From October 24 to 31, Lithuanian libraries strengthened the country's society by organizing Media and Information Literacy Week (MIRKT). There was no shortage of events for people with various needs and interests - from lectures, trainings to entertainment.
„The relevance of MIRKT and the ability to critically evaluate information is probably no longer in question. Living in today's world and with such a flow of information, the ability to think critically, filter information and evaluate it is primarily personal safety and emotional health. The goal of this year's MIRKT week is to emphasize the topics of disinformation and propaganda. They were revealed when talking about areas related to artificial intelligence, social networks, journalism, opinion leaders, citizenship and critical thinking. I think the week was a success. Several factors determined its success: a wide range of activities offered, allowing everyone to choose the most attractive form of participation, active involvement of librarians, and the relevance of the topics,” says Irmina Girnienė, coordinator of the MIRKT week, Head of the Regional Library Strategic Development Department of the Panevėžys County Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė Public Library.
Variety of events
Live meetings on the topics of critical thinking, resilience, and civic activism were held in the libraries of Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Panevėžys, Joniškis, and Šilalė. Journalists Daiva Žeimytė-Bilienė and Rimvydas Valatka, military expert Darius Antanaitis, advertising creator and creativity teacher Tomas Ramanauskas, director Karolis Kaupinis, public opinion formation expert Mindaugas Lapinskas, and head of the digital competence center "Technology Step" Šarūnas Dignaitis-Kerpė spoke with visitors.
Training workshops by the responsible media organization "NARA" were held in the Prienai and Elektrėnai libraries. Participants learned why high media quality standards are a necessary condition for the survival of a free society, how we can each contribute to building information resilience, etc.
In Panevėžys and Šiauliai, the non-governmental cultural and educational organization "Meno avilys" invited participants to training in audiovisual and media literacy, creativity, and critical thinking.
During MIRKT week, residents participated in special orienteering hikes, tried a virtual escape room, crossword puzzles, and more.
Firsthand
A word to the libraries themselves.
Šiauliai County Povilas Višinskis Public Library
„"The library hosted the "Art Beehive" training-workshops on the topic of screen adaptation of poems and copyright. The lecturers brought in new winds, introduced us to previously unheard and untested creative solutions. The biggest advantage was the practical activities that allowed us to try out the process of screen adaptation of poems ourselves, better understand the principles of audiovisual creation and the importance of copyright. I am glad that the trainings were not only informative, but also engaging, and provided new ideas and inspiration.".
Šilalė District Municipality Public Library
„"22 people participated in the event "Truth with a discount code" held at the library. The discussion focused on the influence of social networks, advertising and opinion leaders on our decisions. Participants deepened their knowledge about the reliability of information, methods of manipulation and critical evaluation of digital content. The event provided an opportunity to discuss relevant media literacy topics through everyday situations. Such discussions encourage us to more consciously evaluate the information we see on social networks and to take a more critical look at its impact on our choices.".
Pasvalys Marius Katiliškis Public Library
„"Joniškėlis City Library organized interactive crossword afternoons. It was useful for the participants to test their knowledge, develop logical thinking, and learn new things. Crosswords are a useful activity that encouraged people to become interested in media and information literacy terms and innovations.".
Klaipėda County Ieva Simonaitytė Public Library
„"MIRKT orientation hikes "So I know everything..." were organized by 8 regional libraries. 154 people of various ages participated in them - from students to senior citizens. Participants not only got acquainted with the history of their region and tourist attractions, but also completed media and information literacy tasks - they strengthened critical thinking skills, learned to select reliable information and use digital technologies more safely. The hikes showed that MIRKT can be developed creatively, combining learning with active leisure.".
Elektrėnai Municipality Public Library
„"The library hosted the NARA training-workshop "Media and Democracy: Lessons from Central Europe" (lecturers Austėja Pūraitė and Indrė Kiršaitė). Their participants had the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the importance of the media in a democratic society, to become familiar with the manifestations of political pressure, self-censorship and disinformation, and to gain more knowledge about the situation of the regional media in Central Europe, the challenges and the importance of independent media in modern society.".
Vilnius District Municipality Central Library
„"A meeting with creativity teacher Tomas Ramanauskas, "Increasingly asocial social networks," was organized in the library. The guest talked about how social networks and artificial intelligence are changing our connections and communication. All 30 participants really liked both the speaker and the topic, which is currently particularly relevant.".
Lithuanian Audiosensory Library
„"The Vilnius branch hosted a lecture-discussion entitled "Essential Lessons of Civic Activism: What Should We Understand About Our Country?", hosted by director and public figure Karolis Kaupinis. It was truly beneficial for the participants, as the lecture itself was very compelling and illustrated with various practical examples - both by drawing historical parallels and based on current examples that reveal the meaning of each citizen's contribution.".
Kaunas County Public Library Ąžuolynas
„"Šarūnas Kerpė's lecture "Artificial Intelligence - Friend or Manipulator?" held in the library was interesting, relevant and useful, as it emphasized not only the benefits of AI, but also the possible risks. What I liked most was the practical advice on how to responsibly, safely and effectively use AI tools in everyday activities and
in professional work. It was useful to learn what aspects to pay attention to when sharing information with AI, how to protect sensitive data and critically evaluate the answers it provides.".
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The World MIRKT Week is funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania. It is organized by the Association of County Public Libraries, the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Association of Municipal Public Libraries, and the Lithuanian Association of College Libraries. Information partner – LRT.
County public library information
