americanlibraryassoc:

A new ALA Editions Special Report on fake news and alternative facts

CHICAGO
— Talk of so-called fake news, what it is and what it isn’t, is front
and center across the media landscape, with new calls for the public to
acquire appropriate research and evaluation skills and become more
information savvy. But none of this is new for librarians and
information professionals, particularly for those who teach information
literacy. In “Fake News and Alternative Facts: Information Literacy in a Post-Truth Era,”
a new ALA Editions Special Report, Nicole A. Cooke argues that the
current situation represents a golden opportunity for librarians to
impart these important skills to patrons, regardless of their age or
experience. In this report, readers will:

• learn more about the rise of fake news, particularly those information behaviors that have perpetuated its spread;
• discover techniques to identify fake news, especially online; and
• explore methods to help library patrons of all ages think
  critically about information, teaching them ways to separate fact from
  fiction.

Cooke is the MS/LIS program director of the iSchool at Illinois
and an assistant professor at the School of Information Sciences at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research and teaching
interests include human information behavior (particularly in an online
context), critical cultural information studies, and diversity and
social justice in librarianship (with an emphasis on infusing them into
LIS education and pedagogy). She was named a “Mover & Shaker” by Library Journal
in 2007 and was the 2016 recipient of ALA’s Equality Award and the
Achievement in Library Diversity Research Award presented by ALA’s
Office for Diversity, Literacy & Outreach. She has edited and
authored several books, including “Information Services to Diverse
Populations.”

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