Librarians as Bridges between Ignorance, Misinformation and the Citizens

The public domain is recently being filled with information of diverse forms due to the introduction of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) coupled with the various social media platforms. Individuals abuse and misuse of these social media platforms are giving rise to the spread of fake news and misinformation daily. The power of misinformation supplied through online sources now poses a threat to the life of innocent people in society. To ameliorate the situation, the library and its professionals have to play an important role because they are adequately equipped to filter information that is published into the public domain. The paper, therefore, examines the role of librarians as a bridge between Ignorance, Misinformation and the Citizens. It concludes by charging librarians to develop the skills necessary for quality information delivery in the era of information overflow.

Keywords: Libraries, Librarians, ICT, Social Media, Misinformation, Fake News, Ignorance.