Red Shirts and Citizens’ Councils: Special Collections and Information Literacy in the College Classroom

UNCW Author/Contributor (non-UNCW co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Nathan Saunders (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW )
Web Site: http://library.uncw.edu/

Abstract: Although modern observers might be tempted to believe the current political climate to be uniquely partisan, political discourse uniquely coarse, or media outlets uniquely biased, certain periods of the nation’s past have seen the tone of political debates descend into extreme violence that indicated nothing short of a crisis in the rule of law and a complete breakdown of civil society. Political debate and media coverage in early twenty-first century are to be sure deeply partisan, yet not to the extent that the past does not have lessons to guide college students as they look for ways to articulate their views without resorting to violence or intimidation. The pace of information creation and the ease of access to news and opinion may have increased, but the overall climate parallels rather than exceeds that of the most volatile times in America’s past. Special collections and archives in academiclibraries consequently have numerous opportunities to help students understand the historical context behind current political debates and discover constructive means of influencing public discourse toward productive ends.

Additional Information

Publication
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uncw/detail.action?docID=5897401
Language: English
Date: 2019
Keywords
special collections, libraries, information literacy, instruction

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