The NEDLib project (2023-1-BG01-KA220-ADU-000167178) will strengthen the connection between the educational and the library sector. Key Competences (Media and Information Literacy – MIL, Disinformation and Fake news, etc.) for different target groups (key librarians, librarians and adult library users) will be taught through specially designed training modules addressing the specific needs of these groups. In the framework of a transnational project the usage of the training modules will be multiplied and a much larger group of potential users will be created. The partnership in the current application consists of 5 countries: Bulgaria – BG, Greece – GR, Romania – RO, Latvia – LV and Portugal – PT. According to the Index for Media Literacy for 2021 BG is in 30th place, GR in 27th place and RO in 28th place. The report recommends education as the most optimal approach to deal with fake news, to act as an inoculation and provide resistance to the worst cases of fake news and post-truth.
Tackling fake news and disinformation would reduce the extent of political and public confrontations, would increase the level of trust in societies and contribute to a healthier environment (figuratively and literally) in the post Covid-19 situation and in conditions of war in the borders of Europe. The countries in more advanced positions in the ranking of 2021 Media Literacy Index like Portugal and Latvia have higher potential to resist the negative effects of fake news and disinformation in Europe due to high levels of education quality, media freedom and trust between people. In the current transnational project we will have a chance to exchange experience and to learn from the better performing countries. The focus in the NEDLib project is on the training for librarians. We plan activities for key librarians who will be educated in order to transfer the knowledge to other librarians and to adult library users (students, young professionals, elderly people, etc.). When the key librarians from five European countries are trained transnationally by the university professors/ experts in the partnership, they will further spread the acquired media and information literacy skills among a wider group of librarians and library users through teaching activities at regional training centres established in each of the partner countries, thus reaching as highest impact as possible.