Handling Misinformation on COVID19: Role of Library and Information Centres – Literature Review

The outbreak of CoronaVirus created a pandemic situation. It not only posed a massive threat to health but also affected socio economic lives of people. In the beginning, scientists knew very little about the novel virus and how to control it. The rapid spread of the virus infused fear among the health professionals, scientists and the public at large. People who are already anxious, unaware of the disease, and in the midst of uncertainty are further affected by the spread of false or misleading information which is termed as misinformation. Along with the spread of the pandemic, misinformation is also spreading very fast. The World Health Organization has referred to this as Infodemic. Spread of misinformation has severe consequences on society. Present study reviewed 30 research articles, reports and news retrieved using Google and Google Scholar. These reviews are analyzed to find out the causes and consequences, types of misinformation, action taken to arrest the spread of misinformation and the role of library and information centres in combating the spread of misinformation. Study concludes that Libraries can play a crucial role by providing authentic information collaborating with National and International organizations dealing with COVID information.