Libraries Fighting Back Against Fake News

Fake news. This recent rash of viral misinformation spread on social media is of great concern to anyone who seeks to understand the world around them. Libraries in particular are hoping to help patrons, and really anyone they can, understand this issue and empower people to recognize fake news when they see it.

Libraries are pushing back, both by educating social media users, and by remaining an unbiased, credible source of information for anyone. Some libraries are combating this informative crisis by spreading helpful tips and info about spotting and blocking fake info in your social media feeds.

Many libraries are trying to keep users vigilant. This has become such a common goal that the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) even created a simple info-graphic ready-made to be used & shared on social media.

See the source blog post here.

However, as we all know too well, one can only be hyper-vigilant for so long, and social media users shouldn't have to bear the full weight of fact-checking. By following libraries on social media, they can discover other verified, trustworthy local and national news organizations to follow for their information and current events needs. This is because libraries continue to stand by their bill of rights set out by the ALA. The Pew Research center has recently found that this code of ethics, extended onto library social media accounts as well as in the institutions themselves, is inspiring new generations of library users. Because of all the fake news surrounding us, many have chosen to use libraries more and more as a source of information, entertainment, and family learning.

For more helpful visuals and information, see the full article.

While the overwhelming amount of fake news can be concerning, libraries have re-emerged as beacons of truth and trustworthy information in a time of great confusion and misinformation on social media.