The first lecture in the project “Digital ecosystem of science – communication in knowledge transfer” by the Polish Librarians’ Association took place on 25 March 2026.
The lecture, entitled “media and information literacy in the digital society”, was delivered by Professor Anita Has-Tokarz of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin.
At the beginning of the meeting, the speaker conducted a brief diagnostic survey to introduce the topic. Participants were asked to assess the level of media and information literacy among users of their institutions, identify the most significant challenges in this area, and consider whether informed participation in social life is possible without such competences.
In response to the first question, the most frequent assessment was “rather high” (approx. 50%), alongside a notable share of “rather low” (approx. 34%) and “difficult to say” (approx. 13%); “very high” ratings appeared only sporadically (approx. 3%). Regarding the second question, the most frequently indicated challenge was evaluating the credibility of information (approx. 48%), followed by responses indicating equal weighting across all areas (approx. 23%) and the use of AI and generated content (approx. 13%). For the third question, the dominant responses were “no” (approx. 53%) and “rather no” (approx. 32%), with only a small proportion indicating “rather yes” (approx. 7%), “difficult to say” (approx. 5%), and “yes” (approx. 3%).
The survey results indicate clear awareness of the importance of media and information literacy, as well as the identification of key challenges, particularly in assessing the credibility of information.
In the main part of the lecture, Professor Has-Tokarz discussed transformations in the information environment, highlighting the shift from a problem of limited access to information to one of information overload. She emphasised that a key challenge of contemporary life lies in cognitive orientation within an environment saturated with content. It requires advanced competences in the selection, interpretation, and critical evaluation of information.
The speaker presented the evolution of competences from a long-term perspective—from reading literacy to information and media literacy, and then to digital and AI-related competences. She stressed their cumulative nature and the need for integration within a systemic approach, particularly through the concept of media and information literacy (MIL) and the MEMIC model, which combines media, information, and digital education.
An important element of the lecture was the discussion of the cognitive consequences of functioning in an environment of information excess. Professor Has-Tokarz pointed to phenomena such as the fragmentation of attention, superficial processing of content, and difficulties in evaluating information credibility. All these phenomena influence how users learn and make decisions.
In the subsequent part of the lecture, the speaker referred to the specificity of the youngest generations (Alpha and Beta), for whom the digital environment constitutes a natural space of everyday functioning. She underlined that changes in their communicative and cognitive practices require a new, integrated approach to competence-based education.
In conclusion, Professor Has-Tokarz highlighted the key role of libraries as institutions supporting the development of media and information literacy. She emphasised their importance as spaces for education, the development of critical thinking, and the shaping of informed participation in digital culture.
Among participants who evaluated the event (on a scale from 1 to 5), the highest ratings predominated—most described the lecture as excellent (5), while the remainder assessed it as good (4). These results confirm the event's very positive reception and high substantive quality.
The audience was dominated by employees of cultural institutions (approx. 70%), with additional representation from students, teachers, educators, and individuals indicating more general affiliations. This profile suggests a clear orientation of the event towards professionals of cultural institutions.
The inaugural event confirmed both the validity of the project and the need for further development of activities in science communication and media and information literacy in the digital society.