JoCo librarians fact check presidential debate
Photographer: Matt Reeb/KSHB
Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 10/22/2012
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - A Johnson County, Kan., library hosted a watch party for the final presidential debate, with three librarians on hand to fact check for the crowd.
More than 60 people came out to the Oak Park Library in Overland Park to watch the debate.
The three librarians, Louisa Whitfield-Smith, Melody Kinnaman and Marty Johanson, used bipartisan resources to fact check President Barack Obama's and GOP nominee Mitt Romney's statements.
"I think libraries are uniquely positioned because we have a commitment to neutrality," Whitfield-Smith said.
RELATED | Fact check: Missteps in final presidential debate http://bit.ly/VxiOag
The crowd filled out cards with their questions over what they heard in the debate -- on topics ranging from Libya to unemployment numbers -- and the librarians got right to it.
"We have print sources, we have online sources, we have a long list of bookmarks," Whitfield-Smith said, explaining their fact-checking process.
Some questions came in right at the end of the debate. The trio promised to email or call in the next day with their answers.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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