Within the framework of the Baltic Engagement Centre for Combating Information Disorders (BECID) project, the Baltic Centre for Media Excellence organised two in-person media literacy workshops in December in Liepāja and Kuldīga.
The workshops were designed for library professionals, highlighting the important role of memory institutions in strengthening media literacy at the local community level.
The workshops took place on 3 December at the Liepāja Central Scientific Library and on 9 December at the Kuldīga Main Library, each lasting 2.5 hours. The programme combined theory and practice and was based on a methodology developed during the first phase of the BECID project in cooperation with media literacy experts from the University of Tartu, adapted to the Latvian context and regional needs.
The practical session, “Media Literacy for Librarians – Theory and Practice”, was led by Māra Arāja, a media literacy and communication expert from Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences. Participants explored the fundamentals of media literacy, information flows in the digital environment, and gained practical tools for working with diverse audiences, with a particular focus on students.
The workshops concluded with discussions on the role and challenges of regional media. In Liepāja, the discussion was moderated by Anda Pūce (Kurzemes Vārds, Liepājniekiem.lv), while in Kuldīga it was led by Daiga Bitiniece (Kurzemnieks), emphasising opportunities for cooperation between media organisations and memory institutions.
Overall, the workshop format encouraged both the development of practical skills and the exchange of experiences among representatives of cultural institutions from different regions of Latvia. The meetings reaffirmed the role of libraries as key pillars of media literacy in local communities and as important partners in addressing information disorders.
