Library professionals combat ‘fake news’

According to Julie B. Todaro, American Library Association president, “one of the biggest assignments” facing the library professional is to combat “fake news” and help readers to verify credible authors as well as accuracy and purpose of content.

“We have decades of research data, curricula, best practices, tutorials, and marketing approaches to combat this scourge. But now more than ever we have to step forward on this topic because it’s no longer business as usual.”

Todaro suggests library workers can learn from a powerful shift in language being engaged in by journalists: “Reporters and anchors who used to say that ‘X is speaking today on Y’ now say ‘X is giving his or her impression of Y.’”