Reflection on Hyperlinked Communities: The Hyperlinked Electorate
By epistolary_acumen
In Assignment X, I bemoaned the tragic state of politics and the lack of civic literacy across the nation and in my own community. I introduced an idea of developing a program that links civic literacy and adult library patronage. A facet of this issue is the pervasiveness of misinformation and voter manipulation, and I believe that lack of civic knowledge combined with vulnerability to bad faith media is largely responsible for the chaos we face as a nation at the present moment. In the Hyperlinked Communities module, I found a number of resources that supported both my observations and my interest in solutions.
A 2022 study of Facebook users’ online behaviors during the 2016 election contest, showed that, regardless of political affiliation, the sharing of fake news was seven times more likely in users aged 65 and older than in users aged 18-29 (Guess et al., n.d. as cited in Casas et al., 2022). A team of researchers from Indiana University East (IUE) and Indiana University Northwest (IUN) launched a series of information literacy workshops in collaboration with Senior University, an IUN program that provides educational, social, and engaged learning opportunities to seniors (persons aged 55 and over)” (Casas et al., 2022). The workshops delivered important data for developing information curriculum for seniors such as the fact that seniors are less likely than other groups to patronize the library and the difficulty of reaching conservatives in a way that supports them in confronting their own personal responsibility in the fake news cycle.
Addressing the first point is likely far easier than the second. Many cities that have their own libraries may also have Recreation centers with senior programming. Church groups may also be good potential partners for networking. As for the second, and for me what feels like a monumental challenge, Meggitt suggests as their number one tip for teaching a first information literacy course, to “get to know” one’s students (2010). I struggle socially to begin with, and when I am faced with someone who is entrenched in ideologies I disagree with, I often seek to avoid conversation. There are many ways to combat this personal deficit. I can seek out partners who are experts in the topic, and I can seek out models to help me prepare an atmosphere that encourages respectful discourse. Dixon recognizes “Let’s Talk” events hosted by the Richland Libraries’ Social Awareness task Force that offers neutral and moderated ground for difficult community conversations and attributes its success to “dialogue guidelines, the mission statement, and the value of patient listening” (2017).
Both Stephens (2019) and Dixon (2017) reflect on food as a powerful community builder, and who am I to argue? Although, maybe it doesn’t even need to be a full meal, just a cup of tea and “service steeped in humanism, compassion, and understanding” (Garcia-Febo, 2018).
References
Casas, N. A., Lowe, K., Johnson, P. M., & Smith, A. (2022). Seniors Seeking Information: Creating an Information Literacy Workshop for the Elderly to Fight Against Fake News and Misinformation. LOEX 48th National Conference, Online. https://commons.emich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=loexconf2020
Dixon, J. A. (2017, October 15). Convening Community Conversations. Library Journal, 41–44.
Guess, A., Nagler, J., & Tucker, J. (n.d.). Less than you think: Prevalence and predictors of fake news dissemination on Facebook. Science Advances, 5(1), eaau4586. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aau4586
Meggitt, M. (2010). 10 Tips for Teaching Your First Information Literacy Course | New Member Round Table. New Members Round Table, 39(4). https://www.ala.org/nmrt/news/footnotes/may2010/ten_tips_for_teaching_first_info_literacy_meggitt
Stephens, M. T. (2019). Wholehearted librarianship: Finding hope, inspiration, and balance. ALA Editions.