+44 (0) 1273 3868495 Practical Ways Librarians Can Tackle Misinformation and Build Critical Thinkers
Misinformation spreads fast and it’s getting harder to stop.
False or misleading content travels quickly because it taps into our emotions. It’s entertaining, shocking, comforting – or all three. According to a well-known MIT study, falsehoods on social media can travel up to ten times faster than the truth. It reaches us through outrage, fear, or belonging, long before we even realise we’ve been hooked.
Meanwhile, trusted systems like third-party fact-checking are being phased out, and community tools such as X’s Community Notes often struggle with anything emotional, partisan, or complex. Many misleading posts go unchallenged simply because consensus can’t be reached.
But in the middle of this information disorder, libraries and librarians stand firm.
We are the original fact-checkers. We answer questions with care and context, not algorithms or AI models. That puts us in a powerful position to help learners and communities navigate today’s information chaos. And we don’t have to do it with dry lectures or grim warnings.
Here are five engaging ways to help your library users build resilience, curiosity, and critical awareness.
1. “MythBusting Live”: Turn misinformation fact-checking into a show
What it is:
Host live “MythBusting” sessions where attendees bring in strange, suspicious, or viral content they’ve seen online. Or something they have simply enjoyed! Then fact-check it together in real time using trusted, library-approved sources.
Why it works:
High school librarian Natasha Rush runs sessions like these, scrolling TikTok or Instagram with students and debunking content using library databases and search tools. It’s quick, relevant, and illuminating. It’s a great way to demonstrate your library resources too!
Make it interactive:
Let participants vote: Real or fake?
Demonstrate reverse image searches and lateral reading.
Add buzzers or quiz-style rounds for fun.
Offer small prizes for the fastest verified fact.
These sessions turn misinformation / disinformation into shared, social learning moments – no lectures required. They help build self-confidence, digital habits, and critical instincts.
2. Gamify SIFT – The “Stop and Think” challenge
What it is:
Turn Mike Caulfield’s SIFT method into a quick-fire team game. Present each group with an outrageous claim and challenge them to investigate it using the four SIFT steps:
Stop
Investigate the source
Find better coverage
Trace claims to the original context
Why it works:
Research from Stanford’s Civic Online Reasoning curriculum shows that just 150 minutes of targeted instruction can significantly improve students’ ability to evaluate online content. SIFT is accessible, adaptable, and evidence-based.
Make it fun:
Use bizarre headlines, AI-generated images, or suspicious social media posts.
Ask students to present their SIFT process in creative ways.
Award points for teamwork, creativity, or “most misleading” content.
By turning source-checking into a game, you make digital literacy feel active and empowering, not another rule to memorise.
3. Run “Digital Detective” workshops for specific audiences
What it is:
Tailor your information literacy sessions to the interests and concerns of different groups – age, groups, clubs, etc. People are more likely to believe information that matches their values, fears, or online habits, so meet them there.
Why it works:
When the content feels personal, the thinking gets deeper. This is about moving beyond individual “filter bubbles” by encouraging curiosity and critical awareness.
Workshop themes to try:
Wellness or Woo-Woo?
Debunk TikTok health hacks, beauty fads, or viral “cures.”Scam Busters
Help older adults or students identify phishing emails, romance scams, misinformation and fake investment schemes.Political Spot-the-Spin
Explore deepfakes, dodgy headlines, and out-of-context campaign/conference/speech clips.
Where this already works:
It was this LinkedIn post about public libraries offering digital safety sessions that inspired this blog post. Public libraries in the UK, and elsewhere, already offer digital safety sessions. These workshops are just one step further – focused on helping people think before sharing, not telling them what to believe.
4. Set up a “Question the Source” display
What it is:
Design a physical or digital display that challenges people to test their instincts. Include headlines, screenshots, influencer claims – some true, some misleading – and ask users to guess which are which.
Why it works:
It creates a simple, powerful pause. That moment of “Wait, is this real?” is the foundation of digital resilience.
Make it engaging:
Add QR codes that link to source verification tools.
Include “how to check” tip cards to take away.
Let users vote on what they trust, then reveal the real source.
Use it as part of themed weeks, such as
Safer Internet Day, Libraries Week, International Digital Learning Day, or just a back-to-school campaign.
It’s visual, low-cost, and surprisingly sticky (no glue required!).
5. Launch an “Internet Sense” campaign and go cross-curricular
What it is:
Develop a whole-school campaign to make digital scepticism a core life skill, not just a library lesson or one-off assembly. The aim is to help students not just spot fake news, but think more clearly and calmly across every subject.
Why it works:
Misinformation isn’t just a social media problem. It shapes how young people understand science, history, art, health, and even maths. From Holocaust denial to AI art, vaccine myths to climate distortion, poor digital information literacy reshapes what we think we know.
Build it into your school’s ethos:
Connect to PSHE, citizenship, safeguarding, or student voice programmes.
Involve digital leaders, peer mentors, or school councils in leading sessions or reviewing content.
Partner with subject teachers to create mini “myth-busting” activities across the curriculum.
Examples by subject:
Science: Debunk viral “health hacks” and pseudo-science. Ask: Where’s the peer-reviewed evidence?
Food Tech / Health: Investigate diet claims and supplement ads. Who profits?
History: Unpack manipulated narratives, conspiracy theories, or politicised reinterpretations of events.
Art: Analyse how AI-generated images distort authorship or historical context. Why are images so important?
Geography: Explore maps used in climate disinformation or territorial propaganda.
English: Study rhetorical techniques in influencer posts, political ads, or viral content.
Make it visible and student-led, and promote it beyond the school:
Run a design challenge: Create a slogan for “Internet Sense.”
Create a shared Myth Wall to fact-check trending claims together.
Post critical thinking prompts around the school (even on bathroom mirrors or in waiting areas!).
Share updates via newsletters or school social media.
This isn’t just about telling students not to believe everything online. It’s about building a school-wide culture of curiosity, evidence-checking, and thoughtful digital citizenship.
Final thought: Don’t just correct misinformation - encourage exploration
Unfortunately, fact-checking alone won’t fix the internet. Real learning means leaving space for doubt, dialogue, and reflection. And that’s both scary for young people and hard work for teachers and librarians.
But it’s also deeply human.
Let’s make truth more contagious than lies. And let’s make libraries the places where people learn to think twice, click slower, and feel proud of it. Check out our piece on NotebookLM and how it can help chase off misinformation.
Share your own myth-busting activity with us!
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FAQs: 5 Practical Ways Librarians Can Tackle Misinformation and Build Critical Thinkers
1. What is information disorder and why does it matter in libraries?
Information disorder is a term that covers misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation – false or harmful content that misleads or manipulates. It matters in libraries because users often come with questions influenced by online content. Librarians are in a unique position to promote digital literacy, critical thinking, and trustworthy information habits.
2. How can librarians teach students to spot fake news?
Librarians can teach students to spot fake news by using tools like the SIFT method (Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace to the original). Hands-on activities like fact-checking workshops, source analysis games, and cross-curricular campaigns help students develop practical, repeatable strategies for evaluating information.
3. What are some practical ways to promote digital literacy in school libraries?
Some effective ways to promote digital literacy and combat fake news in schools include:
Hosting “MythBusting” sessions
Running “Question the Source” displays
Creating cross-curricular campaigns like “Internet Sense”
Using reverse image search and media literacy resources
These activities make information evaluation engaging and relevant to real-life media consumption.
4. What’s the difference between misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation?
Misinformation is false but shared without intent to harm.
Disinformation is deliberately false and designed to deceive.
Malinformation is based on real information used out of context or to harm someone.
Together, they make up what experts call information disorder.
5. Can public libraries help fight disinformation?
Yes. Public libraries can host workshops, provide fact-checking tools, and create safe spaces for dialogue. Many already offer digital safety sessions. Librarians can help users recognise scams, check sources, and think critically, without preaching or telling them what to believe.
6. How can I make digital literacy fun for teens and younger students?
Gamifying the process works well – use real or fake headline challenges, “scam buster” quizzes, or team-based fact-checking competitions. Encourage creativity and humour while reinforcing key skills like verifying sources, spotting bias, and slowing down before sharing content. Meet them where they are and understand why they are reading and watching what they do. Get them to talk about it and reflect on their choices.
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