On April 21st the Friends of the Libraries hosted their first “lunch-in” event, a virtual presentation and discussion featuring Wright State Alumna and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley. Over 85 people attended the virtual event to hear the Mayor speak about leadership in challenging times. Mayor Whaley spoke about her experience leading the City of Dayton through the tornadoes, a mass shooting, and COVID, and how leaders navigate challenges in a polarized climate. The Mayor emphasized the importance of local journalism for keeping the focus of information on the community’s issues and needs rather than national agendas. She encouraged attendees to support local journalism and to stay informed on multiple sides of an issue. She expressed her concern about the many silos that build up in a community whose individuals may rely on a single source for their information, one that holds a particular bias and doesn’t explore all sides. She also expressed her concerns about the impact of misinformation on democracy and the vital need for everyone to be cautious about falling victim to misinformation.

After the Mayor’s presentation, Mandy Shannon, the Head of Instruction and Research Services for the University Libraries, shared strategies for fact-checking information, improving news literacy, and being responsible consumers of news and other media. She stressed that we need to slow down, reflect before reacting, and be cautious about what misinformation we may be sharing through our social media posts. She shared the University Libraries research guide for Media Literacy and Fact-Checking which includes a four step process for fact-checking. Her presentation is linked from the guide.

The Friends of the Libraries is a volunteer membership organization. They support Wright State University students and the University Libraries staff through scholarships, awards, grants, and events. Join us – become a member today!

The Friends Board thanks all of the attendees for their participation in the program and are particularly thankful to the 36 patron level sponsors.

Join us for the 2021-22 Book Club sponsored by the Friends of the Libraries, Alumni Association, and the Retirees Association. Book discussions will be held on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 – 6:30 in a hybrid format; in-person in PLDL 441 and online via WebEx. Attendees can join in either format. Registration will be available, but not required. More information, including links to registration, the online events, and the books in the WSU collection will be posted soon.

Join the Friends of the Libraries today! Your membership supports the Libraries’ collections and programs while providing yourself the luxury of borrowing from an academic library containing a variety of subjects – from classic literature to the latest scientific discoveries, popular reading materials, and more.