Library resources for fact checking
By Amanda Ladds, Librarian, Information and Client Services | 24 October 2025
Fake news, AI generated images and misinformation is everywhere. Sometimes it is easy to discern between fact and fiction and other times it is not. Global Media and Information Literacy Week is held annually from 24–31 October to raise awareness of media and information literacy. In today’s complex digital landscape, media and information literacy has become a cornerstone for fostering informed, resilient societies.
Media literacy is the ability to critically engage with media in all aspects of life. It is an essential life skill that enables us to think critically about what we see and navigate successfully through disinformation, misinformation, hate speech, and the evolving challenges of AI.
How can State Library help you be information literate and media savvy?
Your State Library membership provides access to research tools and information to help you make your own informed choices.
We can help you:
- find, evaluate, and use information effectively and ethically
- use appropriate search methods to capture relevant material.
- assess results and relevance
- find out how reliable and reputable your source of information is
- help you critically evaluate your online information
- explore additional sources of information.
If you’re just getting started with your research our catalogue One Search is a great place to begin your information journey.
Why use databases?
Only available with your library membership databases are essential tools for research as they provide access to a vast collection of resources. Library databases are subject-specific and allow users to search across numerous resources simultaneously, making them the best source for credible and peer-reviewed information.
State Library of Queensland provides access to the following set of databases that provide comprehensive, curated, authoritative information.
Finding databases at State Library
At the top of our One Search catalogue page, choose eresources. You can search explore the eresources page on our website by selecting from the eresources by category listing on the left side of the screen. Alternatively, you can search the title via One Search.
We’ve gathered a few key eresources that will help you with fact checking.
LinkedIn Learning offers courses on everything from basic information literacy to advanced data analysis.
APA-FT-Australian Public Affairs Full Text brings together over 550 journals covering Australia's political, economic and social affairs.
It is a comprehensive collection of curated, authoritative, subject-based full text records featuring extensive coverage of Australian and international information resources across Humanities, Education, Indigenous, Legal, Health, Engineering, Families and beyond.
ProQuest Central is a cross-disciplinary database covering business and current affairs magazines, local, regional and international news, global market information, health and medical journals, scholarly science journals as well as humanities and social science periodicals.
Gale Health and Wellness provides instant access to carefully compiled and trusted medical reference materials. Includes more than 1000 health/medical journals, hundreds of pamphlets, over 700 health-related videos from partner Healthology, Inc., and articles from 2,200 general interest publications in addition to a broad collection of Gale reference titles. Material contained in this Resource Centre is intended for informational purposes only.
Australia & New Zealand Newsstream
Australia and New Zealand Newsstream combines major news sources from Fairfax, News Limited and ABC. It also includes all Queensland regional papers. Issues start from the late 1990's to present, and individual sources for dates covered, can be easily checked. The Australia & New Zealand Database provides ongoing full-text academic journals that are locally published by scholarly publishing organizations and educational institutions located in Australia and New Zealand. Major subject areas of study are represented, including business, science, technology, engineering, medical, social sciences, education, arts, literature, history, and others
NewsBank Access world news Newsbank Inc.
Access World News from NewsBank provides full-text information and perspectives from over 600 U.S. and over 700 international sources, each with its own distinctive focus offering diverse viewpoints on local, regional and world issues. Date coverage varies with individual newspaper. This resource supports research across a wide range of subject areas, including Political Science, Journalism, History, Environmental Studies, Sociology, Economics, Education, Business, Health, Social Sciences and more.
The PressReader collection covers, to date, nearly 6000 newspapers and magazines from all over the world. There are publications from over a hundred countries and in more than 60 languages. Among the newspapers there are international top titles, such as The Washington Post and Le Monde, other broadsheets and tabloids as well as national and local newspapers.
Real or Fake!?
Do you think the following images are real or fake? Click through to find out.
Chinchilla Melon Festival 2023 photographs (0004-0010). Tyr Liang. 33887, Queensland festivals photographs. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.
Patrotic fund raising gala in the Botanic Gardens, ca. 1914-1918, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Negative number: 204081
Stray firework allegedly strikes State Library of Queensland
If you need more, your State Library membership will get you access excellent online platforms offering free resources to strengthen your media and information literacy skills.
- Databases made simple https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/databases-made-simple
- Access all databases: http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/primo-explore/dbsearch?vid=SLQ&lang=en_US
- Find books, articles and ebooks in One Search: http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au
- Library membership - /get-involved/become-member
- Ask us - /plan-my-visit/services/ask-us
More information
One Search catalogue - http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/
Ask a librarian - https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/plan-my-visit/services/ask-librarian
Library membership - https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/get-involved/become-member
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