October 2026 Network Meet-up: Digital inclusion libraries - Digital Media Literacy

In October, we brought libraries together to talk about digital media literacy and how libraries are supporting services users to navigate the digital world safely.

Within breakout rooms, we asked what is currently driving the provision of digital media literacy support, what approaches libraries are taking and what barriers they face.

Here’s what we heard:

Drivers for providing digital media literacy support

• User-led demand and community trust: Library users frequently come into libraries asking "is this real?" or "is this AI?", viewing library staff as trusted experts on verifying information.
• Institutional and referral demand: Demands are driven externally by job centres, local police, NHS/GP surgeries, and government bodies seeking public education on misinformation and digital access.
• Prevalence of online harms and scams: High rates of public vulnerability to financial fraud, cybercrime, and romance scams create an urgent need for practical protection.
• Emergence of AI misinformation: Real-world confusion caused by generative AI tools and social media misinformation highlights a vital need for critical thinking skills.
• Bottom-up frontline and strategic recognition: Frontline staff regularly identify library user needs during drop-ins, such as uncovering fraud, driving the creation of specialist sessions. Senior leadership increasingly views digital media literacy as a high priority.

Approach to providing support

• Accessible topic framing: Reframing formal terms like "digital media literacy" into plain-language concepts (e.g. "scams" or "fact vs. fake") significantly improves public understanding and session uptake.
• One-to-one and drop-in support: Tailored individual help, drop-in sessions, and pop-up library outreach (including taking pop-ups directly to target demographics) serve as the most effective entry points for nervous library users.
• Social and welcoming environments: Creating informal, friendly settings with tea and biscuits helps reduce anxiety around technology and increases attendance.
• External partnership delivery: Collaborating with trusted community groups, local police, ShoutOut UK, Microsoft, the NHS, and the British Library helps deliver specialist expertise and reach non-traditional users.
• Structured digital and staff training resources: Utilising free platforms like Learn My Way, Good Things Foundation’s AI Gateway, online safety training, and external guides (such as Northumbria University's library guide to mis and disinformation) help train staff, upskill volunteers, and empower self-paced learning.

Barriers and challenges

• Unclear terminology and concept confusion: The term "digital media literacy" is poorly understood by both the public and library staff, often being conflated with general digital inclusion and creating a barrier to engagement.
• Public self-awareness and trust issues: Most individuals do not self-identify as needing support; library users range from overly trusting to becoming overly sceptical and fearful, which deters them from using their computers.
• Staff capacity and confidence gaps: Operational pressures, staffing shortages, and low confidence among library staff hinder service delivery and prevent staff from attending training webinars.
• Resource constraints: Lack of dedicated long-term funding, high reliance on volunteers, and variable access to training limit ongoing operational capacity.
• Cross-generational anxiety and language barriers: Digital hesitancy affects both younger and older users, while language barriers complicate delivery of support.

Recognising the growing demand for digital media literacy support, Good Things Foundation has a collection of free resources and has partnered with Ofcom to develop new learning content to help guide learners navigate the digital world safely.

View the resource collection

View Digital Media Literacy topics on Learn My Way