Executive Summary: Public libraries in the United States increasingly operate in a high-conflict information environment where false or misleading claims can spread faster than corrections, harm patrons directly (health, finances, safety, civic participation), and erode community trust in institutions—including libraries themselves.
One U.S. government framing (from the U.S. Surgeon General) characterizes health misinformation as a serious threat that can cause confusion, sow mistrust, harm health, and undermine public health efforts—and argues that limiting its spread requires whole-of-society action.
A useful starting point is “information disorder”: the ecosystem of false, misleading, or weaponized information—including content that is false by mistake, content that is false on purpose, and content that is true but used to harm. In practice, library workers benefit from treating these not as abstract terms but as operational categories that shape response: intent, potential harm, and the “path” the information took (source → amplification → audience impact).