Empowering Libraries Through Media and Information Literacy
NEDLib – Digital Competences and Information Literacy for Librarians brings together the educational and library sectors to strengthen media and information literacy across Europe.
The project supports librarians and adult library users in developing the skills needed to recognise disinformation, evaluate information critically and navigate today’s digital environment with confidence.
Project No. 2023-1-BG01-KA220-ADU-000167178
What We Do
NEDLib develops specially designed training modules focused on:
- Media and Information Literacy;
- Disinformation and fake news;
- Digital competences;
- Critical thinking and information evaluation;
- Recognising online risks and misleading content.
The materials are adapted to the specific needs of three main target groups:
Key librarians · Librarians · Adult library users
Why It Matters
Disinformation and fake news can undermine trust, intensify social divisions and make it more difficult for people to make informed decisions.
Education is one of the most effective ways to build resilience against misleading information. Libraries play an essential role in this process because they are accessible learning spaces and trusted sources of knowledge within their communities.
The NEDLib project strengthens the capacity of librarians to support citizens in identifying reliable information and using digital resources responsibly.
European Cooperation
The NEDLib partnership brings together organisations from five European countries:
Bulgaria · Greece · Romania · Latvia · Portugal
The participating countries exchange experience, expertise and good practices in media literacy, adult education and library services.
This cooperation allows partners to learn from different national contexts and jointly develop practical educational resources that can be used across Europe.
Training Librarians to Multiply the Impact
NEDLib follows a train-the-trainer approach.
University professors and experts train selected key librarians from the five partner countries. These librarians then transfer the acquired knowledge and skills to other librarians and adult library users through national training activities and regional training centres.
In this way, the project reaches a much wider audience, including:
- students and young professionals;
- adults seeking to improve their digital skills;
- elderly library users;
- citizens who need support in recognising reliable information.
Building More Informed and Resilient Communities
By strengthening librarians’ professional competences, NEDLib contributes to more informed citizens, stronger community trust and greater resilience against disinformation.
Through education, cooperation and accessible learning resources, libraries can continue to serve as key centres for knowledge, critical thinking and lifelong learning.
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.
We write stories, not because we have answers, but because we have questions. Katherine Paterson