Cooperation with low-threshold clubs
Typ:
Community
Kids
Field workers regularly visit the branches in Lužiny, Černý Most, Chodov, Opatov (Ymcárium) and Zahradní Město (Decima), making themselves available to children and teenagers. They offer them active leisure time, help and support in difficult situations, and inform them about the activities of nearby low-threshold centres and clubs.
These activities help prevent negative social phenomena in places with low social control, mitigate the effects of environmental disadvantage and connect the library with social services.
Dreamlike game
Typ:
Media education
The board game Dreamlike was created as part of the project Media Literacy in Libraries 2023: The first year implemented within the VISK1 grant programme of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic. It is the result of cooperation between a team of New Media students at the Institute of Information Studies and Librarianship, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, and the Municipal Library in Prague, for which the game was created. Now the game is available to all libraries.
Dreamlike tries to show players how to work with information in a fun way while drawing attention to the need for a critical perspective. The individual sections of the game are inspired by the methodological concept of 5 key questions of media literacy from JSNS (what, how, who, to whom, why). In addition to media literacy, the game also touches on the subject of artificial intelligence and contains a mix of pop culture and philosophical references. The story transports players to the environment of a futuristic library; after they wake up here, they try to find out how they ended up in the mysterious library and who is behind it. They slowly collect information and game items; they aren't required to collect them all, and this may affect their ability to make subsequent decisions, just like when we have to make decisions without all the available information in the real world. The game is designed to give players the space they need to think for themselves and lead them to one of the possible endings. It consists of playing cards and a gamebook that guides the player through the story. It is intended for 1 or 2 players with an estimated playing time of 30-60 minutes.
In early 2024, it was tested with high school students and the final touches were added to its online version. Now the game, including the methodology for libraries, is freely available at webdoknihovny.eu — it is available in a printable version or it can be played online. Other graphic materials on the subject of Media Literacy are also available for download on the website.
The simplicity of the game and its inclusion in the library collection allows both small and large libraries to participate in Media Literacy education.
Virtual reality in a library
Typ:
Seniors
Kids
VR
In the process of the Virtual Model of the Main Building of the Municipal Library in Prague project — an online space for experiences and education — we managed to organize over 100 events with virtual reality. We are introducing the public to all the possibilities of using this technology. We try to involve socially disadvantaged groups in the project.
We spread joy. In cooperation with the Jedlička Institute and schools, a virtual reality drawing course was created, resulting in a real exhibition in the Municipal Library in Prague. We therefore contributed to the creation of original works of art, organized the opening and provided a unique experience for the children. In cooperation with the NÚDZ (National Institute of Mental Health), we help the elderly train their memory with cognitive training.
We introduce them to new technology, bringing them closer to the younger generation. A virtual trip allows them to go beyond the mundane and provides an experience that would be complicated in reality due to various limitations.
Digital consulting
Typ:
Seniors
Librarians at branches of the Municipal Library in Prague assist the elderly with smartphones and other devices. They look for solutions to problems that can pose obstacles in everyday life.
The rapid development of technology poses the threat of exclusion and isolation, but librarians and the elderly are keeping up with the times! They learn how to use WhatsApp and stay in touch with family and friends in our consulting centres. They learn how to work with online maps so they don't get lost, how to access timetables and how to shop online. And with the rise of online communication in state administration, consulting centres will become more important.
The activity is part of the Digital Odyssey in Libraries project, which is brought to libraries by SDRUK, the Vodafone Foundation (as part of the Digital Odyssey project), Elpida and Moudrá Sovička.