The Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts, Premila Kumar addressed the forum at the virtual webinar session organised by the Fiji Library Association today.
The webinar was organised to mark UNESCO's Global Media and Information Literacy awareness week, which is from 24 to 31 October 2021. This week is commemorated to celebrate the progress achieved towards “Media and Information Literacy for All”.
In delivering her address Minister Kumar said “we have seen an evolution in accessing information at an unprecedented speed and volume; what was once a struggle, has now transformed into accessible information at the tips of our fingers. In today’s world, an electronic gadget has become a toddler’s best friend and our teenagers thrive in a virtual world. Our views may be polarized towards some of these controversial situations but when we talk about this week’s theme which is Media and Information Literacy for the Public Good, we must talk about the importance of media and information literacy competencies to extract quality information that would benefit all”.
There are many advantages of being media and information literate in this digital era, surrounded by free and accessible information. In order to benefit from the information, it is imperative that the public is able to differentiate between fake information, from reliable or credible information.
The Minister added that “with the evolution of new technologies, changing study habits, and access to the internet, the functions of libraries are changing. Traditionally libraries had been created in older buildings with numerous books and quiet study spaces. This is clearly a mismatch to how education is delivered today. Therefore, libraries are at pivotal crossroads and needs to evolve with time”.
The Ministry is currently carrying out a review of school and public libraries and hopes to use this review to modernise these libraries. Annually the Ministry allocates 10% of its Free Education Grant for library resources. Going forward the Ministry is expecting schools and public libraries to invest in eResources and reconfigure their libraries to better reflect the new learning styles of students and the general public.
In fostering the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), it is vitally important to address the responsible use of media and technology. Digital literacy is essential as it prepares people for the far-reaching disruptions, displacement and opportunities of this digital era.
The Education Minister commended the work of the Fiji Library Association for fostering the development of libraries and librarians, archives and archivists and other related activities in Fiji and the South Pacific. She added that such organisations are very important in providing a platform for like-minded people to come together and work for the good of the discipline.