91´«Ã½

CHICAGO — The 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½), in collaboration with the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University, invites public libraries to apply for Media Literacy @ Your Library, a pilot program that will train library workers to help their adult patrons become better news consumers.

In this six-month learning and prototyping project, 91´«Ã½ and the Center for News Literacy will work with teams from five public libraries to adapt existing media literacy training materials to serve the needs of public librarians and the communities they serve.

The cohort teams will attend an in-person training and use their skills to conduct related adult public programs in their communities. Team members will also provide feedback on the training and serve as advisers to, and beta testers for, the development of a corresponding web-based curriculum for the library field.

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Selected libraries will receive:

• An intensive six-month experience that will include training and support for a three-person library team to develop and implement media literacy programming for adult patrons.
• $1,500 for program-related expenses, such as travel, promotion and public programming costs.
• In-person media literacy workshop training, to be held on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017, in Chicago.
• Two nights’ hotel lodging and some meals at the in-person workshop for three library representatives. (Note that travel costs to Chicago are at the library’s expense or must be paid from the $1,500 stipend.)
• Communications support, access to a community of practice, and technical and programming support.

Media Literacy @ Your Library is supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Democracy Fund and the Rita Allen Foundation. The project is administered by 91´«Ã½’s Public Programs Office.

About the 91´«Ã½

The 91´«Ã½ is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with approximately 58,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the 91´«Ã½ is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

About the Center for News Literacy

Housed within the School of Journalism at Stony Brook University, the Center for News Literacy is the only university-level research and curriculum development institute in the United States teaching students how to use critical thinking skills to judge the reliability and credibility of news reports, whether they come via print, television, radio, the internet, or social media. The Center’s animating principle is that the ability of a nation’s citizens to judge the reliability and credibility of information will be a leading indicator of the public health of civil societies.

About Democracy Fund

The Democracy Fund is a bipartisan foundation established by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar to help ensure that our political system can withstand new challenges and deliver on its promise to the American people. Since 2011, Democracy Fund has invested more than $50 million in support of effective governance, modern elections, and a vibrant public square.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy.

About the Rita Allen Foundation

The Rita Allen Foundation invests in transformative ideas in their earliest stages to leverage their growth and promote breakthrough solutions to significant problems. It enables early-career biomedical scholars to do pioneering research, seeds innovative approaches to fostering informed civic engagement, and develops knowledge and networks to build the effectiveness of the philanthropic sector. Throughout its work, the Foundation embraces collaboration, creativity, learning and leadership. For more information, visit .