The Friends of Hannon Library hosts panel of professionals in research, technology and informational literacy

Ashland.news staff report

The Friends of Hannon Library will host a panel discussion on “Information, Misinformation, and Disinformation” from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13. More and more, researchers, students, and citizens face a landscape of incomplete, incorrect, and untrustworthy information. How do we establish trust in information sources in an age when technology has dramatically altered both how information is produced and our interactions with it? 

An expert panel of professionals will discuss how to navigate today’s information landscape and avoid misinformation, both in academic settings and in a wider context.

Panelists include Melissa Anderson, Campus Engagement and Research Services Librarian at SOU; Stacey Wedlake, Research Scientist in the Technology and Social Change Group at University of Washington Information School; and Elizabeth Ramsey, Associate Professor and Librarian at Boise State University; along with moderator Tony Davis, a computational linguist.

Melissa Anderson’s research centers on pedagogy, information literacy, history of science and information, and 19th-century literature. She is currently working on a book on reading and information literacy. At SOU, she teaches classes on Information, Science, and Society.

Stacey Wedlake focuses on how libraries and other organizations support community technology access and digital and information literacies. She has also taught basic computer classes for adults with Seattle-based and international organizations.

Elizabeth Ramsey has pursued research on disinformation as an aspect of radicalization, including a project funded by the Department of Homeland Security to tackle disinformation as an aspect of recruitment and incitement to violence by hate groups. She also aims to strengthen community resistance to false and misleading information through presentations at libraries, schools, and professional organizations.

This Friends of Hannon Library event is free and open to the public. It will take place in the Meese Room (room 305) of the library, and a Zoom link will also be available on the Friends website. To view previous lecture series events, see the Hannon Library YouTube channel.

Metered visitor parking is available for those coming to campus to attend the event in parking lots 1, 12, 29, 36, 37 and 41. Those who need disability accommodations to participate in the event may contact SOU’s Disability Resources office at 541-552-6213.

For more information, contact Hannon Library staff at [email protected] or 541-552-6816.

Source: The Friends of Hannon Library news release. Email Ashland.news at [email protected].