x Introduction helping, educating, and changing their communities. And that education and change should go beyond the walls of the library. The goal of the lesson plans, program outlines, and details of this book is for patrons to develop digital citizenship skills and use them in their schooling, work- place, and everyday life. Why Should Librarians Be Involved in Digital Citizenship? I shouldn’t have been so surprised to see so many librarians or former librarians at Twitter HQ that day in 2016 librarians have always been in- volved in digital citizenship. Librarians are trained in media literacy, and being able to navigate and evaluate information is one core skill of digital citizenship. They also typically have more flexibility in their role, and digi- tal citizenship is one of those responsibilities that naturally falls on their desk. All librarians are at the frontlines of technology. They are the ones helping with computers, working with young people in free and informal moments where technology is involved, answering questions on software, databases, and so much more. Ask your public or school librarian who tweens are following, what apps are popular or the latest online game, and they’ll probably have an answer. School librarians (or media specialists) are often the only position in a school that has specific Common Core or other standards related to digital citizenship. Twenty-first-century librarians are greatly involved in tech- nology many media specialists are the technology coordinator/trainer/ troubleshooter and librarian all in one. Media specialists are the ones run- ning around the school implementing new technology, assisting teachers, instructing on technology, and much more. They do all of this in addition to traditional library responsibilities such as collection development and reference. Public libraries are what is known as “third space.” Evelyn Delgado, in a 2020 article in Public Libraries, writes, “Prominent child development theorists suggest that the place where children learn can be considered a third ‘teacher’ and that public libraries are well-positioned to address this need, creating lifelong relationships with children and their caregivers and providing children with opportunities to help them grow and develop” (Delgado, 2020). Public libraries are a free, open, and public space where people voluntarily go—one of a dwindling amount of this type of free and open space in the United States. “It is in these spaces where communities are built,” writes Delgado. It’s also in these spaces where digital citizen- ship can be advocated and taught (Delgado, 2020).
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