“Sneak It In”: Information Literacy Instruction Related to Misinformation

Misinformation continues to impact communities through its ability to spread distrust and undermine confidence in public institutions. However, experts struggle to identify the most effective strategies for discussing and addressing misinformation. This article investigates how librarians can get people interested in misinformation topics without ruining their public trust. We analyzed data from five half-day workshops that included 16 librarians from Washington and Texas using a thematic analysis approach. The librarians argue that information literacy instruction related to misinformation needs to be short, easy, entertaining and grounded in nonpolitical issues that resonate with the learner. They also argue that staff need to be empathetic when discussing misinformation. Finally, librarians can take advantage of their personal networks and opinion leaders to indirectly discuss skills related to dealing with misinformation. This article contributes to library and information science (LIS) research on how to get people interested in discussing and addressing misinformation.