Attraverso l’informazione del settore pubblico nell'Infosfera. Esperienze e strategie del Gruppo di Studio italiano sulla Documentazione di Fonte Pubblica

Currently, online information represents a significant segment of the so-called “Infosphere”, a composite space where the digital and the analog converge and where individuals and information technologies relate through mutual influences. Public sector information also moves in this context, while having a direct impact on the daily lives of citizens. But, it is not always easy to distinguish reliable or official information from those that are not; moreover, it can be hard to understand the potential social and cultural damage that can be brought about by the dissemination of misinformation and disinformation. The mediation of information that librarians traditionally carry out represents an activity with a high social impact which, however, often remains neglected or overlooked, even though in today’s world it should be valued and implemented. Within the Infosphere, providing useful tools for research and access to public information or official publications is more fundamental than ever, both for knowledge of a specific topic, for the acquisition of information and digital skills and for awareness of the impact that information can have, concretely, in the lives of individual citizens. Therefore, librarians’ professional skills should be constantly updated and adapted to technological and social changes, not only for the benefit of public library users but also for that of other types of libraries: specialized, academic, and so on. In Italy, public sector information management skills are generally acquired on the job, but many librarians can find training opportunities through the activities of the Study Group on public sector information = Gruppo di studio sulla Documentazione di fonte pubblica (DFP) of the Italian Library Association (AIB). Access to reliable public information is the first pillar on which the DFP Group is founded and has remained a constant over its twenty years of activity. This paper traces the main activities of the DFP Group, showing an evolution of the strategies adopted to achieve the set objectives. This primarily refers to the creation and maintenance of the web directory “Repertorio DFP”, but also other activities and projects like the publication of articles in specialized magazines, the drawing up of guidelines, the organization of seminars and webinars, the drafting of the “DFP Manifesto”.