Over the past two years I have conducted interviews on fake news and misinformation with librarians, psychologist, journalist, and others for the Circulating Ideas podcast. I have done some writing related to our so-called “post truth” world as it relates to information literacy. To give myself some focus and to continue the conversations, I am sharing this post highlighting some of the things I have read and heard. Reason and reasoning are not intended to find capital “T” truth. For several decades, psychology and behavioral economics have shown us how our minds use shortcuts (heuristics) to make decisions. Psychologists such […]
Contributors Troy Swanson
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What do social media analytics tell us about fake news? How can these analytics help libraries and librarians? What is the Social Media Command Center? These are a few questions explored in my interview with Nathan Carpenter who is Director of Convergent Media for the School of Communication at Illinois State University. This interview is available at: Circulating Ideas episode 123: Nathan Carpenter. This interview is part of a series I am doing on fake news & information literacy. My previous interviews can be found here: Circulating Ideas episode 116: Laura Lauzen-Collins (Your Brain and Fake News) Circulating Ideas episode 113: […]
How do the ways your brain processes information contribute to the spread of fake news? How can we compensate for the short cuts we often take in processing information? What are the implications for librarians? These are a few of the questions psychologist Laura Lauzen-Collins helps us consider in my interview with her on the Circulating Ideas podcast. This interview is available at: Circulating Ideas episode 116: Laura Lauzen-Collins. This interview is part of a series I am doing on fake news & information literacy. My previous interviews can be found here: Circulating Ideas episode 113: Bill Badke (Fake News […]
Is expertise no longer relevant? What is the difference between expertise and authority? How do we introduce students to these ideas within a world where fake news is prevalent? These are some of questions answered by Bill Badke in my interview with him on the Circulating Ideas podcast. This interview is available at: Circulating Ideas episode 113: William Badke. William Badke is Associate Librarian at Trinity Western University, Canada, with responsibility for information resources and research training at the Associated Canadian Theological Schools. He is author of numerous articles and the widely used textbook, Research Strategies: Finding your Way through […]
As information disseminators, curators and creators, journalists and librarians often walk the same ground as these professions seek to serve communities. I was fortunate to interview Jeremy Shermak, Moody College of Communication Doctoral Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin about journalism, fake news, libraries, and “truth.” This interview is available at: Circulating Ideas Podcast episode 108: Jeremy Shermak. This interview is part of a series I am doing on fake news & information literacy. My first interview can be found here: Circulating Ideas episode 104: Lane Wilkinson. —————————– Troy A. Swanson is Department Chair and Teaching & Learning […]
On May 5, we held our 16th annual Information Literacy Summit in Illinois. This event is a partnership between Moraine Valley Community College Library and DePaul University Libraries. We are excited to share the keynote address by Wendy Holiday. This is an insightful talk that challenges us to think about how libraries, librarians, and information literacy connect to the curriculum in higher ed during challenging times. Boundaries and sovereignties: Placing students at the center of information literacy (keynote)
I was excited to be a guest host on the Circulating Ideas podcast where I interviewed Lane Wilkinson,Director of Library Instruction at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Listen to our conversation here: Circulating Ideas episode 104: Lane Wilkinson. Lane and I discussed how librarians relate to knowledge in a time of fake news and alternative facts. “How information contributes to knowledge should be of the utmost concern for librarians. After all, librarians have deep-rooted affinities for both information and knowledge-creation…Patrons do not want misinformation or disinformation; they do not want to be deceived” (Lane Wilkinson, “Theories of Knowledge in Library and […]
The Information Literacy Framework from ACRL presents a nationally recognized set of skills that can be used to demonstrate the value of individual academic libraries and groups of libraries that want to benchmark learning. This is true for all types of libraries including community colleges. The representatives from regional accrediting agencies who reviewed the Framework recognized and supported this use for the Framework. Those who claim that the Framework does not fill a role similar to the rescinded Information Literacy Standards misrepresent or misremember how the Standards were used. The Framework follows current thinking for learning models that do not […]
I am excited to share a link to an article I wrote in College & Research Libraries News, “Sharing the ACRL Framework with Faculty: Opening Campus Conversations.” Part of the reason that I put this article together is because I have heard from a few community college librarians who are concerned that the Framework does not work for 2-year colleges. They seem to be especially concerned that the Framework does not connect to career programs or developmental education. I have not found these concerns to be valid. My C&RLNews article linked above outlines a professional development course for faculty that I […]
I have written about the connections between journalism and libraries previously on this blog (see “The Relationship Model: What Journalism Can Teach Us“). The ways that society is interfacing with and consuming information are shaping both professions in parallel ways. This week I have stumbled upon two pieces that pull together journalism and librarianship and help orient both for the future. First amendment protections are one area where the journalism and librarianship have long shared philosophical connections. This is why when I read Barbara Fister’s brilliant insights on the PEN America report on free speech on college campuses I quickly shared her […]