Justice, Authority and the COVID-19 Infodemic: Libraries as Trust Systems in a Post- Trust World

This article examines the intersection of trust, authority, the COVID-19 infodemic, and what this convergence may suggest for the growing emphasis on social justice in American libraries. It considers the library as an honor system-or, more accurately, a trust system-both in its essential character...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of information ethics 2022-10, Vol.31 (2), p.102-117
Main Authors: Wiles, Bradley J, Britz, Johannes
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Civil rights
Coronaviruses
COVID-19 vaccines
Ethics
Librarians
Libraries
Pandemics
Public policy
Rawls, John (1921-2002)
Rebellions
Social capital
Social justice
Society
Trust
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Summary:This article examines the intersection of trust, authority, the COVID-19 infodemic, and what this convergence may suggest for the growing emphasis on social justice in American libraries. It considers the library as an honor system-or, more accurately, a trust system-both in its essential character and its operations. It begins with the proposition that libraries are and will remain trusted institutions, and that they have an instrumental and intellectual role to play in combating the ill effects of the pandemic through blunting the impact of the infodemic. However, even if libraries are positioned to help provide clarity and direction, they face distinct challenges in delivering services to a public that is increasingly skeptical of their role as a traditional authority in providing information, stewarding culture, and representing community interests. Incorporating concepts from John Rawls' framework for social justice, this article seeks to explore the notions of interpersonal and institutional trust as requirements for democratic stability and a just society. Specifically, it seeks to analyze some of the ethical dilemmas that this post-trust era presents to librarians, their institutions, and the communities they serve. How might libraries contribute to re-establishing and sustaining interpersonal and institutional trust at the community and societal level?
ISSN:1061-9321
1941-2894
DOI:10.2307/JIE.31.2.102