By BPL Media and Journalism Specialist Erica Husting
January 23-27, 2023 is National News Literacy Week. Presented by The News Literacy Project and The E.W. Scripps Company, this week is dedicated to highlighting the vital role of news literacy in a democracy and provides knowledge, tools, and skills to become more news-literate.
Building and exercising news literacy skills is important all year round too; and the Boston Public Library is here to help! Below is a roundup of ways you can utilize BPL resources to learn more about news literacy topics, keep up-to-date on news and current events, and build critical thinking skills to help be an informed news consumer.
Access Digital Magazines and Newspapers
Boston Public Library has many digital newspapers and magazines—including The Boston Globe, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and The New Yorker—available for free with your BPL library card. These digital resources can help you stay up-to-date on news, current events, and timely conversations all from your computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Read this blog post, "Digital Newspaper and Magazine Resources at the BPL," to learn more.
Take Classes and Workshops at the BPL
Boston Public Library offers free workshops and programs that focus on various news and media literacy topics. Check out event listings at bpl.org/events for the latest offerings. In celebration of National News Literacy Week, the BPL is offering the following virtual workshops in January:
- Digital Magazine and Newspaper Resources at the BPL: Wednesday, January 25 from 5 pm - 6 pm. Register for the workshop.
- Think Like a Fact Checker: Evaluating Digital Information with Lateral Reading: Thursday, January 26th from 5 pm - 6:15 pm. Register for the workshop.
Check out a Book or E-Resource from the BPL Collection
This booklist for children, young adults, and adults is a great place to start to dive deeper into the various facets of news literacy. These titles may be available in other formats or languages. A few highlights from the list below:
Ask a Librarian!
Unsure if a claim you saw on social media is true or not? Curious to learn tips on how to evaluate a source? Email us with your question at ask@bpl.org, or stop by your local neighborhood branch or the Central Library at Copley Square for assistance. We’re here to help.
Add a comment to: Resources at the Boston Public Library to Celebrate National News Literacy Week