Most Americans say that libraries can help them find reliable and trustworthy information (Pew Research Center, 2017). This implicit sense of trust the community has on library staff results in expectations that staff will be comfortable and responsible for helping patrons with varying backgrounds of digital literacy to complete everyday digital transactions at the library, including those that involve personally identifiable information. Through an IMLS-funded project, Safe Data Safe Families, researchers at the University of Maryland worked with library staff nationwide to develop resources and training that will empower patrons to develop safer digital privacy and security habits. In this talk, Dr. Subramaniam will share the major findings from this project – the challenges that library staff face as they assist patrons with their everyday digital transactions, and prototypes of resources that library trainers and staff can use to facilitate digital privacy literacy learning in the communities that they serve.

Bio: Dr. Mega Subramaniam is an Associate Professor and the Co-Director of the Youth Experience (YX) Lab at the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland. Her research focuses on enhancing the role of public and school libraries in fostering the mastery of digital literacies among non-dominant youth. Her work has been generously funded by various federal and private agencies, and is intended to bring research and practice together to enhance the skills of in-service and pre-service librarians. Her research has resulted in several best paper awards at conferences and several national recognitions, most recently including the Library Journal's 2019 Movers and Shakers award, YALSA’s 2020 Outstanding Achievement Award, and the Fulbright Specialist Award. For more information about her research work, visit her website.

NOTE: If you need deaf interpreter services or other special accommodations, please contact Nini Beegan, nini.beegan@maryland.gov, as soon as possible and no later than two weeks prior to the webinar.

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In Librarians We Trust: Digital Privacy Literacy Learning in Libraries