In Berlin, I learn how libraries are standing up for democracy
Libraries are meant to be neutral spaces but in Germany, some have become targets of far-right activity.
As part of my Churchill Fellowship, I visited Berlin and got to meet Juliane Stiller from Grenzenlos Digital e.V.. She’s doing fantastic, practical work around digital literacy, AI, and democracy.
One of their projects helps train library staff to become “multipliers” who pass on skills in media literacy and understanding AI.
AI runs through a lot of their work. Their courses for librariens explore how AI affects the information we find, and newer risks like AI-generated misinformation and “data poisoning” by organised groups.
What really caught my attention, though, was the work they’ve been doing in response to a rise in far-right activity targeting libraries in Germany.
For a lot of librarians, this has been a shock. Libraries are usually seen as neutral, places of open knowledge and not somewhere that gets politically targeted. But some groups have been hiding books, putting propaganda bookmarks inside them, and challenging staff about why certain titles aren’t stocked.
Juliane and her team have been helping libraries figure out how to deal with this. They’re been running workshops to support staff who suddenly find themselves in these situations.
It’s such a good example of seeing AI and information literacy as a civic skill, not just a digital one.
With a rise in far-right activity here in the UK, I think we should offer the same support to our library staff and community workers.
Juliane has this blog on their website talking about their work.
Craig Steele