"at your library" in the north island eagle: september is literacy month

 Catching up on my "At Your Library" column in one of our free local newspapers.

September Is Literacy Month

When you hear the word "literacy", you might think of reading and writing. That is the traditional definition of literacy, but did you know there are many different kinds of literacy?

Numerical literacy is the ability to do the basic math that is needed in every day life – to make change, add up a budget, or read a graph.

Digital literacy means having basic computer skills, being able to use technology to access information, solve problems, and make your life easier. Contrary to what many people think, young people aren't necessarily digitally literate.

Health literacy means being able to communicate with health-care providers, follow instructions for medications, find health information, for some examples.

Financial Literacy means the ability to understand and manage your finances.

Media Literacy means sorting through and understanding the messages we get from all kinds of media – TV, movies, videogames, magazines. In this Information Age, this is something that many people struggle with.

The global pandemic has really highlighted the connection between health literacy and media literacy. There is so much information – but it's not necessarily accurate, and we can't necessarily trust it or take it at face value. How do we find good information? How do we separate facts from opinions? What media can we trust?

There is also: cultural literacy, emotional literacy, and physical literacy.

In short, all the skills you need to navigate and make sense of the world are literacies. And guess what? Your library can help with all of them!

When you want to know more about the world, when you want to learn a new skill or pursue a new hobby, your library is the perfect place to start. At the library, we can connect you with resources to get you started. And of course, our help is free of charge.

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