LIBRARY VS. FAKE NEWS: ANOTHER LINE OF RESILIENCE

Abstract

The full-scale war in Ukraine has confronted university libraries with a dual challenge: ensuring uninterrupted access to knowledge amid physical threats while responding to the growing spread of disinformation and information manipulation. In this context, information resilience has become another important dimension of library resilience.
The presentation highlights the experience of the Scientific Library of the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies (USUST) in developing practices to counter disinformation within the Erasmus+ CAELUM project, Open Science Supporting Vulnerable Communities: Empowering University Libraries in Crisis Response. The implemented initiatives combine open knowledge, digital resources, critical thinking, and practical information verification skills.
These initiatives include the freely accessible simulation training game Stop-Fake: A Journalistic Investigation, accompanied by three explanatory mini-videos that are also freely available; an online navigator of OSINT tools for information verification and countering disinformation; open educational and visual materials; and interactive formats for engaging with the academic community.
Drawing on these initiatives, the presentation demonstrates the evolving role of the university library: from providing access to information resources to developing users’ skills in critically evaluating, verifying, and responsibly using information. This approach positions the library not only as a provider of information but also as an active contributor to strengthening the information resilience of the academic community in wartime.