Webinar: Information Literacy Panel

Organised by the ASIS&T US South Chapter on 20 October 2026,10.00-11.00 US Eastern time (15.00-16.00 BST) there is an Information Literacy Panel. Free to ASIS&T members, US$25 to non members. US $25 to non members.
"Please join us for a panel discussion on the future of information literacy (IL) as an emerging discipline. Guest panelists will share their perspectives on this timely topic and talk about the way IL continues to rise in pertinence and importance in our ever-evolving and increasingly complex information ecosystem. The discussion topics may include: information literacy and the community of scholars, specific modes of IL inquiry, IL history and traditions, IL knowledge and curricula, IL communications networks, and the importance of creating an international IL research agenda.
"Panelists for this conversation are: Ellie Sayyad Abdi (Australia), Sharon Mader (USA), Jesus Lau (Mexico), Drew Whitworth (UK), and Mathew Moyo (South Africa)."
Register at https://members.asist.org/ap/Events/Register/NaFQw3BTYCaCm 
Photo by Sheila Webber: forest near Zagreb, Croatia, September 2026

5Cs of news literacy applied to GenAI; Responsible AI in Academic Research

Ashley, S., Maksl, A., & Cook, P. (2026). Expanding AI literacy: The 5Cs of news literacy in the era of generative AI. Journal of Media Literacy Education. Preprint at https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/jmle-preprints/66 (This has detailed explanation of how the 5Cs (context, creation, content, circulation, and consumption) can be applied to generative AI, and it includes suggestions for how students could be engaged in each of the 5Cs)

Zyphur, M. J. (2026). Responsible AI in academic research: A competency framework for research training. Instats. https://instats.org/publications/responsible-ai-in-academic-research and https://github.com/mzyphur/responsible-ai-in-research-training
Photo by Sheila Webber, Sheffield station, September 2026

Interview for the KRIK project

Whilst at the KRIK conference in Croatia I had the honour of being interviewed, as the first in the KRIK Talk series: Information literacy and libraries: Empowering democratic participation.
The video is embedded below and the direct link is https://youtu.be/XQYtuBbGtRc?si=Roc7rjKyjGQncxF9 

New articles: Research and library & information practitioners; LIS literature growth; AI competencies in libraries

The latest issue of open-access Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries (Vol. 15 No. 3 2026) includes
- Exploring the research experiences, skills and confidence of LIK [library, information and knowledge] practitioners – a methodological reflection by Gillian Siddall, Cath Dishman, Kirsty Thomson, Dr Leo Appleton, Jessica Blackburn-Smith, Fariba Bannerman, Professor Alison Brettle, Marlene Kikteff Rak, Emma J. Ramstead, Judy Wright
- Modelling the Literature Growth of BRICS Countries in the field of Library and Information Science by Juli Devi and Meera
- Integrating Artificial Intelligence Competencies in Academic Libraries: Perceptions of Portuguese Librarians by Luiza Baptista Melo, Tatiana Sanches, Isabel Andrade, Silvana Roque de Oliveira
Go to https://www.qqml-journal.net/index.php/qqml/issue/view/62
Photo by Sheila Webber: forest near Zagreb, September 2026

Bursaries for the #LILAC2027 conference

Applications are open for bursaries for the LILAC 2027 conference which will take place, in person, in London 21-23 April 2027. "To apply for a bursary, you must be a librarian, volunteer, or information professional working in the UK" (and with further conditions as listed below). Winners will be randomly selected using a lottery system. Deadline for applications is 4 December 2026.
LILAC bursaries. There are 5 free places for people in the following under-represented groups in the UK: Ethnic minority backgrounds; School libraries; Further Education; Public libraries; Health libraries (e.g. NHS – please note; librarians working in Higher Education who support health subjects are not eligible to apply). Each of the five bursaries will include three days at the conference and social events. They also include up to £300 in expenses for reasonable travel and accommodation.
Local to LILAC Bursaries. "These day delegate places are intended for people who live or work near to the venue, to have the chance to attend a day at LILAC and experience what the conference offers. We are offering two places for each day of the three-day conference. The six bursaries will include a free place to one day of the conference and £50 for reasonable travel expenses. Please note that these bursary places do not include evening social events, in order to be as flexible as possible, but do include lunch and refreshments on the day."
Go to https://www.lilacconference.com/lilac-2027/bursaries-1 for more information

MLA4MedLit 2026: Whose Literacy? Whose Rights?

A free online conference is MLA4MedLit 2026: Whose Literacy? Whose Rights? Interrogating Digital and Media Literacy for Everyone taking place on 23 Oct 2026 at 13:30-17:00 CEST
"The MLA4MedLit conference is one of Media & Learning Association’s annual conferences dedicated to exploring emerging priorities in digital and media literacy." "This year, the conference turns a critical eye on the field itself. As media literacy becomes an ever more central pillar of digital citizenship and societal resilience, it invites participants to step back and question some of the field’s own assumptions about who is being reached, who is being left out, and who gets to decide what “literacy for everyone” really means."
You can find the programme and the registration form at  https://media-and-learning.eu/event/mla4medlit-2026-whose-literacy-whose-rights-interrogating-digital-and-media-literacy-for-everyone
Photo by Sheila Webber: fountain outside Zagreb Cathedral, September 2026

Call for proposals: 10th and final European Conference on Information Literacy

The call is open for what is billed as being the 10th and final European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL), taking place in-person in Coimbra, Portugal, 18-21 October 2027. The conference theme is Information Literacy: Looking Back, Moving Forward, but proposals are accepted in many areas of information literacy. Deadline for proposals is 1 February 2027.
There are the following options for proposals: papers; posters; pecha kucha; best practices; workshops; panels.
The conference organisers are the Department of Information Management of Hacettepe University, Department of Information and Communication Sciences of Zagreb University and the Information Literacy Association.
More information at https://ecil2027.ilconf.org/

Learning Lib – Open Educational Resources created by Nordic Libraries

On 13 November 2026 11.00 Swedish time (10.00 in the UK and Iceland) Nordinfolit (the Nordic association for information literacy) has organised a free webinar: Learning Lib – Open Educational Resources created by Nordic Libraries for everyone to use.
"This webinar will give an introduction to the platform Learning Lib, a Nordic platform for Open Educational Resources (OER). Learning Lib hosts free to use educational resources and exercises aimed at supporting the development of students’ information literacy and other academic and library-supported competencies. The speakers will present the concept behind Learning Lib as well as an example of the practical use."
Speakers are Anna Stegger Gemzøe and Solveig Sandal Johnsen from Aarhus University Library.
Register to get the Zoom link - go to https://nordinfolit.wordpress.com/2026/10/02/upcoming-webinar-learninglib-open-educational-resources/

Revised ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education

The revised ACRL Framework for Information Literacy 2026 has been approved and is now the default one on the ACRL website at https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework.
You can find the previous version at https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/acrl/content/issues/infolit/framework1.pdf. I haven't yet looked at it properly, but there are not any huge revisions (e.g. the frames have not changed their names). 
Revisions respond to tech developments, and also to acknowledge diverse "learner realities" & journeys, and diverse ways of knowing. Other tweaks are also interesting. For example: 
- The old version, in the introduction, said that the Framework "grows out of a belief that information literacy as an educational reform movement will realize its potential only through a richer, more complex set of core ideas"- the new one says it "positions information literacy (IL) as an educational reform movement with a foundation in a rich, complex set of core ideas." (implying that progress has been made). 
- Defining Authority Is Constructed and Contextual, the old version says 
"Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required." and the new version 
"Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise, credibility, and the context in which the information is created. Resources are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed: various communities create and recognize different types of authority when seeking or encountering information. It is also contextual: the information need of the individual or community may help to determine the form of authority required to fulfill that need." 
The new one puts further emphasis on the context of information creation, and expands the explanation of both authority and context.

Manifesto for Generative AI in Higher Education

An interesting open access book was published last month. You can download it or read it online.
Farrell, H. & McCarthy, K. (Eds.) (2026). Manifesto for Generative AI in Higher Education: The Book Project: A living reflection on teaching, learning, and technology in an age of abundance. Pressbooks. https://pressbooks.pub/mfaihe/
It addresses the question "What kind of education do we want to create in a world where GenAI is readily available?" It consists of 30 chapters, each of which is prompted by a manifesto statement (which becomes the chapter title). The chapters I've read are stimulating and good starting points for discussion or action.
I will highlight the chapter coauthored by my longtime writing partner, Bill Johnston:
Johnston, B., MacNeill, S. & Smyth, K. The future classroom is a conversation, and it can be extraordinary. https://pressbooks.pub/mfaihe/chapter/the-future-classroom-is-a-conversation-and-it-can-be-extraordinary/
Photo by Sheila Webber: tree near the cablecar station, Zagreb, I think it's a beech, September 2026

Call for papers: Creating Knowledge 2027

There is a call for papers for the Creating Knowledge 2027 conference with the theme: Now what? Preparing today for the unknown – creating informed futures which will take place 9-11 June 2027 in Stockholm, Sweden. The deadline for proposals is 15 January 2027. 
There are 4 possible presentation formats: 8-minute presentation, followed by a brief on-stage discussion with fellow presenters; Round-table discussion (Start with a 3-minute presentation at your table, followed by a 15-minute discussion that you lead; 50-minute workshop; Fail Forward confessions ("Share a brief 2-3-minute example of a failure or mistake in a small group. Focus on what happened, what you learned and the key takeaway.") 
Go to https://kib.ki.se/en/creating-knowledge-2027 for more information.
Photo by Sheila Webber: clock and barometer, Zagreb, September 2026

New Book: 50 Library Lessons and Ideas

This is about school libraries. It has more ideas about literacy/ reading but also a few related to information literacy.
Maxwell, L. (2026). 50 Library Lessons and Ideas. Facet Publishing. Book number - 9781783307432. £19.99 (with 35% discount for CILIP members). https://www.facetpublishing.co.uk/page/detail/50-library-lessons-and-ideas/?k=9781783307432
Photo by Sheila Webber: autumn crocus, September 2026

cfp California Conference on Library Instruction

There is a call for proposals for the California Conference on Library Instruction which will take place 11 June 11 2027, at Cal State Monterey Bay, USA.  Deadline for proposals is 21 October 2026. The theme this year is Centering our students: accessible, inclusive, and responsive pedagogies: "share how you are using and developing accessible, inclusive, and responsive pedagogies to connect with and center your students in library instruction.
There are four possible formats: 60-minute presentation; 75-minute active learning workshop; 5- to 10-minute lightning talk; Poster.
For more information go to https://www.cclibinstruction.org/