New articles: teaching about information; Learning from failure

The latest issue of open access College & Research Libraries News (volume 86 issue 10) includes: 
- Richard M Cho - Information in the Age of Infocracy: Recalibrating the Definition of Information for Library Instruction. 
- Collin Stephenson - It Will Go Wrong: Reflections on Growing through Failure as an Instructional Partner. 
- Mary Aycock - Prompting Generative AI to Catalog: The Promise and the Reality (I know, this isn't about IL) 
Go to https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/issue/view/1686/showToc
Photo by Sheila webber: apples from my tree (variety Red Devil), October 2025

Call for proposals: Teaching information literacy under budget cuts

The Reference Librarian plans a special issue "addressing how instruction librarians manage their information literacy and liaison programs while adapting to budget cuts and changes in organizational structures." 
Deadline for 500 word proposals is 19 December 2025. Submit proposals via https://harrisburgu.libwizard.com/f/_wrefSP2526. 
Questions can be directed to co-editors Lauri Rebar (Lrebar@fau.edu) and Christine Bombaro (cbomb22@gmail.com).
Photo by Sheila Webber: a sturdy tree in autumn, October 2025

Book: Information Literacy and Social Media

A book I missed posting 
Santamaría, M. & Pfannenstiel, A.N. (2024). Information Literacy and Social Media: Empowered Student Engagement with the ACRL Framework. ALA. Price: ALA Member US $45.00; others US $50.00. 979-8-89255-545-6. 
The sections are: Social Media and Information Literacy; The [ACRL] Framework, Social Media, and Empowered Educators; Lesson Plans Within Social Media to Develop Information Literate Citizens; Creativity and Ethics as Key Components of Metaliteracy.  Go to https://alastore.ala.org/information-literacy-and-social-media-empowered-student-engagement-acrl-framework 
There is a review of the book just published in College & Research Libraries at  https://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/article/view/27051/34930

The LIRT Librarian Recognition Award

The ALA Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) is calling for nominations for the LIRT Librarian Recognition Award (which recognises a practicing librarian's contributions to information literacy education) and the LIRT Innovation in Instruction Award (presented to a library for its innovative approach to information literacy education). Submissions can be from any type of library. 
Winners will receive a US $1,500 award for Librarian recognition or US $2,000 for Innovation in Instruction and  US $1,000 stipend to be used to attend the 2026 ALA Annual Conference. Deadline is 15 January 2026. 
You can self-nominate for either award, and it does not say that the awards are restricted to people/libraries in the USA (though all the ones listed from 2014 were in the USA - but perhaps there weren't enough applicants from elsewhere!) 
Full information at http://www.ala.org/rt/lirt/awards
Photo by Sheila Webber: autumn leaves, October 2025

Webinar: Information Literacy: Still powered by humans

The Central Library, Indian Institute Of Science Education And Research (IISER) (Berhampur, India) has organised a free webinar Information Literacy: Still powered by humans on 4 November 2025 at 10.30 GMT. The opening address will be by Professor Ashok K. Ganguli (IISER) and the speaker is Dr Alison Hicks (University College, London), Editor in Chief of the Journal of Information Literacy. Register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/57BJ1zV7QSq8Hs6hGssKcQ
Photo by Sheila Webber: autumn day, October 2025

The AI and Digital Transformation in Government Course

In UNESCO's Global Media and Information Literacy week, the AI and Digital Transformation in Government Course is launched, created by the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and UNESCO.
It is free online, in English and Spanish (starting on 10 November 2025) with courses in French, Portuguese and Arabic to follow. Successful completion will give a Joint certificate from the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and UNESCO.
The modules are: AI & Human Rights, Ethics, Data Governance, Inclusive Service Design, Leadership and hands-on experience with Generative AI tools.
The course is aimed at civil servants and public administration professionals at all levels.
Go to https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/equipping-civil-servants-ai-era

AI can make mistakes #GlobalMILWeek

UNESCO launched a campaign AI Can Make Mistakes on 24 October as part of Global Media and Information Literacy Week. This is a short compilation video 

Global analysis of the current state of play of media and information literacy

UNESCO, as part of Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week, has published an 18-page report comparing e.g. policy about MIL in different regions. It is not clear how the research was gathered (from my personal experience I think they circulated a questionnaire, and assume they did desk research). There is a press release which states among other things that "According to the research, 171 countries reference MIL within national policy frameworks, signalling growing political recognition of its importance. However, only 17 countries have taken the next step to develop dedicated, standalone MIL policies, a key factor linked to more systematic integration of MIL into education. Overall, 43% of countries have incorporated elements of MIL into formal education, while 29% offers MIL education limited to technical digital skills, neglecting critical thinking, analysis, and ethical engagement." 
The publication can be downloaded here: 
UNESCO. (2025). Media and information literacy for all: closing the gaps: global analysis of the current state of play of media and information literacy https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000396030

Webinar: Minds Over AI – MIL in Digital Spaces

IFLA's Information Literacy & School Library Sections have a free webinar Minds Over AI – MIL in Digital Spaces on 29 October 2025 14.00-15.00 UTC (which is the same as GMT, UK time). This is in celebration of Global Media and Information Literacy Week and International School Library Month. There will be 2 presentations:
- AI integration initiatives at LEAD International School, Malaysia by Mayasari Abdul Majid (Library, LEAD International School, Malaysia)
- Building AI Literacy to Tackle Misinformation: Lessons from the PRODIGI Project by Tania Azadi (Media Culture & Policy Lab, KU Leuven, Belgium)
More information at https://www.ifla.org/news/2025-ifla-ils-sls-joint-global-mil-week-webinar-online-via-zoom-october-29th/ 
Registration is required - go to https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/EmxN4-8kRVSz9llxSnWrWA#/registration

Media and Information Literate Cities webinar for World Cities Day and Global MIL Week 2025

The is an online event today 27 October 2025 to celebrate Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Cities Around the World at 14.30 CET (which will be 13.30 UK time - and those in the Americas note that Europe has changed the clock already, so there is one less hour time difference than usual) - MIL Cities: Connecting Communities through Information and Culture. 
There will be a panel and short presentations on the MIL cites: Dubrovnik (Croatia), Athens (Greece), Al Rayyan (Qatar), Ramallah (Palestine), Jambi City (Indonesia), Quezon City or Malabon (Philippines), Comodoro (Argentina), Santos (Brazil), Santa Rosa de Copán (Honduras), Antonio Cardoso, Municipality of São Gonçalo do Amarante (Brazil), Abuja (Nigeria). 
The programme is here and you can register at https://unesco-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aQdfrmU4TcWw0TREFh-UfA#/registration

UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy week - conference day 2

Today is the official start of Global Media and Information Literacy week (24 - 31 October). However, the feature conference in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia started yesterday.
You can find the recording of the first day in English here and in Spanish here. The Programme for both days is here https://www.unesco.org/en/weeks/media-information-literacy-2025/programme?hub=66833

You can attend the livestream of day 2 today (24th, which starts at 14:25-17.45 Colombia time (which the same as US Central time, so with the start at 20.25 UK time) here https://www.youtube.com/live/lyoseHHVuHc?si=GOwIw1F90aIBwoX0 On 22nd I attended virtually the UNESCO MIL Alliance reluanch event, and I will blog about that separately.

Library instruction and information literacy 2024

The annual annotated bibliography on information literacy has been published by Reference Services Review. It is the usual substantial item, listing 404 items (mainly journal articles: they exclude books). This is a priced publication. It starts by outlining their inclusion/exclusion decisions and some statistics on journal, author and country coverage, and some trends they observe. 
Caffrey, C., Perry, K., Lee, H., Dowell, L., Warriner, S., Britto, M., Shareef, C., Haas, A., Philo, T., Ospina, D., Wood, N., Clawson, H., Kohn, K.P., Mackenbach, D. & Clarke, M. (2025). Library instruction and information literacy 2024. Reference Services Review [early online publication]. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-07-2025-0045
Photo by Sheila Webber: bookshop, Brännö, August 2025

Co-Creational News Media Toolkit

A publication from the Public Interest News Foundation (which monitors/ promotes independent news sources) is the Co-Creational News Media Toolkit 
"The toolkit is built around four modules of news media – governance, content creation, fact checking and impact – combined with four principles – participation, truth-seeking, accountability and care." 
For each of 16 elements there is a short explanation, some tips on application and an example. 
Go to https://toolkit.publicinterestnews.org.uk/resources/
Photo: Centre for Ageing Better Age-Friendly image library: Couple outdoors: Credit: Peter Kindersley https://www.agewithoutlimits.org/image-library