NEWS CILIP on Media Literacy Taskforce
THE Government has launched a Media Literacy Taskforce which will look into how to help vulner- able and ‘hard-to-reach’ people to navigate the internet safely. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has listed 15 companies and organisations on the Taskforce including a number of big tech firms as well as CILIP, Libraries Con- nected and other information-focused charities. In its statement DCMS cited Ofcom research showing that adults are often overconfident in their ability to detect disinformation, that 40 per cent of adult internet users do not have the skills to assess online content critically and that children up to the age of 15 are particu- larly vulnerable. DCMS Secretary of State, Nadine Dorries said: “We want to arm everyone with the skills to navigate the internet safely, so today we’re also announcing a funding boost and plans for experts
to join forces with the government to help people spot dodgy information online.” DCMS said: “The new Media Literacy Taskforce with 18 experts from a range of relevant organisations, including Meta, TikTok, Google, Twitter, Ofcom and The Telegraph as well as universities and char- ities, will work with the government as part of its strategy to tackle disinformation and help hard-to-reach and vulnerable groups in society think about what they see on the web, including improving their ability to protect their data and privacy. “The taskforce will look at new ways to identify and reach people most in need of education. This could include working through local authorities or coordinating support offered by local services to roll out training.” Nick Poole, Chief Executive of CILIP
said: “Media literacy is the key to help- ing people lead healthier, happier and safer lives online, particularly the most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach in our society. As a member of the DCMS Media
Literacy Taskforce, I welcome the breadth and ambition of this new Action Plan, which demonstrates the government’s commitment to this important agenda. As librarians and information profession- als, we look forward to playing our part in bringing it to fruition.” He added that CILIP’s place on the Taskforce will have been partly due to the foundation of the Media and Information Literacy Alliance (MILA) with CILIP’s Information Literacy Group –
www.mila.
org.uk.”
The Taskforce is one of three projects in
the wider Online Media Literacy Strategy, which has a £2.5m budget. The two other projects are the Media Literacy Fund – which will expand a pilot ‘Train the Trainer’ programme for teach- ers, library workers and youth workers – and new research which will be commis- sioned to understand both the root causes of poor media literacy and the effectiveness of different methods for building resilience to disinformation.
‘Librarian, Happy Easter, X’
AFTER disappearing from Cambridge University Library more than 20 years ago, and 15 months after the library’s director launched an appeal for informa- tion about them, two of Charles Darwin’s notebooks have been returned. The notebooks, one of which contains Darwin’s iconic Tree of Life sketch, and which are believed to be worth many mil- lions of pounds, were left, wrapped together in clingfilm, in a brown envelope, inside a pink gift bag, on the floor in a public area of the library. The words “Librarian, Happy Easter, X” were printed on the brown envelope. Dr Jessica Gardner, Cambridge Univer-
sity Librarian, said: “My sense of relief at the notebooks’ safe return is profound and almost impossible to adequately express. “Along with so many others all across
the world, I was heartbroken to learn of their loss and my joy at their return is immense.” For decades it was unclear if the note- books had been ‘stolen’, all that was known is that they were removed from the Special Collections Strong Rooms for
April-May 2022
photography to take place at the Library in September 2000. Their absence was not discovered until a routine check in Janu- ary 2001. For many years it was believed that the notebooks had been misplaced somewhere among the ten million objects in the col- lection. There were a number of searches but the largest in the Library’s history, led by an
expert team, and arranged by Dr Gardner, was carried out in 2020. When this failed to locate the notebooks
the conclusion that they had likely been stolen was reached. A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman said:
“We share the university’s delight that these priceless notebooks are now back where they belong. Our investigation remains open and we are following up some lines of inquiry.”
A page from Darwin’s 1837 notebook showing the Tree of Life sketch. Photo: Stuart Roberts INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 5
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