Empowering Informed Communities

About Empowering Informed Communities (EIC)

Empowering Informed Communities (EIC), a project from the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public, creates research-based information literacy resources for public libraries. Our practical, implementation-ready tools help librarians and their communities navigate today’s complex information environments. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant #LG-255047-OLS-23.

Resource Pack Downloads

Our resource packs are designed to be approachable to all library staff — no expertise required. Each resource pack will introduce you to the topic, give ideas on how to integrate the topic at your library, and provide links ready-to-use resources.

AI-Generated Images
  • Audience: Adults, teens
  • Educate adults and teens about realistic AI-generated images and provide practical tools for evaluating online content including handout, presentations, and posters.
  • Download Resource Pack
Big 7 Emotions
  • Audience: Teens
  • Connect with teens using a workshop and poster on how social media uses emotions to make you “do things” — encourage you to click, share, or take action. You can help teens evaluate posts and understand how emotions are used and make smarter decisions online.
  • Download Resource Pack
SIFT
  • Audience: Adults, teens
  • Help patrons evaluate information online using a simple and effective lateral reading process through handouts, bookmarks, and notecards. SIFT stands for Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, and Trace the claim.  
  • Download Resource Pack
Savvy TikTok User
  • Audience: Teens
  • Teach teens how TikTok’s algorithm shapes their “For You Page” and how to fact-check videos using an interactive workshop. Teens can verify information using three essential skills – explore the video, search TikTok, and go off platform.
  • Download Resource Pack

“I went into this resource knowing little about TikTok but the materials and slide deck made me confident that I could lead a program on this topic.”

“You’ve done our work for us!”

— Testimonials from public librarians who have used Empowering Informed Communities resources

Games and Play-based Activities

Patrons can learn about media and information literacy through play. Games and other play-based programs allow you to teach important concepts and skills through fun and hands-on activities. 

Escape Room

  • Audience: Adults, teens
  • Cooperative online and in-person games for building resilience and agency to navigate a fractured information environment. Puzzles cover types of problematic information people may encounter online such as manipulated charts, bot accounts and deepfakes. 
  • Learn more about our Loki’s Loop escape room games.

Misinformation Play Pack

  • Audience: Kids and younger teens (8-15 years)
  • A play-based set of curricula to help kids build knowledge and skills about online misinformation in three topics areas: artificial intelligence, the rabbit hole effect, and online video.
  • Check out our Misinformation Play Pack.

Event-based Activities

Center for an Informed Public events are larger-scale projects and work best when implemented as part of partnerships with schools and other organizations.

Media Mentorship

  • Media Mentorship projects give high school-aged teens the chance to become teachers and help their peers, families, or larger community learn what it takes to navigate today’s information environment. Teens learn about media and information literacy at school or another program, prepare a short lesson, and then teach to others.
  • Learn more about Media Mentorship.

MisinfoDay

  • MisinfoDay is a media literacy educational event that brings together high school students, teachers and librarians together for a day to learn how to navigate complex information environments and make informed decisions about what to believe online.
  • Learn more about MisinfoDay.

Webinars

We’ve partnered with WebJunction to produce a series of webinars for public libraries on how they can integrate media and information literacy into their programs and services. Webinars help library workers better understand research backed-information literacy approaches and how public libraries have implemented these strategies. 

Why do we fall for misinformation? 

  • Understand why we are all vulnerable to misinformation and learn research-based strategies that can expand on your information literacy approaches with patrons.
  • Watch the WebJunction webinar.

How do we rebuild trust in authoritative information sources?

  • Explore the decline in trust in societal institutions and opportunities for libraries to rebuild trust in authoritative information sources.
  • Watch the WebJunction webinar. 

Empowering teens: Enhancing information literacy through games and interactive programming

  • Learn fun ways to help teens boost information literacy through engaging programming such as escape rooms, lessons about social media, and video creation.
  • Watch the WebJunction webinar.