Aliens in Arizona, the Bermuda Triangle, and Area 13: Answering Controversial Questions From Our Users, Calming Fears, and Promoting Government Information as Reliable and Accurate

Title: Aliens in Arizona, the Bermuda Triangle, and Area 13: Answering Controversial Questions From Our Users, Calming Fears, and Promoting Government Information as Reliable and Accurate

Speaker:

• Jane Canfield, Coordinator of Federal Documents, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico

Description:

Our users often ask questions that are controversial, difficult to answer, and sometimes outside of the scope of information covered by the Government. Some users are skeptical of or frightened by Government information. For other users, a family member or friend believes they have been mistreated by a Government agency. Often, immigrants come from countries where their government cannot be trusted, and they bring their mistrust with them to the United States. How can we answer these questions truthfully but with care and compassion for our users? This webinar covers some of the strange questions that we actually have been asked as Government information specialists. It also presents ideas on how to be direct and truthful about Government information and still be empathetic with our users. This webinar also offers resources in other languages. Finally, it briefly covers the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and other ways in which users can obtain accurate Government information.