4 ms·

I live in a suburb of Los Angeles and I occasionally do work at a local library branch. I overhear a lot of the patrons' conversations at the reference desk. It

I live in a suburb of Los Angeles and I occasionally do work at a local library branch. I overhear a lot of the patrons' conversations at the reference desk. It's astounding how much people still struggle to find quality information in "the information age". It's no surprise given the rise of poorly vetted articles spread on social media. I realize how much of a role librarians can play in guiding people towards more reliable information sources. The key takeaway from the article shared is that libraries are still effective places for people to build self-reliance with regard to information seeking. It's an important skill that doesn't always get taught in schools for whatever reason.

anon263626 10y ago
Education isn't educated. Most people don't know who is Chris Hedges or Cornel West. Hollywood gossip, "social" apps and working 1-3 jobs too often displaces vital civic participation, resistance to corrupt authorities and self-enlightenment.
FullMtlAlcoholc 10y ago
I believe that the ability to filter out low quality is a symptom of the declining role that libraries play in our educational system. I was privileged enough to go to schools that had libraries and trained librarians attached. Part of our curriculum included a library class in which the librarians taught us to investigate the credibility of a piece by actually reading the sources cited. Modern resources such as Wikipedia are a treasure, but are only valuable if examined with a critical eye. Support your local libraries, especially their outreach programs.
- late2part 10y ago
  I respect your opinion and the belief that library education continues. I think a far greater cause is the lack of critical thinking taught in schools, the lack of engaged debate and encouraging people to think for themselves and gather their own information. We had to write persuastive papers, research topics from encyclopedias, etc. It seems kids don't do that in school these days. (get off my lawn)
  - FullMtlAlcoholc 10y ago
    > the lack of critical thinking taught in schools, the lack of engaged debate and encouraging people to think for themselves and gather their own information I just said it was a symptom since the article was about libraries, not THE symptom or the only symptom :) Remember, this is a new problem. Growing up, I had channels 2, 4, 7, 50, and 62. If you didn't mind the static and repositioning the antenna, there were a few more channels :). National news was on for one hour a night, maybe more on Sundays and was presented by erudite news anchors in a time where good looks were not a factor in getting the job. If you wanted to comment on an issue, you had to write a letter by hand, giving you time to cool yourself down and not respond in a knee-jerk way. I somewhat agree, but information used to be curated by gatekeepers well versed in the subject matter, not released in a torrential digital firehose with little or no curation. Has the level of critical thinking really declined or was it always this way? People from my father's generation may have had less critical thinking skills as they were much more trusting of authority. Those educated under No Child Left Behind aren't really old enough to be in charge yet. Somewhat relevant story: I appreciated the education I received, but I remember when I questioned why fuck am I reciting the Pledge of Allegiance when the entirety of it is horseshit...especially the liberty and justice for all portion. So, instead of performing the pledge, I finished up some homework that was due in AP Calc. My math teacher was so incensed he threw me out of class and told me to report to the principal's office where I proceeded to say I didn't stand because I injured my foot so that I wasn't suspended.
  - lebanon_tn 10y ago
    FWIW the patrons I mentioned seem to skew older. Often they are convinced that the mainstream media or local government body x is stifling coverage of some news story they want to know more about. These are generally along the lines of the "pizzagate" story. One woman recently was convinced the government was blocking the AM radio broadcast of some political commentator. I want to highlight that these are completely normal looking middle aged men and women that do not appear to be under the influence of drugs. These are not the (false) stereotypical backwoods conspiracy nuts. Again, this is suburban Los Angeles. I don't know what their educational levels are or where they attended school, but clearly (and stating the obvious) -- our educational system is failing to impart basic research and critical thinking skills to huge sections of our population.

anon263626 10y ago

Education isn't educated. Most people don't know who is Chris Hedges or Cornel West. Hollywood gossip, "social" apps and working 1-3 jobs too often displaces vital civic participation, resistance to corrupt authorities and self-enlightenment.

FullMtlAlcoholc 10y ago

I believe that the ability to filter out low quality is a symptom of the declining role that libraries play in our educational system. I was privileged enough to go to schools that had libraries and trained librarians attached. Part of our curriculum included a library class in which the librarians taught us to investigate the credibility of a piece by actually reading the sources cited. Modern resources such as Wikipedia are a treasure, but are only valuable if examined with a critical eye. Support your local libraries, especially their outreach programs.

late2part 10y ago
I respect your opinion and the belief that library education continues. I think a far greater cause is the lack of critical thinking taught in schools, the lack of engaged debate and encouraging people to think for themselves and gather their own information. We had to write persuastive papers, research topics from encyclopedias, etc. It seems kids don't do that in school these days. (get off my lawn)
- FullMtlAlcoholc 10y ago
  > the lack of critical thinking taught in schools, the lack of engaged debate and encouraging people to think for themselves and gather their own information I just said it was a symptom since the article was about libraries, not THE symptom or the only symptom :) Remember, this is a new problem. Growing up, I had channels 2, 4, 7, 50, and 62. If you didn't mind the static and repositioning the antenna, there were a few more channels :). National news was on for one hour a night, maybe more on Sundays and was presented by erudite news anchors in a time where good looks were not a factor in getting the job. If you wanted to comment on an issue, you had to write a letter by hand, giving you time to cool yourself down and not respond in a knee-jerk way. I somewhat agree, but information used to be curated by gatekeepers well versed in the subject matter, not released in a torrential digital firehose with little or no curation. Has the level of critical thinking really declined or was it always this way? People from my father's generation may have had less critical thinking skills as they were much more trusting of authority. Those educated under No Child Left Behind aren't really old enough to be in charge yet. Somewhat relevant story: I appreciated the education I received, but I remember when I questioned why fuck am I reciting the Pledge of Allegiance when the entirety of it is horseshit...especially the liberty and justice for all portion. So, instead of performing the pledge, I finished up some homework that was due in AP Calc. My math teacher was so incensed he threw me out of class and told me to report to the principal's office where I proceeded to say I didn't stand because I injured my foot so that I wasn't suspended.
- lebanon_tn 10y ago
  FWIW the patrons I mentioned seem to skew older. Often they are convinced that the mainstream media or local government body x is stifling coverage of some news story they want to know more about. These are generally along the lines of the "pizzagate" story. One woman recently was convinced the government was blocking the AM radio broadcast of some political commentator. I want to highlight that these are completely normal looking middle aged men and women that do not appear to be under the influence of drugs. These are not the (false) stereotypical backwoods conspiracy nuts. Again, this is suburban Los Angeles. I don't know what their educational levels are or where they attended school, but clearly (and stating the obvious) -- our educational system is failing to impart basic research and critical thinking skills to huge sections of our population.