How Libraries Are Helping to Spot Fake News

There are two very important stories today in my news feed about how to spot fake news.

One is on the site LLRX.com (reprinted from the July/August 2017 issue of AALL Spectrum): Spotting Fake – Best Practices for Authenticating Trustworthy News Sources. It has links to library guides and other resources:

"In a keynote speech by Librarian of Congress, Carla D. Hayden, she said, 'In this time of wondering who can we trust, we are the most trusted source you can get …That very trustworthiness is our strength. That’s what we should revel in and be confident in'."

"This may be why librarians are enthusiastically creating fake news detection resources and why those resources are multiplying on websites. According to an article in American Libraries magazine (published by the American Library Association) 'Librarians can play a vital role in helping everyone, of any age, become critical and reflective news consumers. One positive outcome of the current furor about fake news may be that information literacy—for media and other types of content—will finally be recognized as a central skill of the digital age'."

"Fact-checking skills alone may not be enough to stop the spread, but librarians do have a lot to offer. Our weapon of choice for teaching others how to spot fake news is library research guides. These guides are multiplying across the country (...) Each guide provides solid advice on detecting fake news."

And IFLA, the International Federation of Library Associations, has published a report on Real Solutions to Fake News: How Libraries Help.