How the IMLS Is Improving Digital Literacy

Can you tell the difference between facts and misinformation online?

The Institute of Museum and Library Services' free online courses teach you how to spot fake news and find reliable information sources.

Nowadays, digital literacy is more important than ever, but there are still plenty of people out there who don’t yet have the skills they need. Though remedying the problem is a long and complex process, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, or IMLS, has taken the first steps with an assortment of online digital literacy resources. Here’s a quick overview of those resources, what they do, and why they matter.

 


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Online Digital Literacy Resources from IMLS

A lack of digital literacy skills isn’t localized to one age group or demographic; it affects countless Americans from different backgrounds. To work toward a solution, the IMLS has naturally designed its resources with all age groups in mind, with specific resources targeted more toward certain groups.

Of course, there are plenty of resources for children who now need to learn digital literacy skills alongside their overall literacy skills. These resources include a graphic novel about spotting real and fake information, computer science courses for elementary schoolers, and civic reasoning courses that teach children to identify and evaluate biases and falsehoods in the media they consume.

For adults, there is an even wider variety of options, from digital literacy fact sheets to lessons on how to use search engines effectively. There are also plenty of resources covering digital literacy in the context of the professional world and what it means to be an American worker in today’s digital age. They’re intended to be accessible to adults of all ages, levels of experience, and walks of life, so take a look and see if anything catches your eye!

 


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Why Does Digital Literacy Matter?

Of course, there’s one obvious question: Why does this all matter? The answer is simple: Technology is everywhere. As technology continues to play an increasingly important role in our lives, digital literacy skills will become crucial. 

Because so much information—both in the news and on social media—is spun and skewed to create outrage and deceive its viewers, it’s necessary to know how to discern what an author wants to say, what their goal is in saying it, and how their personal beliefs may lead to bias in the media they create. This also helps identify misinformation, which seems to become more prevalent by the day. 

Learning these skills will help defuse much of the tension in today’s political climate, which has flourished partly because some people are willing to believe anything that validates their preconceived notions. Showing people how to read critically teaches them to seek out the truth, ultimately leading to tolerance, if not unity—something that American society sorely needs today.

If you’d like to learn more about how libraries are working to improve both digital literacy and literacy as a whole, visit our Public Libraries feature page today!

 


 

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