Rights of older people #GlobalMILweek

A Spanish-lanuage news release that caught my attention is from the Plataforma de Mayores y Pensionistas (Platform for pensioners and older people). This seems to be an interesting association, bringing together Spanish organisations supporting older people's rights. For Global Media and Information Literacy week they call upon local and national government to support and educate older people to combat disinformation https://www.pmp.org.es/actualidad/noticias/la-pmp-insta-al-gobierno-realizar-un-mayor-esfuerzo-en-materia-de-formacion-y
Photo from the age-positive image library of the Centre for Ageing Better

#GlobalMILweek Combatting disinformation in Latvia

Today's Global Media and Information Literacy week offering is an interview (10 minutes) with Dr. Rihards Bambals, Director of Strategic Communication at the State Chancellery of Latvia, recorded today (26 October).
Go to https://youtu.be/VsM6IdNtoA4?si=R7nnkDRwsdI3_pWF

#postwithcare #GlobalMILweek

For Global Media and Information Literacy Week UNESCO just launched a new campaign #postwithcare, that possibly takes over from te previous #MILClicks campaign. "The campaign aims to encourage digital content creators worldwide to reflect on the way they create and share information on their platforms. They will particularly challenge their communities to consider their tendency to accept information without scrutiny due to the influencer’s perceived credibility."
The available items are:
- stickers as images or pdfs, in several languages (an example heads this post) which can be downloaded from a Trello board
- An 100 page ebook aimed at content creators Content Creators and Journalists: Redefining News and Credibility in the Digital Age: https://journalismcourses.org/ebook/content-creators-and-journalists-redefining-news-and-credibility-in-the-digital-age/
- A free online course available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese: Digital Content Creators and Journalists: How to Be a Trusted Voice Online running 18 November - 15 December 2024 (by the Knight Center for Journalism in the USA) https://journalismcourses.org/product/digital-content-creators-and-journalists-how-to-be-a-trusted-voice-online/
The home page for this whole campaign is https://www.unesco.org/en/postwithcare

 

Welcome to #GlobalMILweek

Today marks the start of UNESCO's Global Media and Information Literacy Week and you can find the information here https://www.unesco.org/en/weeks/media-information-literacy The site includes a directory of online and in-person events going on around the world https://www.unesco.org/en/weeks/media-information-literacy-2024/around-world?hub=66833 Some of the online events have been listed under specific countries, so it's worth having a good browse (unfortunately you can't browse). I've already highlighted some of the events, and I'll do more this coming week.

Today's #GlobalMILweek webinars! IL as a discipline and Understanding MIL in 2024

At the start of UNESCO's Global Media and Information Literacy Week here are 2 free webinars today 

(1) The webinar I'm chairing today 4pm-5pm BST (time in the UK, US EST that's 11am-12noon) Information as a Discipline: what's the difference with me, Professor Clarence Maybee, Dr Karen Kaufmann, Dr Syeda Shahid, and Bill Johnston. It's co-organised by the CILIP Information Literacy Group, the Purdue University Institute for Information Literacy, USA, and the University of Sheffield Information School, Libraries and Information Society Research Group. UK. Go to: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/cilipinformationliteracygroup/1381222 

(2) The webinar organised by CILIPS Media and Information Literacy Community of Practice: Understanding Information and Media in 2024 24 October 2024, 2-4pm BST. This features: An overview of the community of practice; A preview of the new website for the community; Generative AI and schools; OFCOM and their 3 year media literacy strategy; DigiKnow – Young Scot and the Information literacy of young people; Fear of the Known – Conspiracy Theories webinar preview. Go to https://www.cilips.org.uk/events/milcop-open-meeting/

The New Digital Frontiers of Information: Media and Information Literacy for Public Interest Information through Libraries #GlobalMILWeek #MILCLICKS

IFLA's Information Literacy & School Library Sections have organised a free webinar on 28 October 2024 at 15.00 Paris time (CEST, which is one hour ahead of UK time. Note that there will be one hour less time difference with North America that week, due to different dates changing the clocks, so e.g. US EST start time will be 10am). The title is: The New Digital Frontiers of Information: Media and Information Literacy for Public Interest Information through Libraries.
There are three pre-recorded presentations followed by a live Q&A. Speakers are:
- Damiano Orrù (Vilfredo Pareto Library, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy) Librarians for A.I. literacy in Italy: biblioSkill;
- Rebecca Morris (School of Computing and Information, University of Pittsburgh, USA) Be Kind and Save Time: Exploring Generative AI for Creating Accessible Learning Materials,
- Leen d’Haenens (Media Culture & Policy Lab, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium) Balancing Stakeholder Interests in Media Literacy and Digital Skills Interventions: A Guide for Researchers — Insights from the REMEDIS Project
More information and registration at https://www.ifla.org/events/2024-global-media-and-information-literacy-week-information-literacy-school-library-sections-joint-webinar-globalmilweek-2/

Webinar: Building a National Alliance for Media and Information Literacy

There is a free webinar from the UK's Media and Information Literacy Alliance on 31 October at 15:30 - 17:00 GMT (note - the time difference between the UK and North America is one hour less than usual this week, so that's 11.30-13.00 EST): Building a National Alliance for Media and Information Literacy
"In this webinar, we will share our experience, in the UK, of developing a national initiative to advocate for media and information literacy (MIL), encourage capacity-building and help to build the MIL evidence base. The webinar will be introduced by a panel made up of six of MILA’s trustees. We will address the challenges of raising awareness of MIL across society, not least among policymakers and educationalists; and of fostering collaborations between the different players that have an interest in MIL and associated literacies."
Go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/media-and-information-literacy-alliance-global-mil-week-webinar-tickets-1040651846687?

New look for ACRL Framework sandbox

The ACRL-IS Framework for Information Literacy Sandbox has changed its design, I think, in particular, to suit mobile devices more. The Sandbox enables people to share and reuse teaching and learning materials that connect with the ACRL Information Literacy Framework. The sandbox contains lesson plans, slides, activity sheets etc. that you can reuse in your own teaching. A new feature is that it showcases a few selected resources on the home page. You can still search by discipline, ACRL IL frame, type of institution etc.
As an example, the most recently uploaded item when I looked was Source Evaluation Myths "This online guide provides an overview of four common source evaluation myths that might prevent students from being able to effectively evaluate online sources. Information Literacy Frame(s) Addressed: Authority is Constructed and Contextual"
Go to https://sandbox.acrl.org/
Photo by Sheila Webber: Greenwich Park, October 2024

Information Literacy Weblog, the AI podcast

I can't resist sharing an AI-generated podcast created with Google's NotebookLM. I simply pasted in this blog's address and after a few minutes there was a podcast of 8 minutes in which 2 people with American accents left no cliche unused whilst highlighting some of my recent posts.
On the plus side, they do provide mostly accurate information about upcoming conferences, some resources and an award that I'd recently blogged. Some of their comments are rather nice, and it is good at giving a non-expert view on information literacy matters, which could help explain why IL was an interesting topic.
On the minus side: they can't pronounce "LILAC" (seriously! it's even a real word!), and instead invent something called the Information Literacy Association; some of their lighthearted banter is (IMHO) painful/boring; and I got the impression they are pretending to be interested, so that curiosity and enthusiasm that you get in the best podcasts wasn't really there. But then, they are AI!
The AI-generated episode description was "The source is a blog called "Information Literacy Weblog," maintained by Sheila Webber. It features a collection of posts about information literacy, covering topics such as upcoming conferences, new publications, and recent research. The posts highlight events, articles, and resources related to information literacy across various sectors, including academic libraries, schools, and the public. The blog also showcases the use of artificial intelligence in libraries, data literacy, and other emerging topics in information science."
In fact the most useful thing, for me, was the idea that I could do weekly few-minutes overviews of what's on my blog. I've been wondering how to promote it on media that isn't X/Twitter, as I don't want to spam everywhere every day, and this could be a good solution. Watch this space!
Anyway, here it is: https://digitalmedia.sheffield.ac.uk/media/AI+Generated+podcast/1_88mihabt

 

Global roadmap for information as a public good in the face of the environmental crisis

A short report published earlier in teh year by UNESCO in English, French and Spanish is Global roadmap for information as a public good in the face of the environmental crisis: key takeaways and a strategy to implement the 2024 World Press Freedom Day Call for Action. Item G in the roadmap focuses on Media and Information Literacy: Empower citizens with media and information literacy skills and competencies to debunk climate disinformation.
- "Develop a media and information literacy online course on climate disinformation, to be launched during the 2024 Global Media and Information Literacy week
- "Develop a campaign and a global fact-checking initiative inspired by the #Coronavirusfacts project with a transdisciplinary dimension between UNESCO’s sectors.
- "Integrate a climate and environmental dimension in all the new media and information literacy resources targeting different stakeholders (toolkit for media organizations, toolkit for youth organizations, MOOC for digital content creators)."
Go to https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000391126
Photo by Sheila Webber: Charlton Park, September 2024

Call for proposals: #LILAC25

There is a call for proposals for the LILAC (UK information literacy) conference, to be held in person 14-16 April 2025 at Cardiff University, Wales. They welcome proposals about information literacy in all sectors and contexts.
The deadline is 14 November 2024 at 16:00 GMT (and they are strict!) Various options are available: short/ long presentations, workshops, panel discussions, lightning talk and wildcards (other types of contribution).
Further information at https://www.lilacconference.com/lilac-2025/call-for-presentations-1

Call for proposals: Empirical Studies in Libraries Summit #ESiLS

There is a call for proposals for the Empirical Studies in Libraries Summit (ESiLS) online conference taking place 26 March 2024. The proposal deadline is 20 December 2024. "This summit aims to bring together scholars, practitioners, and students who are engaged in empirical studies that advance our understanding of library practices, user behaviors, the impact of libraries on their communities, and more!" It is particularly aimed at practitioners who are interested in research methods and approaches.
Options are for a short or long presentation or asynchronous poster. Proposals are encouraged for:
- Innovative methodologies in library research
- User experience and satisfaction studies
- Data-driven decision-making in library services
- Impact assessment of library programs and services
- Trends in information seeking and user behavior
- Collaboration between libraries and community organizations
- The role of libraries in promoting digital literacy
- Case studies highlighting successful empirical research in libraries.
More information at https://www.esils.org/
Photo by Sheila Webber: carving, Greenwich Park, October 2024

New articles: LibGuide assessment; Formative assessment; Question formulation skills

An articles from the "Failure" section of the open access journal Hypothesis (Vol. 36 No. 2, 2024) "Hypothesis: Failure is a peer-reviewed regular column and the brainchild of Column Editor Heather Holmes. The column is intended to provide a pioneering platform to share experiences that didn't end as expected (or that didn't end at all)."
- Question Formulation Skills Building Among Dental Hygiene Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial by Jonathan Eldredge, Ms. Nathe ("Surprisingly, the students' average post-test scores were 41.75 for the Control group and 43.67 for the Intervention group on a 70-point scale, which were not markedly different. Apparently, some contamination occurred.")
Further selected articles from this issue
- Combining Web Analytics and a Web-Based User Survey for LibGuides Assessment by Carmen Howard, Jung Mi Scoulas, Allan Berry, Deborah L. Lauseng
- Librarian and Clinical Faculty Collaborative Use of Formative Assessment in a Longitudinal Evidence-Based Medicine Curriculum by Sa'ad Laws, Mai Mahmoud, Moune Jabre, Amal Khidir, Ziyad Mahfoud
Go to https://journals.indianapolis.iu.edu/index.php/hypothesis/issue/view/1761 "
Photo by Sheila Webber: candles (not real ones) in Southwark Cathedral, October 2024

Webinar: Information as a Discipline: what's the difference #MILClicks - book now!

I'm excited to be part of a free webinar on 24 October 2024 at 16.00 BST (which is, e.g., 11am US Eastern time): Information as a Discipline: what's the difference.
My fellow panellists are Dr. Karen Kaufmann (Assistant professor, School of Information, University of South Florida, USA), Bill Johnston (activist and retired academic, Scotland), Dr Clarence Maybee (Associate Dean for Learning and the W. Wayne Booker Endowed Chair in Information Literacy at Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies, USA) and Dr Syeda Shahid (Assistant Professor, Towson University, USA).
This event is co-organised by the CILIP Information Literacy Group, the Purdue University Institute for Information Literacy, USA, and the University of Sheffield Information School, Libraries and Information Society Research Group. UK.
"If Information Literacy is taken seriously as a discipline, if people aren't shy to say that Information Literacy is a real subject of study and research - what changes? What could be different, not just for educators, students, researchers and librarians, but also for people of all ages outside formal education, and in different parts of the world? That is the focus of this international panel session which celebrates Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2024."
We are all members of the international group of researchers and practitioners, ILIAD: Information Literacy Is A Discipline, advancing scholarly conversation around the idea that information literacy is a maturing discipline (Webber & Johnston, 2017).
"The panel will identify changes that could come about from seeing Information Literacy (IL) as a discipline. Each panel member will identify a longer term change that could happen if IL was more widely recognised as a discipline, and note some of the conditions needed to achieve this. There will then be time for participants to debate what IL as a discipline entails and the changes that could be achieved."
Register at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/cilipinformationliteracygroup/1381222