Webinar: Indigenous Information Literacy project

On 22 January 2021 at 10-11 US MT (which is, e.g., 17.00-18.00 UK time) there is a webinar Indigenous Information Literacy project (40 min presentation, 20 min q and a). "The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action both demand improved recognition regarding Indigenous Peoples information rights. In response to these documents and to support local Kwantlen Polytechnic University commitments to decolonize and Indigenize, a series of instructional videos were created to encourage faculty to include Indigenous Information Literacy training in their virtual courses. This presentation will outline how the Indigenous Information Literacy project came into being, the process involved in creating the videos, an overview of the content, as well as a discussion on sharing and implementation." It is presented by Rachel Chong, Indigenous Engagement and Subject Liaison Librarian at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Canada, on the unceded traditional and ancestral lands of the Kwantlen, Musqueam, Katzie, Semiahmoo, Tsawwassen, Qayqayt, and Kwikwetlem Peoples. Chong is Métis through her maternal grandfather’s lineage. 

Registration link: https://forms.gle/8TaXASpBE3xts2vi6

Photo by Sheila Webber: ex-Xmas trees of South London ( 2-tree household), January 2021

Webinar: Open and Inclusive Pedagogies from and Beyond Your Living Room

A limited number (300) can register for the free ACRL online webinar SLILC Midwinter Virtual Discussion: Open and Inclusive Pedagogies from and Beyond Your Living Room, on February 10 2021, at 3-4pm CST (which is, e.g., 9pm-10pm UK time)

"Facing the challenges of a global pandemic and confronting the harsh realities of racial and social injustice over this past year, teaching librarians have become increasingly attuned to the value of open and inclusive pedagogies. This is reflected in growing conversations about open educational practices (OEP), which extend beyond the mere use of open educational resources to include “collaborative, pedagogical practices employing social and participatory technologies for interaction, peer-learning, knowledge creation and sharing, and empowerment of learners” (see Catherine Cronin & Iain MacLaren’s “Conceptualizing OEP”). Open educational practices are intended to remove barriers to meaningful learning and to invite students to be active agents in their learning. This “Ask the Room” discussion-based event will be an opportunity for fellow librarians to share opportunities, challenges, and questions related to open educational practices in their everyday work now and in the foreseeable future. The event organizers (the ACRL SLILC Committee Open Educational Practices team) will use participants’ ideas and feedback to inform future professional development offerings and resources. " All are welcome. No ALA membership or conference registration required.

Register at https://ala-events.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcud-mtpj8oGNBQ8EYOIv1BHN8pzR7yENCA

Photo by Sheila Webber: ex-Xmas trees of South London, January 2021

2nd call for papers: Critical Approaches to Libraries Conference (CALC) #CALC2021

There is a 2nd call for proposals for the Critical Approaches to Libraries Conference (CALC) conference taking place online, 5-6 May 2021. The deadline for proposals is 14 February 2021. This call is open to all. The scope of the conference is as follows "Our aim in this conference is to provide a space to share and range of ideas and practices in all areas of critical library practice, including (but not limited to) decolonisation, critical information literacy and critical pedagogy, equality, diversity and inclusion library work and services and representation of marginalised groups in society, academia and collections. Similarly we are interested in sharing experiences and practices from all areas (collections, liaison, teaching and learning etc.) and sectors of library work (HE, FE, health, public, school and special libraries and special collections). If you work in or with the library sector and are interested in challenging the dominant “historical, cultural, social, economic, political and other forces that affect information” (Gregory and Higgins 2013) then we would love you to attend this conference." (source here) 

For more information, go to http://calc.coventry.domains/participate/call-for-papers/

Call for chapter proposals: Instructional Identities and Information Literacy

There is a call for chapter proposals for Instructional Identities and Information Literacy: Transforming Our Profession, Our Institutions, Our Programs, and Ourselves, a forthcoming book to be published by ACRL. The deadline for proposals is 31 March 2021. This "seeks to emphasize real-world examples from an array of librarians to explore how teaching-centric perspective transformation can happen in diverse environments, for librarians with diverse needs, around diverse instructional issues (e.g. teaching with technology, considering critical pedagogy, integrating the Framework into instruction, finding nexus with other literacies). In this book, we’ll use transformative learning theory, and the diverse ways to consider this approach to adult learning, to more fully explore how these ideas may be put into action for libraries and librarians looking to reconsider their instructional identities and teaching practices." The proposed sections are: 

"- Instructional Identities: Have you had personal experience in exploring, critically reflecting on, and/or redefining your own identity as an educator in the wake of social, political, or cultural events? Did you lead or engage in a shared professional learning opportunity for a group of librarians (journal clubs, learning communities, etc.) that focused on transforming or reshaping teaching identities?

"- Program Identities: Has your library unit worked in systematic, intentional ways to reshape how your library offers information literacy instruction? How has transformation played a role in such work? 

"- Institutional Identities: Have you and your colleagues spearheaded efforts to connect information literacy instruction to student success initiatives, high-impact practices, or other institution-wide efforts? Have you had a strong voice on your campus in redefining information literacy broadly or for specific disciplines, especially since the release of the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education? 

"- Professional Identities: Do you have a distinct perspective on how we, in librarianship, might transform our instructional work to be more anti-racist, inclusive, or critical?"

More details at https://sites.google.com/oakland.edu/instructional-identities

Photo by Sheila Webber: Ex-Xmas trees of South London, January 2021

New articles: reflecting on IL instruction; librarians as teachers; flipped classroom; copyright; learner confidence; data literacy; IL design

There is a new issue of the open-access Journal of Information Literacy (volume 15 issue 1). The articles and project reports are: 

- Critical discourse analysis as a reflection tool for information literacy instruction by Devina Dandar, Sajni Lacey
- Librarians’ development as teachers by Andrea Baer
- Copyright Dough by Hannah Pyman, Katrine Sundsbø
- A flipped classroom approach to teaching search techniques for systematic reviews to encourage active learning by Karen Poole
- Teaching a one-credit course on data literacy and data visualisation by Tatiana Usova, Robert Laws
- Evaluating confidence in information literacy by David Bedford
- Information-Wise by Jaro Pichel, Barend Last, Julie de Ronde, Alicja Garbaciak, Henrietta Hazen, Stefan Jongen
Go to https://ojs.lboro.ac.uk/JIL/issue/view/223   

Photo by Sheila Webber: ex-Xmas trees of South London, January 2021

Webinar: Media Literacy for Librarians

There is a priced webinar from Amigos Library Services (fee between US $70 and $155) on 21 January 2021 at 2pm-4pm CST (which is, e.g. 8pm-10pm UK time): Media Literacy for Librarians. "Media literacy focuses on analyzing media content and the effect of media on society, while information literacy is the ability to identify, find, evaluate, and use information effectively. In this course, designed for librarians and staff, you will learn how to interpret media messages and their effect on individuals and society by applying media literacy theory and practices. You will also learn how to pass this knowledge on to your patrons and colleagues to help them better evaluate media." More info at https://www.amigos.org/node/4317
Photo by Sheila Webber: ex-Xmas trees of South London, January 2021

New collection of Age-friendly images #AFMIL @Ageing_Better

The Centre for Ageing Better has created a small library of freely-usable (under CC) photos which show more realistic and positive images of older people. Avoiding ageist stereotyping in images of older people is one of the aspects of Age-Friendly Media and Information Literacy #AFMIL that Bill Johnston and I have identified. As the Centre for Ageing Better notes "images of wrinkly hands clasped together in consternation is an all too common sight" and they also urge people to avoid images that emphasise frailty "sad eyes, beige sofas etc.". (This is what you get, for example, if you search "elderly" on Unsplash .... https://unsplash.com/s/photos/elderly.) 

This is a good project that hopefully will be added to (e.g. I'd find it useful to have more pictures of older people using online devices). There is information at https://www.ageing-better.org.uk/news/age-positive-image-library-launched, the library is at https://ageingbetter.resourcespace.com/pages/search.php and they have a short guide to creating age-positive images https://www.ageing-better.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-01/Age-positive-image-library.pdf 

Thanks to Pam McKinney for drawing this to my attention

Photo by P. Kindersley used under a CCO attribution no-derivatives license downloaded from the Centre for Ageing Better library at https://ageingbetter.resourcespace.com/?r=8373&k=963f01d79b

SEDA: call for papers and webinars on wellbeing

SEDA is a professional association for staff and educational developers in the UK "promoting innovation and good practice in higher education". Firstly, it has a call for proposals for its (online, 6-7 May 2021) spring conference Brighter Future - Opportunities for Educational Change, with a proposal deadline of 29th January 2021. The three themes are: (1) What have we learned from over a year of the ‘new abnormal’ in optimising the student experience (e.g. through course design, student support); (2) How are we applying what we have learned in these, and other areas of educational change, to the design of the University Experience for the future? (3) Reimagining how we engage in educational change to ensure the most positive student experience. More info at https://www.seda.ac.uk/spr-con-2021

Secondly, SEDA is running 3 wellbeing workshops, one (on 11 February 2021) focusing on learners' wellbeing, one (on 9 March 2021) on staff (which in the UK is a term which includes faculty), and (on 21 April 2021) one on wellbeing of educational developers. They cost £35 each for non members, less for SEDA members. You can register for all 3 here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/establishing-a-wellbeing-equilibrium-x-3-workshops-registration-133064723169 and for the educational developers' one (which I think should also be of interest to librarians) individual registration is here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/establishing-a-wellbeing-equilibrium-education-developer-wellbeing-registration-133210782035  

Photo by Sheila Webber: the last in my "wreaths of South London" series (December 2020): next up - discarded Xmas trees of South London.

Webinar: Intercultural perspectives on information literacy

An online conference takes place January 30 2021 9.00-15.15 CET (which is, e.g., 8.00-14.15 UK time) on the transnational project Intercultural perspectives on information literacy on January 30, 2021, with [particular input from collaborative Indian-German groups. The project involves the University of Hildesheim and the Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce in Pune and its website is here https://ipil.blog.uni-hildesheim.de The programme includes 

Information behaviour in Corona times (Student session 1: Information behaviour) 
'What I believe is surely true.' How to correct cognitive errors to promote an open mind." (Student session 1: Information behaviour) 
The Role of Metaliteracy in Designing Open Learning Initiatives Thomas P. Mackey & Trudi E. Jacobson, State University of New York, USA 
Impact of pandemic on education sector (Student session 2: Education) 
How to cultivate information literacy in rural environments (Student session 2: Education)
Workshop: Cultural aspects of information literacy 

To participate, e-mail theresia.woltermann (at) uni-hildesheim.de by January 23, 2021. More information at http://ipil.blog.uni-hildesheim.de/registration

Photo by Sheila Webber: wreaths of South London, December 2020 

Webinar: Critical Media Literacy vs Information Disorder: School Library as Third Space

On 10 February 2020 at 3:30-4:30pm UK time, cost £24, there is a webinar organised by the UK's School Library Association Critical Media Literacy vs Information Disorder: School Library as Third Space. It is run by media literacy expert Julian McDougall. "This webinar will explore how the concept of ‘third space’ in education applies to what happens in school libraries and how they might offer a ‘third space’ intersection for critical media literacy in the era of ‘information disorder’. Using ‘fake news’ as a case study, we will think about how the school library can offer a critical thinking space that combines school subject knowledge with students’ media experiences." Register at https://www.sla.org.uk/ticket/critical-media-literacy-vs-information-disorder-school-library-as-third-space/10048  

Photo by Sheila Webber: wreaths of south London, December 2020

Printed educational materials: effects on professional practice and healthcare outcomes

Starting the year with evidence! There is a Cochrane Collaboration systematic review: Printed educational materials: effects on professional practice and healthcare outcomes. The methods are, of course, given in detail and the findings of the review explained clearly. They reviewed 84 research studies. To quote from the plain English summary 

"The aim of this review was to find out whether printed educational material distributed to healthcare professionals can improve their practice and in turn improve patient health. 

"Key messages: The results of this review indicate that printed educational materials probably improve the practice of healthcare professionals and probably make little or no difference to patient health. The results also suggest that computerised versions may make little or no difference to healthcare professionals' practice compared to printed versions of the same printed educational material. Further research with rigorous methodology is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in these estimates of effect, and may change the estimate." The review is open access at https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004398.pub4  

Photo by Sheila Webber: doorway, December 2020

Seoul Declaration on Media and Information Literacy for Everyone and by Everyone: A Defence against Disinfodemics #MILCLICKS

My final post of 2020 looks to the future, in highlighting the Seoul Declaration on Media and Information Literacy for Everyone and by Everyone: A Defence against Disinfodemics which was an outcome of this year's Global Media and Information Literacy week. After the usual preambles, it states the following (below), and then lists actions: for government, for "civil society, media, youth, academic institutions and researchers", for the private sector "including Internet communications companies", and for UNESCO. There is much collaborative work laid out in these actions, which it would be good to address in a (post)pandemic 2021. 

"We understand that MIL on its own is not a cure for all problems, including the pandemic, but insist that MIL be further recognized and valued throughout educational, social and economic systems and that it be applied as part of a more proactive approach in order to build a sustainable and inclusive society; 

"We stress that enhancing media and information literacy for all, which addresses critical thinking, provides a sustainable approach to strengthen people’s critical thinking and their power of discernment about how they engage with information and communication technologies – especially in times of crisis.

 "We urge therefore that “Media and Information Literacy for Everyone and by Everyone” should be advanced in the age of digital connectivity. In this connection, we commit to: 

"1. Promoting MIL within wider efforts to tackle divides such as in access to information and quality education, which have been notably widened by the pandemic, to assure no one is left behind; 

"2. Attracting more participation in MIL and MIL policy from Internet communications companies, academia, NGOs, international and regional organizations, communications regulators, media, civil society, youth and communities; 

"3. Advocating for intensified MIL initiatives to tackle the disinfodemic, climate change, etc., while also urging respect for freedom of expression and access to information which are not only human rights but also part of the solution to disinformation; 

"4. Building MIL considerations into ethical frameworks within institutions and companies, so as to ensure transparent, inclusive and safe development of technologies such as AI; 

"5. Advocate for MIL initiatives to tackle technological determinism." 

Go to https://en.unesco.org/news/seoul-declaration-media-and-information-literacy-everyone-and-everyone-0

Photo by Sheila Webber: pink rose after rain, September 2020 

African Centre for Media and Information Literacy

I don't think I have featured the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, a "non-government organisation that focuses on media, information, research, advocacy and training". Its most recent news focuses on media, disinformation and journalists, but it also has programmes focused on Media and Information Literacy, particularly concerning young people, with news and resources. Go to https://www.africmil.org/ and https://twitter.com/Africmil.