TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose To serve their clients in a time of post-truth discourse and fake news, librarians need to understand the post-truth phenomenon. The purpose of this paper is to examine it, what is being done in response to it, and specifically what libraries can do.Design/methodology/approach Recent literature on the post-truth phenomenon was examined. Traditional assumptions about the role of libraries in promoting democracy were questioned and an alternative view was put forward. Libraries’ responses to the post-truth phenomenon were examined and critically discussed.Findings Traditional assumptions about the role of libraries and information and democracy are outdated. The susceptibility of people to false beliefs and the persistence of these beliefs in spite of corrective information, is the product of many factors, including the evolving media ecosystem and psychosocial processes which are the subject of ongoing empirical research. It not primarily an information or knowledge deficit, hence there are no simple antidotes to fake news. Libraries need to rethink their responses.Research limitations/implications The paper deals with very recent developments and relies heavily on informal online resources.Practical implications Relevant library activities are examined and suggestions are made for developing appropriate library responses.Originality/value At the time of writing this was the first attempt in the library management literature to engage in a systematic and thoughtful manner with the literature on the post-truth phenomenon.
VL  - 39
IS  - 5
SN  - 0143-5124
DO  - 10.1108/LM-06-2017-0061
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-06-2017-0061
AU  - Lor Peter Johan
PY  - 2018
Y1  - 2018/01/01
TI  - Democracy, information, and libraries in a time of post-truth discourse
T2  - Library Management
PB  - Emerald Publishing Limited
SP  - 307
EP  - 321
Y2  - 2024/09/20
ER  -