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Librarians and controlling disinformation: is multi‐literacy instruction the answer?

John Walsh (School of Information Resources and Library Science, University of Arizona, Sierra Vista, Arizona, USA)

Library Review

ISSN: 0024-2535

Article publication date: 17 August 2010

1970

Abstract

Purpose

Librarians have long been part of a group of professionals that took responsibility for the reliability of information and protected their users from the bad epistemic consequences caused by inaccurate information. Now users are acquiring information from the internet and using it to make important decisions. This method of acquisition is threatening the epistemological protection librarians have provided. The problem is one of verifiability, the users do not have a way to verify whether information is accurate or inaccurate. The verification is even more difficult with disinformation. The purpose of this paper is to explore possible alternatives to this problem and recommend using a new multi‐literacy instructional method as the solution.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of current literature confirmed the problem of disinformation and this paper examines possible solutions to controlling disinformation and makes suggestions on how we, as librarians, can use instruction to protect internet users from the harmful effects of using the false information.

Findings

Research found that disinformation is a widespread problem and its use has epistemic consequences that are harmful to internet users. The paper proposes a new method of instruction using a combination of learning paradigms to help users protect themselves from disinformation.

Originality/value

The paper presents a new instructional method that may help in identifying disinformation and help internet users avoid the bad epistemic consequences of using disinformation.

Keywords

Citation

Walsh, J. (2010), "Librarians and controlling disinformation: is multi‐literacy instruction the answer?", Library Review, Vol. 59 No. 7, pp. 498-511. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242531011065091

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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