In March, ALSC and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) co-hosted a Community Forum live chat on digital literacy and digital citizenship for children in libraries. The forum addressed the questions: 1) With library and education funding and policy in question, who is teaching children information literacy–where, and how? and 2) From “fake news,” to new privacy concerns, to government “data rescue” and the threat to intellectual freedom with loss of data and access to broadband, what on-the-ground strategies can library staff in public and school libraries employ to prepare children to be digitally literate citizens?
Even if you missed the forum, you can still benefit from the conversation. The archived webcast is available for viewing. A transcript of the chat is also available.
Special opportunity for ALA/ALSC members
The National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) is holding its 11th national conference June 26-28 in Chicago at Roosevelt University. The conference, “Engaging Citizens, Building Community,” will explore the relationships between media literacy education, civic participation, and community-building within contemporary culture. Scholars, educators, media professionals, students, and activists interested in furthering media literacy will be in attendance.
NAMLE invites ALA and ALSC members to stay over in Chicago after the ALA Annual Conference to participate in their conference. This is an opportunity to continue the learning in Chicago and connect with professionals in the media literacy community. Early bird registration for the NAMLE conference is open until May 5. ALA/ALSC members are welcome to take advantage of the PreK-12 educator rate. Any questions? Please contact namle@namle.net.
Importance of Digital Citizenship
In our increasingly technological world, cyber-bullying, digital footprints, and digital literacy are issues that affect young digital natives as well as their digital-immigrant parents. Librarians play an important role, along with other community partners, in helping prepare all family members to become safe, responsible, and effective stewards of the online world.