Library Instruction West 2014

The reconsideration of information literacy as a more fundamental, relevant, day-to-day skillset is part of the ACRL Standards Revision conversation. The media saturation of contemporary life and growth of social networking make it ever more important that people become critical evaluators and creators of information. Students need be able to participate thoughtfully in the exchange of information whether via social networking, blogs, comment sections, or at the dinner table. At the University of West Georgia two librarians have created a credit-bearing course focusing on media literacy that cultivates this ability, introducing students to the process of finding, using, and evaluating information through examining non-academic media and news texts.

This session will demonstrate the use of popular culture (e.g., political blogs, news pundit shows, and podcasts) as a cost-effective, relevant, renewable resource to cultivate and instill “real-life” information literacy skills.