Information Literacy

In this Special Report, Cooke demonstrates how 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. Information literacy is a key skill for all news consumers, and this Special Report shows how librarians can make a difference by helping patrons identify misinformation.

In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, Lee McIntyre traces the development of the post-truth phenomenon from science denial through the rise of "fake news," from our psychological blind spots to the public's retreat into information silos. What, exactly, is post-truth? Is it wishful thinking, political spin, mass delusion, bold-faced lying?

This book explores the long tradition of fake facts, in their various guises, in American history. It is one of the first historical studies to place the long history of lies and misrepresentation squarely in the middle of American political, business, and science policy rhetoric. In Fake News Nation, James Cortada and William Aspray present a series of case studies that describe how lies and fake facts were used over the past two centuries in important instances in American history. Cortada and Aspray give readers a perspective on fake facts as they appear today and as they are likely to appear in the future.

How do we distinguish misinformation, pseudo-facts, distortions, and outright lies from reliable information? Levitin groups his field guide into two categories -- statistical information and faulty arguments -- ultimately showing how science is the bedrock of critical thinking. Infoliteracy means understanding that there are hierarchies of source quality and bias that variously distort our information feeds via every media channel, including social media.

Digital Literacy Unpacked demonstrates the importance of digital literacy in all areas of life, the centrality of critical thinking (a key element of both digital and information literacy), and the essential role of library and information professionals in leading digital literacy developments.

At a time when "fake news" is part of our daily cultural lexicon, 'Made Up: Design's Fictions' explores lies, fantasies, and other un-real scenarios as tools of design. Through essays, interviews, and narratives by Bruce Sterling, Fiona Raby, Sam Jacob and other significant voices in the field, this volume questions the initial discourses around "design fiction"- a broad category of critical design that includes overlapping interests in science fiction, world building, speculation, and futuring. 'Made Up: Design's Fictions' advances contemporary analysis and enactment of narrative and speculation as an important part of practice today.

A Matter of Facts: The Value of Evidence in an Information Age highlights the critical value of records and archives as sources of evidence: as vital tools for supporting human rights and enforcing public responsibilities across society.

Do Facts Matter? looks beyond the individual citizens to the role that political elites play in informing, misinforming, and encouraging or discouraging the use of accurate or mistaken information or beliefs. Finally, the authors consider policy levers and political actions that leaders and citizens can use to disseminate politically relevant knowledge, connect information to action, and correct or compensate for the use of misinformation.