Democracy Matters - Episode 3: Bringing Democracy to Life
News
SUMMARY: From teaching information literacy, to providing community gathering spaces, to fostering access to information, to connecting people with each other, and more, James Madison University Librarians Kristen Shuyler and Liz Chenevey discuss their research about how libraries of all types in Virginia and across the country support democracy and the civic life of their communities.
Links from the episode:
- A Visual History of the American Public Library
- Fulfilling Our Potential: Libraries Supporting Civic Engagement in Virginia
- “Crisis in Democracy: Renewing Trust in America” – a 2019 report of the Knight Commission on Trust, Media and Democracy. Several parts of the report highlight libraries and their potential in renewing trust.
- Policymaker database from the NYC librarians
- More info on Freedom Libraries
- Alternative newspaper from JMU in the 60s (mentioned at about 5:00) is called The Fixer