By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Editor
Beginning on Tuesday, April 8, the Readers’ Services Librarian Julia Horwitz will be leading a four part series regarding media literacy and digital wellness for adults at Westwood Public Library (WPL). The program is entitled, “Digital Age Survival Kit.”
Regarding the series, Horwitz shared: “This is a series that I am leading this Spring designed to help patrons develop their Media Literacy (creating, evaluating, and communicating information critically) and Digital Wellness (mental and physical health as it relates to interacting with technology!) This series, which features two book discussions, a documentary screening, and a presentation by a journalist, is designed to respond to some of the overwhelm and anxiety folks are feeling around engaging with social media and news media right now.”
The program is designed so that each one will focus on a different facet of media literacy; though, the common thread, Horwitz shared, is that the program “is inviting patrons to evaluate the ways they interact with digital media and technology.” The goal of this series is to help the patrons who attend to make empowered decisions about what type of content they consume as well as in which ways they consume media.
The first program in the series, occurring on April 8 at 7pm, will be lead by Horwitz. She lead a discussion surrounding the book, “How to do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy,” by Jenny Odell. This discussion will zero in on Odell’s call for resisting productivity culture and how to slow down so individuals may find joy in an information filled world.
The second program will take place on Tuesday, April 15 at 7pm. This discussion will be led by Westwood Public Library’s Assistant Director Andy Northrup. This program will cover “Lies That Kill: A Citizen’s Guide to Disinformation,” by Elaine C. Kamarck and Darrell M. West. Northrup will lead a discussion surrounding Karmarck and West’s guide to recognizing, understanding, and protecting yourself and others from disinformation.
Participants are encouraged to pick up a copy of the book, which will be available at the Info Services Desk, but you do not need to read the book in order to attend these discussions.
On Tuesday, April 22, at 6pm, the Westwood Library will show the Netflix documentary, “The Social Dilemma,” with a facilitated discussion to follow the screening of the film. According to Netflix, “This documentary-drama hybrid explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations.”
The final program will take place on Tuesday, May 6 at 7pm. This program is titled, “News Media in the Misinformation Age,” and it will be held in conversation with journalist Philip Eil. This conversation will encompass the nonstop 24-hour news cycle, the spread of misinformation, and the grip of social media algorithms, and how staying informed today can feel exhausting. Philip Eil will help attendees to explore the current state of news media, how society has arrived at this chaotic moment, and how consumers can cultivate a healthier relationship with information.
Each session in this series will take place in the community room of the main branch of the Westwood Public Library. Registration is required for each of these events. For more information, please visit: https://www.westwoodlibrary.org/
