We are getting back to our news blog so our users can subscribe to our posts and read some longer entries about the library and our activities. We will post stories from our quarterly newsletter and hope to launch our own podcast soon!
Are there stories you want to hear about? Questions about the library you want answered? Just make a comment or drop us a message to web@rhcl.org and we'll find the answers.
In the meantime, here is the Director Column from the Fall 2023 issue of our newsletter:
Readers Know Better
Reading gives you wider knowledge to help make decisions
How do we know what we know? How do we stay informed and learn new things?
In libraries, we call the ability to search for and locate information “information literacy.” Like all literacies, we are talking about the ways that we add stuff into our brains and then use that information to make good choices and lead better lives. But what happens when people can’t tell the difference between fact and opinion? When all statements are treated as equally important and valuable?
Freedom of speech is a bedrock of the American way of life. We value and honor our rights to read and think and say what we want, but this does not mean there are no limits. You can’t yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater if there is no fire because you could cause a panic and people could get hurt trying to exit. But the presence or absence of fire is pretty straightforward. What happens when we move into areas where it is not so clear?
The ability to look up information on a computer is part of information literacy. Selecting a search service, typing in search terms, and examining the results are all a part of this process. Nearly everyone these days relies on looking stuff up online instead of using printed or other verified sources. What if you find a large number of results but decide you don’t believe any of them? Or if you are persuaded to believe something that is a lie? Who decides what is true?
I don’t have all the answers, but I do know one thing – readers are always better off than non-readers. Even readers of fiction are better at selecting high-quality, factual information for research and decision-making. People who read have a greater understanding of how resources are created and how content is reviewed before publication. Expanded vocabularies and broad comprehension skills help us be better consumers of information. Readers are harder to fool and have more empathy for others. They dig deeper and look at more sources before making up their minds about an issue.
The best way to fight disinformation is to be a reader and make sure your family and friends are readers too. Let the children in your life see you reading and set aside time for them to read as well. Read out loud and read together. The best skill you can teach your children to prepare them for whatever life has in store for them is to READ and enjoy reading!
Michelle Mears
Rolling Hills Library Director
