new police car. Additionally, this representation of libraries of the past is simply not accurate. While books have been a mainstay of libraries since their inception, public libraries have always been institutions where those of lesser means can come and access resources and information. By not specifically highlighting how the work of public libraries impacts disadvantaged populations we’re simultaneously selling ourselves short, reinforcing the idea that libraries are for some and not all, and slowly but surely digging our own grave. Our advocacy must start getting real about who is using our libraries and for what reasons. A public building is intended for public use, and not just the version of the public that people feel comfortable being around. Our facilities, services, programming and materials should be able to be used by even the most marginalized in our societies. Otherwise we’re not doing our job and assisting in its demise.

The Pennsylvania Library Association recognized the need to assist libraries with reframing their advocacy to highlight the essential services that they provide. The PA Forward program leverages public-private partnerships to bring programming to libraries that address five literacies that are necessary to succeed in the 21st century. These literacies include Basic, Financial, Information, Civic & Social, and Health. When libraries demonstrate that their services, programs, and materials fit one of these literacies, their impact and value are demonstrated more clearly. By talking about story time as basic literacy instruction we elevate the work being done to its rightful position. The skills associated with these literacies are necessary for success in today’s world and we provide that support- for free! So, while it may be uncomfortable, I believe it is our duty to crawl into the dark corners of our communities, shine a light on their needs, and adjust our services to serve them. When we tell those stories, its harder to ignore our value. By doing this we’re remembering our whole community, and not just those that wax philosophical about the dusty shelves of their small-town library. There is value in that perspective, but it’s not the whole story.

References
1. The Age, “Libraries are About Democracy, Not Just Books,” by Christie Nieman, published 10/8/18. https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/libraries-are-about-democracy-not-just-books-20181009-p508k7.html. Accessed 10/19/18
2. The New York Times, “To Restore Civil Society, Start with the Library,” by Eric Klinenberg, published 9/8/18. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/08/opinion/sunday/civil-society-library.html. Accessed 10/19/18
3. Nieman, ibid.

The post Reframe Advocacy to Highlight Library’s Essential Services 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.

The post Creative Ways To Fight Fake News first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

In a recently completed study,[1] most tech-savvy students have a difficult time distinguishing between real and fake news, or identifying the author of an article, according to researchers at the Stanford History Education Group. Researchers began the study in January 2015, because there were few ways to assess how students evaluate online information.

When we understand what motivates people to disseminate false news or conjure up sensationalized headlines it helps us, as librarians, to identify such stories and address them using information literacy tactics. Oddly enough, many times, consumers do not distinguish articles as false if the topic resonates with their beliefs, so they lend much more credibility to it rather than news they do not agree with.

Greed, influence, persuasion, and power seem to fuel much of the fake news we are hearing about lately. We as consumers must think critically to identify fake or parody sites, opinion pieces, sites or articles with ideological slants, satirical sites, and typosquatting, not to mention sponsored ads that appear in the body of an otherwise credible source.

One of the main reasons people create fake news: money. A recent BBC article identified a small city in Macedonia where teenagers earned advertising dollars by creating fake news websites centered on the U.S. presidential campaign.[2] People make money by creating content and placing ad space on that content via services like Google AdSense. They use click bait articles to entice readers to click on links, share content, and boost the popularity of their pages, resulting in more ad revenue. Authors of these pages purchase Facebook ads to generate more clicks to the page. This is not a new trend and there are other iterations of it, but that is basically how it works.

Why does it pose such a challenge for us librarians?

Librarians have professional standards we abide by for reference services which include identifying the accuracy, currency, and authority of a source as well as uncovering any bias it may display. We know how to search and retrieve valuable information on the Internet as well as find vetted, trusted materials.

What public libraries can do right now is to promote themselves as experts in information literacy through programming (computer classes, webinars, in-library displays) in their libraries as well as promotion (via blog posts, e-mail newsletters, and especially social media). Create a meme that drives the point home!

As I mentioned earlier, there are many related issues and I will leave with some questions that I hope to answer in future posts, or perhaps you may comment below and collectively, we can find answers.

How can we get the trusted, vetted content public libraries pay so much for in front of our patrons?

If the dearth of school and teacher librarians continues, where do public libraries fit into teaching information literacy?

How do public libraries teach information literacy? How do they incorporate it into their programming?

For more information:

• Professional Competencies for Reference and User Services Librarians
• Stanford researchers find students have trouble judging the credibility of information online
• Teaching Information Literacy Now

References

[1] Stanford History Education Group, “Evaluating Information: The Cornerstone of Civic Online Reasoning” (executive summary, Los Angeles, 2016), 4–5.

[2] Emma Jane Kirby, “The city getting rich from fake news,” BBC News, December 5, 2016.

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