Analysis: A new project will train librarians to equip people with the knowledge and skills to navigate a media saturated age
Tech companies often describe their platforms as communities. This self-serving rhetoric makes them sound like quaint, self-governed entities when they are, of course, corporations that exploit their users for commercial gain. Online platforms are awash with scams, hatred, and conspiracy theories. If these spaces are communities, they are toxic ones—shaped not by collective values, but by algorithms that prioritise 'engagement'.
Public libraries are a refuge from this chaos. Libraries have long been spaces for learning and access to knowledge, but their role today goes far beyond borrowing books and providing internet access. They are beacons for all members of the community offering everything from storytelling and exhibitions to meeting rooms and language classes.
Some even have 3D printing and sensory rooms for people with autism or dementia. In effect, it is public libraries, not digital platforms, that exemplify the idea of a ‘third place’, places outside of the home and the workplace where we can converse with others and connect with our community.
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Libraries are also equipping people with the tools to navigate an increasingly complex world. In Ireland, the national strategy for public libraries aims to "develop every library in the country into a multi-purpose education and social space". Launching later this year, the Skills for Life programme will help people acquire essential skills in areas such as finance, health, sustainability, and media and information.
Those researching how to counter disinformation are now catching up with this vision for libraries. The past decade has seen an explosion of research and policy on effective ways to build resilience to online manipulation. Much has been written about using games to ‘pre-bunk’ manipulation before people encounter it, turning off recommendation algorithms and supporting journalism and factchecking. Even more will be written about Meta’s decision to abandon factchecking, a move that exemplifies why these platforms cannot be trusted to put the public interest first.
Media literacy, a concept first defined in the 1990s, has also experienced a resurgence of interest. Media literacy is an awkward term, but it is meant to capture the knowledge and skills we need to navigate our media saturated age. Historically, media literacy initiatives have largely focussed on schools, but this excludes large sections of the population. Moreover, calls to increase media literacy education largely ignore the fact that school curricula are overcrowded and the curriculum for teaching teachers is also overcrowded making it hard to embed media literacy in schools.
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But media literacy is a natural fit for librarians who are already skilled in evaluating information. Upskilling librarians is a realistic task and one that is now required by the national Skills for Life strategy. It is also a scalable model. If librarians are trained in media literacy, there are 330 library branches across the country which could cater to the specific needs of their communities.
A new project funded by the European Media and Information Fund will put this idea to the test. Media Literacy Community Connections (MIL CC) is coordinated by University Institute of Lisbon with Dublin City University (DCU) and Learn to Check as partners. In Ireland, DCU will work with the Local Government Management Agency, which oversees the public library system, to pilot and test a training course.
A key aim is to understand the needs of librarians and to understand how they can use media literacy to respond to the different needs and issues that arise in their local communities. In practice, the pilot project will provide librarians with knowledge about key topics (eg algorithms, AI) and key skills to analyse content (how to evaluate images).
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It will also provide guidance on how to design and deliver a media literacy event, following guidelines developed by the European Digital Media Observatory. Participating librarians will then be asked to design a media literacy event for their community. This is the crucial test. We need to know how to bring librarians to the point where they are confident to deliver effective learning events for the public.
Although there is much work to be done, the library-led approach to media literacy has great promise. Public libraries enjoy a unique level of trust that other institutions often lack. In the US, Pew Research consistently finds that libraries are among the most trusted sources of information in communities. A 2017 study of UK and Irish libraries reported similar findings. Trust is vital for countering disinformation. While many organisations and platforms attempt to promote media literacy, libraries hold the distinct advantage of being perceived as neutral and accessible.
People have different views and ideologies. Librarians know this and they know their communities
Crucially, the media literacy approach does not involve librarians telling people what to think or who to trust. It is about providing people with knowledge and skills to think for themselves. It can be assumed that people have different views and ideologies. Librarians know this and they know their communities, some of which may have specific challenges.
Librarians themselves have already encountered significant challenges. Following the lead of US protests, since 2022, direct action protests against inclusive LGBTQ+ material have been held in or outside Irish libraries. Of course, media literacy is not a solution to these problems, but a bottom up approach is necessary to any effort to reclaim and foster genuine community.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
