In a polarized society, how can libraries provide a home for civil discourse about important community issues? This hands-on workshop will give you the tools to host a focused civil conversation at your library: a Braver Angels debate. This format provides an easy, adaptable structure for digging into an important local or national issue with your community. The structure alternates speeches and questions using an impartial chair. This session will cover what a Braver Angels debate is, how to select a good topic for one, and how to identify a chair. Attendees will also participate in a Braver Angels debate.
Intellectual Freedom is one of the core values of the library profession and a basic right in our democratic society. It guarantees the rights of library users to read, seek information, and speak freely as guaranteed by the First Amendment. These rights are being challenged at an unprecedented level in libraries of all kinds all across America. This three-hour workshop will include presentations and breakout sessions with hands-on exercises. Join us to learn about the spread of mis- and dis-information and the role library workers play in the fight. Gain strategies for standing up for our values during crisis conditions and organizing against attacks on libraries.
