Critical Thinking Bootcamp 2026: Strengthening AI Literacy

The publishers Sage have made available material from an event held in July 2026: Critical Thinking Bootcamp 2026: Strengthening AI Literacy. It comprises recordings of speakers (all from North America) e.g. The rationality of distrust: Information integrity beyond individualism by Brooklyne Gipson (Rutgers University), and "a crowdsourced list of AI literacy and critical thinking resources, including teaching materials and reading recommendations shared by attendees of the 2026 Bootcamp" (i.e. a list of curated links).
Go to https://www.sagepub.com/our-initiatives/critical-thinking/critical-thinking-bootcamp-2026
Photo by Sheila Webber: lowering weather in North Greenwich, August 2026

Recording: the Information Literacy Handbook

There is a 51-minute recording of a session, held on 13 August 2026 in the School of Information, Journalism and Communication (IJC), University of Sheffield (UK), in which I, Bill Johnston and Dr Pam McKinney introduce the Information Literacy Handbook. The chair is Dr Dani Madrid-Morales (Co-Lead of the Disinformation, Information Integrity and Literacies (DIIL) Research Cluster in the IJC, University of Sheffield). 
It starts with an introduction to the Handbook and to ILIAD, then Bill and I highlight some aspects of our introductory chapter, then Pam talks about her Theory of Change chapter and finally I talk about my chapter on Autoethnography. There is alos a short question session at the end. You can enable captions if you wish. 
The recording is at https://digitalmedia.sheffield.ac.uk/media/Launch+of+the+Information+Literacy+Handbook/1_o55e9bc6 and is embedded below.

 

AI & Metaliteracy OER Toolkit for Teaching and Learning

The AI & Metaliteracy OER Toolkit for Teaching and Learning has just been launched: "an openly licensed and adaptable resource that supports teaching and learning with generative AI through the framework of metaliteracy". The toolkit was developed by Nicola Marae Allain, Tom Mackey, and Eugenio Solis de Ovando, in collaboration with Alena Rodick (Empire State University, USA). The project was funded through a State University of New York (USA) Innovative Instruction Technology Grant. 
There are five modules: metaliterate learner identity; ethical evaluation and production; collaborative and participatory engagement; development as a metaliterate learner; and next steps for continued learning. "The modules include activities, assignments, reflections, rubrics, and supplemental resources" 
There is an introduction here: https://metaliteracy.org/2026/08/28/introducing-the-ai-metaliteracy-oer-toolkit-for-teaching-and-learning/ 
Access the toolkit via this page https://metaliteracy.org/ml-in-practice/how-to-access-the-ai-metaliteracy-oer-toolkit/

The 2026 Critical Conversations in LIS Series

There is a series of webinars (which will also be recorded) hosted by the University of South Carolina (USA) Augusta Baker Endowed Chair, Dr. Nicole Cooke, which are part of a course that Cooke teaches and are also being made freely available. 
They are held on Thursdays at 12noon US Eastern time (17.00 BST)  or 16.00 US Eastern time (21.00 BST). The first is on 3 September 2026 at 12.00 noon Eastern time.
Information on speakers is here  https://nicolethelibrarian.substack.com/p/the-2026-critical-conversations-in  (you register by clicking on the poster for the relevant speaker)

Recent articles: AI literacy; infolit as capability; disinformation

- Choi, J. (2026). Reimagining Information Literacy as Capability (ILaC): A Conceptual Framework. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 75(2), 212–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2025.2606647 "The framework distinguishes information capabilities both from skills and practice, clarifies the relationship between informational well-being and informational agency, and integrates normative concerns in IL. "
- Johnston, N., Yerbury, H., & Henninger, M. (2026). Academic Librarians and Information Literacy Practice in an Age of Mis/Disinformation. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 75(2), 321–339. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2026.2648061 " presents findings from a study exploring Australian academic librarians' concerns about the impact of misinformation and disinformation on society, university students and access to reliable information. "
- Ford, H., Burrell, A., Monin, M., Narayan, B., & Jethani, S. (2026). Hacking AI Chatbots for Critical AI Literacy in the Library. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 75(1), 42–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2026.2614000 "Using a case study of a critical AI literacy intervention in four Greater Sydney libraries, we argue that instead of learning only about how AI works, AI literacy might involve learning when, how, and why AI doesn’t work. "
Photo by Sheila Webber: giant allium seed head, August 2026

Carbon Literacy for Libraries

Carbon Literacy for Libraries is an online course on 5 November 2026 (9.15am - 12.45 BST) and on 12 November 2026 (9.15am - 12.45 BST). The cost is £15 for both parts "all of which goes to the Carbon Literacy Project". "Please note that you must be able to attend both parts of the training in order to be accredited as a Carbon Literate librarian." This has been organised by CILIP Scotland. 
More information at https://www.cilips.org.uk/events/cl4l-nov26/ 
[From the Carbon Literacy Project website] "Carbon Literacy enables individuals, communities, and organisations to take impactful climate action and enact the cultural shift necessary for the transition to a low-carbon economy" 
Photo by Sheila Webber: Hydra and Kali, by Damien Hirst, on the Thames, August 2026

Short online courses on teaching information literacy

I haven't highlighted Library Juice Academy courses for a while. They are online, priced, and on a variety of topics, including teaching information literacy. Forthcoming ones include:

- Online Instructional Design and Delivery. Cost - US $375.00. Duration: September 7 - October 18 2026. Tutor: Mimi Otten "This six-week course equips educators with the essential skills and frameworks for designing engaging, learner-centered online courses. Grounded in the principles of backward design and the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, participants will explore how to align learning outcomes with meaningful assessments and select instructional strategies that promote active student engagement..." https://libraryjuiceacademy.com/shop/course/111-online-instructional-design-and-delivery/
- Backwards Design for Library Instruction. Cost: US $250.00. Duration: October 5 - November 1 2026. Tutor: Liz Johns "This four-week course introduces participants to backwards design principles and practices for teaching. Unlike the traditional forward design method, which selects content or activities first and then aligns them with learning goals, backwards design starts with the end goal: what students should learn, know, or do. It then builds teaching from that end result, emphasizing a student-centered approach..." https://libraryjuiceacademy.com/shop/course/342-backwards-design-for-library-instruction/
- Curriculum Mapping Information Literacy for Academic Librarians. Cost: US $250.00. Duration: October 5 - November 1 2026. Tutor: Logan Rath. https://libraryjuiceacademy.com/shop/course/282-curriculum-mapping-information-literacy-for-academic-librarians/
- Developing a Credit-Bearing Information Literacy Course. Cost: US $250.00. Duration: October 5 - November 1 2026. Tutor: Jessica Critten. https://libraryjuiceacademy.com/shop/course/125-developing-credit-bearing-information-literacy-course/
The home page for all the courses is at https://libraryjuiceacademy.com/
Photo by Sheila Webber: house in Lewes, Sussex, August 2026

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

A European collaboration/ website on SOTL (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) which includes some resources, a blog and also some activities (looking to 2027) -  https://euroqsotl.org/

Recent articles: infolit of students; digital literacy; trends in AI in higher education; mis/disinformation in election

Some articles from International Information & Library Review (subscription publication):
- Alenezi, F., & Buabbas, H. (2026). Investigating the Level of Information Literacy Skills of Undergraduate Students at the College of Basic Education, Kuwait. The International Information & Library Review, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/10572317.2026.2717674
- Hussain, A., Ahmad, P., ALZahrani, A. S., & Ahmad, K. (2026). Artificial Intelligence and Information Literacy in Higher Education Institutions: Global Publication Trends and Patterns. The International Information & Library Review, 58(1), 67–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/10572317.2026.2614894
- Bhoi, S., Jha, V. K., & Kumar, R. (2026). Information Disorder in Democracy: A Thematic Analysis of Mis/Disinformation in the 2024 Indian General Election. The International Information & Library Review, 58(1), 105–121. https://doi.org/10.1080/10572317.2026.2620350
- Bélanger, A. (2026). In Support of the Continued Role of Libraries in Digital Literacy. The International Information & Library Review, 58(1), 160–168. https://doi.org/10.1080/10572317.2026.2614244
Photo by Sheila Webber: from the Hungerford footbridge, August 2026

LIS Pedagogy chat: Gamification and/or Education?

On August 28 at 14.00 US Eastern (19.00 BST) there is a free online session from LIS [Library and Information Science] Pedagogy Chat, with the topic: Gamification and/or Education? "In this journal club-style session, we will discuss Molly Worthen’s “You Can’t Game Your Way to a Real Education” (New York Times, April 19, 2026), which critiques ideas of fun and gamification in education. We encourage participants to read the article prior to the discussion, however we will provide a brief summary at the start of the session for anyone who was not able to read the article in advance" There is a link on the page that should be a gift link to the article (though those don't always work for me).
To register for the event go to the schedule page https://www.lispedagogychat.org/schedule-registration
Photo by Sheila Webber: summer sky, August 2026

AI for Teaching Guide

Librarians at Kutztown University, USA, have created a LibGuide, AI for Teaching.
It has information about using AI in assignments, AI literacy sessions offered, sources to keep up to date with AI etc. 
Go to  https://library.kutztown.edu/AITeaching

Photo by C Webber: flower on the windowsill, August 2026

Recent articles: Media Literacy; Content Literacy; AI; teaching and assessment

The latest issue of open-access Journal of Media Literacy Education (Volume 18, Issue 2, 2026) includes the following:
- The role of media literacy in shaping campus student leaders’ perceptions of media activism, online risks, and social support by Srividya Ramasubramanian, Minnie S. McMillian, Shumaila J. Bhatti, Shannon Burth, Julius Matthew Riles, Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz, and Melody Wilson
- Content literacy in the digital age: Integrating the development of digital language skills into civic education by Cedric Lawida and Ina-Maria Maahs
- Fact-checking in the university: The experience of the ‘Verificatón Electoral’ as a model of teaching innovation by Irene Larraz et al.
- Demographic context of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) skills among senior high school students in Ghana by Patience Emefa Dzandza Ocloo, Aurelia Ayisi, Abena Animwaa Yeboah-Banin, and Annie Oye
-Integrating AI into media analysis projects: Students’ insights on using ChatGPT by Serpil Yalcinalp and Hacer Turkoglu
- How to incorporate media literacy into general education curricula by Dennis O. Frohlich and David Magolis
- Mapping media literacy assessment: A systematic review to connect the dots by Lara Azar, Casey Frechette, Hafsa Zia, and Joy Amulya
- Fostering responsible AI use in communication: An integrated approach to digital literacy education by Omer Keynan, Liron Mishkin Drezner, and Yuval Gozansky
Go to https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/jmle/vol18/iss2/
Photo by Sheila Webber: a nice flat white, August 2026

SCONUL AI and Information Literacy CIG meeting

There is an online meeting of the SCONUL AI and Information Literacy Community of Interest Group meeting on 3 September 2026, 11.00-12.30 BST. This is free, open (I think) to those who are in libraries which belong to SCONUL (i.e. college, national and university libraries in the UK). It "will focus on AI, Academic Integrity, and the Library's role and responsibility. We look forward to hearing from colleagues around the sector on perspectives in developing practice and on the approach to developing teaching and guidance to help steer students and colleagues in making ethical use of AI in research habits and helping to address acknowledgment and citation concerns." Email sconul@sconul.ac.uk for registration details.
Photo by Sheila Webber: poppies, July 2026