Forum Question
In a world of disinformation, social media, and “alternative facts,” how do you identify and vet credible information sources? How do you share those credible sources with students and public library users? What is a librarian’s role in helping the greater community find common ground in shared facts?
In a world of disinformation, social media, and “alternative facts,” how do you identify and vet credible information sources? How do you share those credible sources with students and public library users? What is a librarian’s role in helping the greater community find common ground in shared facts?
Responses
Technical Skills vs. Information Sources
Instead of recommending online sources, I usually find myself in the role of advising people on how to use the sources they have already chosen. Better librarians than me have spent time trying to get people to stop using Google or Wikipedia. Instead, I try to provide an expert perspective on how to use these tools effectively. As a public children's librarian, the online research question I get asked most often is, how can I print out pictures of [fill-in-the-subject]? Children want my technical expertise, not my opinion on the credibility of a source. I do think it is possible…
Read the Full Response