fake news Archives | Page 2 of 2 | American Libraries Magazine

Fake News or Free Speech: Is There a Right to be Misinformed?

By Carli V. Lowe | June 25, 2018

Long before the session was due to begin, every seat was full. Attendees were sitting on the floor and more were standing along the walls. Moderated by Director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom James LaRue, this panel featured Nicole Cooke from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Damaso Reyes from The News Literacy Project, Joyce Valenza … Continue reading Fake News or Free Speech: Is There a Right to be Misinformed? →

2017 Year in Review

By the editors of American Libraries | January 2, 2018

Saving Federal Funding Thanks to extensive grassroots efforts by ALA members, in September the Senate Appropriations Committee approved an increase of $4 million in funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, all of which would go to the formula-based Grants to States program. The bill also included increased funding in FY2018 for a … Continue reading 2017 Year in Review →

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Fighting Fake News

August 1, 2017

Host and AL Associate Editor Phil Morehart talks with Joanna Burkhardt, fake news expert, professor and director of the University of Rhode Island branch libraries, and author of Teaching Information Literacy Reframed: 50+ Framework-Based Exercises for Creating Information-Literate Learners, about the history of fake news and its pernicious presence in today’s media landscape. Next, Dewey Decibel … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Fighting Fake News →

Navigating Fake News

By Phil Morehart | June 25, 2017

A standing room-only crowd gathered Sunday at the 2017 American Library Association Annual Conference to learn how to combat fake news and teach truthful media literacy. Joanna Burkhardt, professor and director of the University of Rhode Island branch libraries and author of Teaching Information Literacy Reframed: 50+ Framework-Based Exercises for Creating Information-Literate Learners (ALA-Neal Schuman, … Continue reading Navigating Fake News →

Fake news (illustration by Rebecca Lomax/American Libraries)

Fighting Fake News

By Marcus Banks | December 27, 2016

Given the care that librarians bring to this task, the recent explosion in unverified, unsourced, and sometimes completely untrue news has been discouraging, to say the least. According to the Pew Research Center, a majority of US adults are getting their news in real time from their social media feeds. These are often uncurated spaces … Continue reading Fighting Fake News →

Latest Library Links

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Caitlin Hobbs writes: “There are now a lot of ethical schools of thought out there—more than just Socrates—and it can be a little scary to try to get through them, especially considering the jargon they use. Here, I’ve put my degree to good use by collecting some books on ethics, written with the common person in mind, to help get you started with ethical thinking.”

Book Riot, Aug. 2
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As of August 8, ALA has begun accepting education program proposals for its next Annual Conference and Exhibition, to be held in Chicago June 23–27, 2023. Proposals will be accepted through a single submission site for all ALA divisions, round tables, committees, and offices. The deadline to submit content is midnight Eastern on September 16. For more information, consult the FAQ at alaannual.org.

ALA Conference Services, Aug. 5
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Roy Rivenburg writes: “More than half of America’s 9,000 public library districts now lend nontraditional objects, says Maria McCauley, president of the Public Library Association. Many have also revamped their event calendars to include such programs as punk rock aerobics, speed dating, cow milking demonstrations, and indoor miniature golf. The beyond-books trend began, depending on who is asked, either a decade ago in Sacramento, California, or in the 1800s, most notably in Braddock, Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh suburb whose library featured a boxing ring, eight billiards tables, a swimming pool, a bowling alley, a game room, and a 964-seat music hall with cushioned opera chairs.”

The Christian Science Monitor, Aug. 3; American Libraries feature, June 2017
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On August 9, the ALA Executive Board issued a statement in response to proposed state legislation that would censor library materials or put at risk the library workers who provide access to information, including information about reproductive health care. “ALA stands committed to the free, fair, and unrestricted exchange of ideas and the right of library patrons to seek information free from observation or unwanted surveillance by the government or other third parties, in accordance with the law and the US Constitution,” the statement reads. “The passage of [recent state legislation prohibiting abortion]—and proposals to adopt similar legislation in other states—has prompted concerns that provisions within those bills may be used to pursue criminal or civil charges against library workers.”

AL: The Scoop, Aug. 9; ALA, Aug. 9
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ALA will hold its 2022 Virtual Volunteer Fair from 3–5 p.m. Central on September 14. The fair is an opportunity for ALA members to speak with committee members and staff liaisons in breakout rooms and learn about the ALA groups that are offering volunteer opportunities. ALA members can drop in and out of the event as needed, but registration is required. A schedule and list of breakout sessions will be sent to registered attendees prior to the event.

ALA Governance, Aug. 8
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Nell Clark reports: “An ornate pencil drawing of a dragon; a floral postcard congratulating a 40th birthday, never mailed; a silver crochet hook. All of these items share a connection: They were left behind in books returned to the Oakland (Calif.) Public Library. Librarian Sharon McKellar collects the found artifacts and posts them in a collection titled Found in a Library Book. McKellar was fascinated by the things she’d find at the library and the anonymous glimpses into people’s lives they offered. She thought the public may be interested too, so nearly 10 years ago she began adding found items to the library’s website.”

NPR: Morning Edition, Aug. 2
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Alec Schemmel writes: “A public library in Oregon plans to hold a donation kickoff Thursday to launch a local high school’s gender-affirming closet, which will offer clothes, makeup, and accessories to transgender students. Driftwood Public Library in Lincoln City, Oregon, has set up a wishlist for those who can’t attend Thursday’s donation drive. Included on the wishlist were chest-binders and TransTape, fake eyelashes, makeup, underwear, and other clothing. ‘Many students that are transgender and/or nonbinary are not supported by their parents nor can showcase it with their daily clothing choices,’ reads the Driftwood Public Library’s website. ‘These students will be able to go into the closet and take anything that they may need to identify however they are comfortable within their clothing. It will also have makeup brochures and different resources that they can reach out to.’”

KOMO-TV (Seattle), Aug. 3

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