Minnesota Library Professional Development Network

We are excited to announce the launch of a year-long campaign to support libraries as they grapple with today’s fractured and challenging media landscape.

Campaign Goals

This campaign will help Minnesota library staff:

Understand how people navigate the media and information landscape, and how forces within that landscape influence their navigation.
Learn how to build reflection and intentionality into their information consumption.
Gain strategies for working with their communities on intentional approaches to information consumption.

Campaign Description

Campaign partners will help organize and lead a series of online webinars and conversations, and gather existing tools and resources for sharing. The campaign will include:

Invited speakers external to the library community on topics such as misinformation, filter bubbles, radicalism, and media literacy.
An open invitation for speakers from within the Minnesota library community on best practices in information literacy instruction and programming.
An on-demand collection of resources for libraries.

Events

Upcoming Events

For/Against/Neutral Assignment: A Collaboration between Librarians and Instructional Technologists – Sarah Gewirtz and Ethan Wittrock
Feb. 2, 2022 – 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Register Here

Combating Media Nihilism with Intergenerational Discussion – Elissah Becknell & Rebecca March
Thursday, February 24, 2022 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Register Here

Past Events
Uncovering the Truth in a News Desert – Penny Abernathy
Nov. 10, 2021 – 1:00-2:00 PM
Recording

Faith and Fake News: Helping Churches Address Misinformation – Rachel Wightman
Oct. 14, 2021 – 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Recording

What’s New in Digital Citizenship – Mary Mehsikomer
Oct. 5, 2021 – 3:00-4:00 PM
Recording

Civically Engaging Young Adults Through Media Literacy Education – Jimmeka Anderson
Sept. 14, 2021 – 1:00-2:00 PM
Recording

Upholding Journalism Ethics and Standards – Dave Hage & Kelly Smith
Sept. 9, 2021 – 3:00-4:00 PM
Recording

Using News Literacy to Make Sense of the Current Media Landscape – Michael A. Spikes
May 25, 2021 – 2:00-3:00 PM
Recording

Critical Thinking and Evaluating Information – Lisa Hinz
May 5, 2021 – 1:00-2:00 PM
Recording
Resources

Deepfakes and the Misinformation Landscape – John Mack Freeman
April 13, 2021 – 1:00-2:00 PM
Recording
Discussion Questions

Navigating a World Full of Propaganda – Renee Hobbs
March 23, 2021 – 1:00-2:00 PM
Recording
Slides and More – Media Education Lab
Discussion Questions

23 Things

This new series of mini-courses, created by the seven Minnesota Multitype Library Systems (Multitypes), meets the needs of Minnesota library staff by helping them understand how their users navigate the present media and information landscape, and how forces within that landscape influence their navigation.

It is designed to help library staff engage more deeply with the issues and concepts addressed in the Media Landscapes Campaign. By working together through these Things, we will all have a greater understanding of disinformation, information/digital literacy, and how to address these issues in various ways and in various library settings.

You can find more information, registration, and the mini-courses here: Media Landscapes: 23 Things

Call for Proposals

We are looking for Minnesota librarians and educators to share their expertise, best practices, and programming ideas related to information and media literacy. If you are interested in offering a presentation as part of this campaign, please let us know!

Resources