Assessing Information Literacy Initiatives to Combat Misinformation in Higher Education Libraries: A Study of Academic Libraries in Murshidabad District, West Bengal
Keywords:
Information Literacy, Academic Libraries, Higher Education, Misinformation, Disinformation, Artificial Intelligence, AI Literacy, Media Literacy, Digital Literacy, Critical Thinking, Academic Libraries in India. Murshidabad District, West BengalAbstract
The capacity to recognise, evaluate, and make sensible use of digital material has become more and more important in academic libraries as digital technologies, social media, and generative artificial intelligence continue to grow. The extent and efficacy of information literacy programmes in higher education libraries in Murshidabad District, West Bengal, India, are assessed in this study. A structured questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used in a mixed-methods approach to gather data from 150 participants, including academics, students, and librarians. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Pearson correlation coefficients, and reliability metrics like Cronbach’s alpha were used to analyse the results. The findings indicate that while library orientation, OPAC training, and digital literacy courses are frequently offered by academic libraries, media literacy, fact-checking, and AI literacy are given less attention. Participation in information literacy training was found to significantly improve users’ capacity to identify false information, evaluate sources critically, and use sophisticated reasoning techniques (p < 0.001). Limited finance, inadequate ICT infrastructure, inadequate staff professional development, and poor institutional cooperation are some of the main obstacles to execution. In order to improve students’ information competency, the study recommends that librarians, educators, and administrators work together to incorporate information, media, and AI literacy into academic courses. By providing empirical insights from a regional Indian context on how academic libraries might effectively respond to disinformation and promote digital resilience in higher education, these findings enhance previous research.
How to cite this article:
Pharcy M S, Rahaman J. Assessing Information Literacy Initiatives to Combat Misinformation in Higher Education Libraries: A Study of Academic Libraries in Murshidabad District, West Bengal. J Adv Res Lib Inform Sci 2026; 13(4): 16-26.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2395.2288.202619
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