EDMO Ireland’s Dr Eileen Culloty and Martina Chapman are developing a new media literacy training programme for Irish public librarians, set to launch on a pilot basis in 2025. Writing for RTÉ Brainstorm, Dr Culloty outlined the project’s vision: to equip librarians with the tools and confidence to help their communities navigate misinformation, disinformation, and the broader challenges of today’s digital media landscape.
The training is part of the Media Literacy Community Connections (MIL CC) project, coordinated by the University Institute of Lisbon and funded by the European Media and Information Fund. In Ireland, the programme will be delivered by DCU in partnership with the Local Government Management Agency, which oversees the national public library network. The training draws on EDMO guidelines and will cover topics such as AI, algorithms, evaluating images, and planning local learning events.
Dr Culloty argues that while tech platforms claim to be communities, they are often exploitative spaces driven by algorithms. In contrast, libraries offer trusted, inclusive public spaces ideally suited for lifelong learning. The pilot will test how librarians — already skilled in evaluating information — can become key community educators in media and information literacy.
