Beyond Books: News, literacy and democracy in America's libraries


Journalism That Matters, the MIT Center for Future Civic Media, the American Library Association, the Media Giraffe Project and the New England News Forum
April 6-7, 2011
http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/index.php/Biblionews#SUGGESTED_SCHEDULE

To develop the concept of libraries as community information centers beyond books and facilitating citizen journalism. Librarians want to expand public access to accurate information, particularly local news. So do journalists. Each is facing diminishing resources.

n a number of communities, the ability of newspapers to provide local community information is declining. At the same time, informal sources of local information are rapidly increasing. What are libraries doing to foster improved access to community information in the context of these changes?

Libraries and legacy media always shared a common purpose -- helping us acquire the information we need to be engaged, informed (and entertained) citizens. But they used different tools -- newspapers, broadcast stations and books. Now they all share the web, information technology and increasingly a mission -- fostering civic engagement and literacy.

As the tools and mission converge, it's time to ask: "What's possible at the intersection of libraries and journalism that serves the information needs of communities and democracy?"

We chose those dates -- a Wednesday evening and full day on Thursday -- because that's immediately before the National Conference for Media Reform (NCMR), also in Boston. And you can register once for Beyond Books and be cross-registered to NCMR -- for one package price of only $175 between now and Feb. 28 -- almost four days of sessions and networking!

How can libraries, educational institutions and reporters/editors collaborate using the web to foster the values, principles and purposes of journalism?

How might public, university and school libraries expand their role as community information centers to inspire and perhaps equip citizens who want to practice and support the values, principles and purposes of journalism?