Media Literacy for Adults: Civics
What is civic information and what role does the library play in providing access to it? Join us for a free webinar on the important role libraries play in the civic life of their patrons and how that role is shaped.
Join us for a free webinar as part of our series on Media Literacy in the Library.
What is civic information and what role does the library play in providing access to it? Join Laura Saunders of Simmons University School of Library and Information Science for a webinar on the important role libraries play in the civic life of their patrons and how that role is shaped.
View other webinars in this series and download the practitioner's guide.
Learning Outcomes
Participants will:
- Learn about the big ideas associated with civics including safe spaces, freedom of information, civility and the marketplace of ideas
- Learn how accountability and trust factor into the library’s role in civic life
- Be given program ideas and starters on the subject such as hosting civic conversations and facilitating access to civic and government information
Resources
Media Literacy Education in Libraries for Adult Audiences is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services grant LG-13-19-0089-19.
Laura Saunders is an associate professor at Simmons University School of Library and Information Science. She teaches and conducts research in the areas of reference and instruction, information literacy, and has a strong interest in the connections between information literacy and the spread of misinformation or “fake news,” and social justice issues related to libraries. In April of 2018 she ran the Know News symposium, which brought together 80 librarians, journalists and allied professionals to discuss collaborative responses to the challenges of misinformation.
Her articles have appeared in a variety of journals including College & Research Libraries, The Journal of Academic Librarianship, and Reference & User Services Quarterly. She has written two books: Information Literacy as a Student Learning Outcome: The Perspective of Institutional Accreditation and Repositioning Reference: New Methods and New Services for a New Age co-authored with Lily Rozaklis and Eileen Abels. Laura has a PhD and a Master of Library and Information Science, both from Simmons College, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Boston University. She serves as a Trustee for the Somerville Public Library in Somerville, MA.
