New library committee aims to tackle misinformation and foster dialogue
By Nachala Waters, Staff Writer
The Library Advisory Board for Information Justice will hold its first meeting Friday. It will be an advisory board for the library to hear feedback from students on critical thinking and curbing the spread of misinformation.
In today’s heightened political climate, Student Success Librarian Emily Minner and Senior Aspen Huls saw an opportunity to create a space for open dialogue and civic engagement.
The committee invites all students to participate in its discussions. The first meeting will take place in Cook Library, Room 340, on Oct. 3 from 5-6 p.m.
“This is not about changing people,” Minner said. “It’s about learning how to engage in conversation.”
She emphasized that the committee is open to all students, regardless of their major, and is meant to create a safe space for sharing ideas. Discussions will focus on areas such as the political climate, controversial issues, campus-related topics and more. Its goal is to help students recognize misinformation, explore different perspectives and practice respectful dialogue.
The initiative will include an ongoing advisory board to help sustain respectful communication across campus. Both Minner and Huls hope the program will connect with students in ways that classroom instruction alone cannot.
Another one of the committee’s goal is to sharpen media literacy skills, since students are constantly facing information overload
“We want to arm students with the tools they need to navigate what is trustworthy and what is not,” Huls said.
The committee plans to achieve this by hosting open discussions, providing credible resources and encouraging students to fact-check information together. By creating opportunities to engage in respectful dialogue and hear from diverse perspectives, the group hopes to strengthen students’ ability to critically evaluate what they read and share.
Due to technical difficulties on The Towerlight’s website, this article was originally published via the Towerlight Today e-newsletter on the morning of Oct. 3, 2025. The full article was published on The Towerlight’s website the night of Oct. 3, 2025.