All DC Public Library locations will be closed on Sunday, January 25. DC Public Library is open 24/7, 365 days a year online.
Because cell phones give off radiation and certain types of radiation are known to cause cancer, some people are concerned that cell phones may cause cancer. There have also been a few studies that show that it is possible that cell phones may cause cancer, but there have been problems with those studies. Most studies, organizations and government agencies agree that there is no current evidence that suggests that cell phones cause cancer.
In 2023 the number of books banned in the United States rose to 4,250 unique book titles (as reported by the American Library Association), a national record. Critical Race Theory (CRT) is one umbrella term by which multiple, and sometimes over a hundred books are banned at once. Learn the history of CRT, how it is conflated with other topics, and why CRT is the target of book bans nationwide.
Fact-checking is a process of making sure that things like published articles and statements that public figures make are factually correct. Many organizations, such as news publications, fact check their articles before they are published, but fact checking can also happen after articles are published. Fact checking attempts to reduce possible misinformation that can happen when controversial topics are discussed in the media and on the internet including social media sites like Facebook.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) models such as Google Bard and Microsoft Copilot can do math, generate code, summarize an article, and write realistic, even authoritative-sounding product reviews, research papers and news.
Some US states, counties and cities have begun using ranked voting in elections. On November 5, 2024 DC voters approved Initiative 83, which will allow DC voters to rank their top five candidates if the DC council upholds it. Because the process is new and confusing to many voters, there are questions and misinformation surrounding the issue. Ranked voting has the potential to bring positive changes to the election process.
The more websites and apps we use online, the more personal information we give to the technology companies that run them. Even when we aren’t knowingly sharing our information, websites and apps use different technologies to collect information about what we do online. This (Mis)Information Lab Primer will connect you with resources that will help you understand a variety of topics around data tracking and how to protect your privacy.
Vaccines help keep everyone safe from diseases, both individually and on a community level, and have been used in some form since the 18th century. But in the last few decades, misinformation about the safety and efficacy of vaccines has been spreading, leading to lower vaccination rates.
The Design & Construction Industry Day hosted by the DC Public Library at MLK Jr. Memorial Library on Tuesday, May 9 was well attended by professionals from the Real Estate, Design, & Construction industry.
Six books that show contemporary poetry's range.
The Institute for Racial Equity in Literacy (IREL) is back for its 5th year and another beautiful summer of powerful learning. Join co-directors Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul and Tricia Ebarvia along with educators from across the country as we gather in Washington, D.C., at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library.