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?
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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?
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Responses
Visual literacy is a part of finding shared common ground
Hello again everyone!
I'm delighted to be part of the cohort of librarians attending the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting this week. yesterday I attended a virtual session on COVID Misinformation presented by a university press officer, a freelance science journalist, and a science journal publisher. The science journalist, Wudan Yan, shared Michelle Nijhuis's "The Pocket Guide to Bullshit Prevention,"
(https://www.lastwordonnothing.com/2014/04/29/the-pocket-guide-to-bullshit-prevention/) which I checked out after the talk. Nijhuis wrote this piece in 2014, and says the guide is how journalists prevent being "wrong in print" -- publishing a…
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School librarians build research & critical thinking foundations
This is a great and timely question for librarians. I have worked in a public library, but my full-time library career has been as an elementary school librarian. Many of the issues we see with adults and working in the public library start at the earliest stages of inquiry for students. The top five things I think we can do are as follows:
1. We have to ensure and continue to advocate that licensed librarians are in schools in every state and that these librarians have access to training and professional development, and that librarians are able…
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Librarians, Patrons & Credible Information
I identify credible sources through electronic databases and consultations with other librarians.
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I share credible sources with students using I for graphs and literacy lesson partnerships with campus staff.
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A librarians role in the community is to provide easy access to credible resources, reading materials, and platform evaluation skills.
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Reliable Sources
In the best of times with information availability, social media's worst of times can become misleading. What is a rumor mill? Rumors, like fire, need oxygen to quickly spread. How do you prevent a rumor, a fire out of control? A controlled burn. Similarly, disinformation needs fact-checking.
Begin with the source- is it reliable? Are there multiple resources citing credible findings?
In my library world, as one resource, I use Common Sense Media to help support the families I work with in my community (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/). Secondly, to fact-check, I rely on National Geographic, Britannica, and trusted…
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Disinformation small and large require commitment and perseverance
Anyone can end up down the rabbit hole, lost and confused - from students just starting off in the "land of information" to experienced librarians and information professionals. As a public librarian I have to make sure I stay cognizant of this fact. When I practice credible source vetting it is essential that I always tell my customer what I am doing. This is a direct, somewhat subtle but consistent way to educate public library users on a day to day basis and can be used with the simple to complex reference and general library needs.
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