An interesting Libguide on zines created for an "information sources" module at Simmons University - this is the page which has links to resources about "zines in the classroom" (including their use in information literacy) https://simmonslis.libguides.com/c.php?g=978018&p=7108603
Photo: a zine I made in 2019 (from an Archers fanfiction story I wrote)
CALC2022 (Critical Approaches to Libraries Conference) is not proceeding as a conference, but they having CPD events over the summer. The first is on 28 June 13.00 - 16.00
UK time, free, on Zoom.
It focuses on "libraries as workplaces and explore
different approaches library workers take to challenge, reform or resist
hegemonic power within library workplaces. This will include a multi-sector
panel on trade union activism in libraries and a session on challenging
poor recruitment practices."
It is already "selling" well, so act quickly if you want to attend. Register at
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/calc-summer-series-libraries-as-workplaces-online-tickets-348857440997
Photo by Sheila Webber, my colleagues on the picket line, March 2022
Andrew Walsh has announced a new online course Creative Teaching for Libraries with content released over 4 weeks, dated from the time you first register, with optional synchronous chats. Participants should expect to spend between 5 and 10 hours taking part, spread over 4-6 weeks. There is a limited window to sign up, so act now if you are interested! It costs £50.
"This course will introduce several “creative” methods for library teaching, including using Lego, collage, use of narrative, postcards, and more. Ideas are most suitable for "in person" teaching, but adaptions for online are also suggested for several of them." "A range of materials would benefit participants to try the activities, most
of which should be easy to access (paper, pens, etc.), but a small amount of Lego would be useful, as would some “Story Cubes” or similar (dice with images on them!)."
Registration at https://library-instruction.mn.co/landing/plans/212665
Photo by Sheila Webber, taken in Second Life, May 2022
Apologies for not reporting this last month! Library and Knowledge Services at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust won the LILAC Conference Information Literacy award for raising the profile of health literacy in Berkshire adolescents.
"Library and Knowledge Services at Royal Berkshire and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trusts collaborated on a pilot project to promote health literacy to those aged 16+ in local schools. The project was funded through a competitive bid to Health Education England (HEE). Health literacy levels have a huge impact on how individuals manage their health. In England 43% of the population are health illiterate and adding in numeracy this increases to 61%.
"Victoria Harrison, Deputy Library & Knowledge Services Manager, said “We really appreciate the recognition of our project - it’s been fantastic to see the impact that our work has had, and the team has gained such an understanding of how we should be targeting health information. We’ve already started presenting our learnings to other libraries, and we have more plans for how to develop the project in the future.”
"Overall, the project has raised awareness of health information in the young people and their tutors alongside raising the profile of health literacy in both NHS Trusts. Training is being delivered to clinicians and students utilising the findings, with the project presented to senior management, providing a platform to build on in the future. It has encouraged other clinicians to develop similar projects including how to reframe pain ensuring we use the right language to suit the demographic. Training is being arranged for new T-level cadets on placement in the Trusts and to Young Health Champions in collaboration with local authority public health teams."
Source: https://www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/news/posts/library-and-knowledge-services-at-royal-berkshire-nhs-foundation-trust-wins-information-literacy-award/
Photo by Sheila Webber: rhododendron, May 2022
Registration is open for the 11th Annual Connecticut Information
Literacy Conference, an online conference, on 10 June
2022: Teaching for Change: Reframing Information Literacy through Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Antiracism The timing is 08.30-13.30 US Eastern time (e.g. this is 13.30-18.30 UK time).
The conference is free.
The programme is here: https://libguides.southernct.edu/cilc/2022/programinfo
The home page with link to registration is here: https://libguides.southernct.edu/cilc/2022
Photo by Sheila Webber: rhododendron, May 2022
There are 2 projects - one completed, one ongoing, using the name #CoronaVirusFacts
Firstly, and ongoing, there is a database of stories about COVID19 that have been detected as misleading by the CoronaVirusFacts/DatosCoronaVirus Alliance which includes factchecking agencies "in more than 70 countries and [the database] includes articles published in at least 40 languages." https://www.poynter.org/ifcn-covid-19-misinformation/ You can also search the database in Spanish or Portuguese.
For example this post from a Brazilian factchecker identifies a false rumour about Queen Elizabeth II taking a particular drug (it turns out that an Australian TV channel showed packaging of the drug when talking about her her getting COVID, just to illustrate "COVID treatment" with a picture, and this sparked the rumour).
Secondly there was an UNESCO-sponsored international project #CoronaVirusFacts that ran April 2020 - 14 October 2021. The outcomes were: Portal check - A resource for educating people to avoid disinformation, aimed at people in Latin America and the Caribbean; a webinar in multiple languages aimed at journalists; A Massive Open Online course (MOOC), Disinformation & Fact-Checking in Times of COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean, in Spanish, Portuguese and Guaraní; events; lists of relevant resources. The homepage of #CoronaVirusFacts is here https://en.unesco.org/covid19/disinfodemic/coronavirusfacts
Photo: NIH (2020, February 18)
Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Public domain image. https://flic.kr/p/2iCRVSJ
The recording of a session on health information, presented at the at the World Library and Information Congress in August 2021, is available. Access to Health as a Human Right: A Global Call to Action and Practical Steps. It includes a contribution from Dr Neil Pakenham-Walsh. coordinator of HIFA (Health Information for All). The recording is at https://youtu.be/lIRsekLiyqg and the introduction here https://www.ifla.org/news/health-information-by-right-making-the-case-for-ensuring-access-to-reliable-information/
It is also worth mentioning the HIFA Strategy Accelerating progress towards universal access to reliable healthcare information https://www.hifa.org/news/press-release-healthcare-information-all-hifa-launches-new-strategy-accelerate-progress-towards
Photo by Sheila Webber: Apple blossom, May 2022
The UKeiG group has a number of online half-day training courses, priced at £50 for UKeIG or CILIP members and £80 for non-members (plus VAT in the UK). They include:
- 21 June 2022 Communicating and tracking research using social media, blogging and altmetrics
- 22 June 2022: Artificial intelligence for information professionals
- 30 June 2022: Making your research stand out from the crowd using video, animation, infographics
Go to https://www.cilip.org.uk/events/event_list.asp?show=&group=201314
Photo by Sheila Webber: Spring colour, May 2022
There is a WHO EPI-WIN Webinar 25th May at 13.00-14.00 CEST Chatbots, COVID-19 and clarity: How tech enabled access to trusted information in local languages "we will hear from Translators Without Borders and WHO/UNICEF about the development and country implementation of chatbots to provide trusted information on COVID-19 to users in their own language. In addition, WHO will launch its compilation of innovative concepts to communicate science during the COVID-19 pandemic. Speakers
- Aimee Ansari, Translators Without Borders
- Usman Ali Manguno, Translators Without Borders Nigeria
- Simon van Woerden, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
- Nabiha Faruqui, UNICEF Europe and Central Asia
- Kimberly Rambaud, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
Registration is here: https://who-e.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OjePcV0cRxO-qVV-ST0k5g
ACRL has published Your Craft as a Teaching Librarian: Using Acting Skills to Create a Dynamic Presence by Jeff Sundquist, Julie Artman, and Douglas R. Dechow. It is available as a print or e-book.This is a revised and expanded edition of ACRL’s 2016 The Craft of Librarian Instruction. The three sections are:
- Prepare and Rehearse: Centering yourself, physical and vocal preparation, mindfulness, and avoiding stage fright
- Perform and Connect: Role playing, identity, action/reaction, and information literacy
- Reflect and Sharpen: Assessment and adaptation
"Chapters feature exercises to explore on your own or with a colleague, question and answer sections to help you identify potential challenges and solutions, and tips on deepening your teaching skills. A glossary of acting terms and a “learn more about it” bibliography provide additional context for the methods and techniques presented. Your Craft as a Teaching Librarian can help you personalize and characterize your teaching presence and help those with little to no teaching experience, instructors dealing with shyness or stage fright, and more experienced librarians in need of a refreshed perspective, adding an undeniable star quality to your instructional performance."
More information at https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/your-craft-teaching-librarian-using-acting-skills-create-dynamic-presence
Photo by Sheila Webber: Apple blossom, May 2022
The final of 3 panels on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) at the World Higher Education Conference (WHEC) is Pillars for the International Media and Information Literacy Institute: Futures of Literacy. It is online on 20 May, 12.00-14.00 CEST (so, 11.00-13.00 UK time).
"In response to the overarching need to raise awareness of media and information literacy, UNESCO and NORDICOM commissioned a feasibility study into the establishment of an International Media and Information Literacy Institute. The International Media and Information Literacy Institute is being established within the UNESCO-UNAOC Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue University Network framework. Universities from different world regions have agreed to deepen academic cooperation on media and information literacy.
The purpose of this event is, thus, to present the rationale behind the establishment of this Media and Information Literacy Institute, its functions, and objectives. Moreover, the event will discuss the role of the Media and Information Literacy Institute in increasing awareness and access to media and information literacy, evidence-based monitoring of media and information literacy development while fostering intercultural dialogue. Speakers from various partner universities will present their activities in media and information literacy and their contributions to the International Media and Information Literacy Institute."
It is moderated by Dr Samy Tayie (Professor, Cairo University, Egypt).
Opening speakers are: Dr Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO; Dr Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Honorable Minister of Information and Culture, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Nigeria; Dr José Manuel Tornero, President of Spanish Radio and Television Corporation, Spain
Speakers are:
- Dr Manuel Pinto, Professor, Minho University, Portugal
- Dr Sara Pereira, Professor, Minho University, Portugal
- Dr Suraj Olunifesi, Lecturer, University of Lagos, Nigeria
- Dr Carolyn Wilson, Executive Director, McLuhan Foundation, Canada
- Dr Sally Tayie, Coordinator, International Media and Information Literacy Institute, Egypt
- Dr Santiago Tejedor, Professor, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
- Dr Felipe Chibas Ortiz, Professor, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Dr Jun Sakamoto, Professor, Hosei University, Japan
Information at https://events.unesco.org/event?id=1605196806&lang=1033 and register here
The second of 3 panels on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) at the World Higher Education Conference (WHEC) is Communicating Media and Information Literacy Research to Wider Audiences: From Research to Policy and Impact, on 19 May 2022 at 15.30-17.30 CEST (which is an hour earlier in the UK).
"The research on media and information literacy (MIL) forms an area of knowledge that touches upon the lives of children, parents, teachers, and media practitioners, among many others. Insights that are important for policy development are also generated within research communities. There is thus a major need to strengthen the reach of the MIL research. The research findings and insights must reach key stakeholders outside academia to exert a long-term social impact and contribute to the futures of higher education and further promote international cooperation to enhance synergies—concept and themes put under spotlight of the UNESCO World Higher Education Conference 2022. Creating public engagement and conversations around important MIL recommendations is essential. The event will also include a presentation of the MILID Yearbook 2021."
Opening Session speakers are: Dr Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO; Prof. Raghavendra P. Tiwari, Vice Chancellor, Central University of Punjab, India; Dr Auksė Balčytienė, Professor and member and Co-founder, UNESCO Chair on Media and Information Literacy for Inclusive Knowledge Societies, Vytautas Magnus University Council, Lithuania
Speakers are:
Dr Maarit Jaakkola, Co-Director, Centre for Nordic Media Research (Nordicom), University of Gothenburg, Co-Lead, UNESCO Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue University Network, Sweden
Dr Bosire Onyancha, Associate Professor, University of South Africa, South Africa
Dr Tomás Durán-Becerra, National Director of Research UNIMINUTO University in Colombia, Head of research at the Social Innovation Scientific Park, member of the UNESCO University Network for Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue, Colombia
Dr Kristine Stewart, Information Literacy Coordinator, library and & Learning Commons, Zayed University, UAE
Mr Victor Ejechi, Journalist, The Cable Newspaper, Library and information professional, Nigeria
Moderator is Dr Manisha Pathak-Shelat, Professor, Communication and Digital Platforms & Strategies, Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA)
Information at https://events.unesco.org/event?id=1244680241- you need to register.
The first of 3 panels on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) at the World Higher Education Conference (WHEC) is Integrating Media and Information Literacy in Higher Education Curricula: Realities, Challenges, and Prospects: High-Level International Panel on 18 May 15.00-17.00 CEST (so, one hour earlier in the UK).
"The panel aims to show the substantial role of the UNESCO-UNAOC-UNITWIN University Network on Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue and to share the experiences of key members of this international university network, addressing both best practices and challenges."
In the opening session are: Dr Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO; Dr Hassane Sahbi, President of Moulay Ismail University of Meknes, Morocco; Dr Mohammed Larouz, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of Moulay Ismail University, Morocco.
Speakers are:
Dr Paulette A Kerr, Lecturer, University of the West Indies, Member, Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue University Network, Jamaica
Dr Esther Imperio Hamburger, Professor, University of Sao Paulo, Member, Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue University Network, Brazil
Dr Sherri Hope Culver, Associate Professor, Temple University, Member, Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue University Network, USA
Dr Abdelhamid Nfissi, Professor, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Member, Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue University Network, Morocco
Dr Jagtar Singh, Former Dean, Faculty of Education and Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala; Member, Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue University Network, India
Co-Moderators are Dr Drissia Chouit, Professor, Moulay Ismail University and Dr Alton Grizzle, Programme Specialist, Section for Media and Information Literacy and Media Development, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO
Information here: https://events.unesco.org/event?id=1706238245&lang=1033 you need to register
An exciting conference (co-organised by me) which will take place online 15-17 June.
The basics!
Conference date: June 17-19, 2022, 14.00-17.00pm (BST/ Dublin time: which is, e.g., 9.00-12.00 US EST - see https://tinyurl.com/bdetwf8x for 14.00 BST in your time zone).
Deadline for submitting proposals (abstract of 400-750 words): 23rd May 2022.
Organisers: The European Chapter (EC) & European Student Chapter (ESC) of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T)
Submissions: At https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ist22 including uploading a completed abstract template https://tinyurl.com/IST22cfp
Registration: https://tinyurl.com/IST22reg
Fees: ASIS&T members: no charge (but registration still required). Student non-members: US $10; Other non-members: US $25.
We invite researchers, practitioners and students to submit abstracts for talks (15 minutes presentation + discussion time). Students can also submit proposals for posters (10 minute presentation of their poster). We welcome proposals both from ASIS&T members, and from non-members.
We interpret Information Science broadly to include all kinds of information experience and information behaviour, information retrieval, data science, information literacy, information organisation, and ways of knowing.
This event focuses on Untold Stories in Information Science and accepts submissions within information science/studies covering research (completed or in progress), practical projects or examples, and conceptual work.
Confirmed keynotes: Professor Tom Boellstorff (Department of Anthropology, University of California, Irvine, USA) and Dr Crystal Fulton (School of Information and Communication Studies, University College Dublin, Ireland).
"Untold stories" may refer to a story that simply has not been told before (a new research question or problem), or to stories from voices, cultures and places that have been neglected or suppressed. It is a theme open to your interpretation, but this gives some ideas about what we have in mind:
- Research methods for untold stories. Discussion of approaches & methods for discovering and exploring unknown stories (e.g. ethnography; autoethnography; participative & collaborative approaches; mixed methods; data mining). This can include: Scholarly discussion of challenges and possibilities of specific data collection & analysis methods; Engagement with ethical and practical issues; Methodologies used in specific research projects
- Places where untold stories unfold. Are untold stories in hidden or hard- to-access places (e.g. in the dark web, in conflict zones, in people's heads, buried in big data) or are they hidden in plain sight? You may want to tell us where and how you discovered an untold story, and issues around that discovery
- The people in the untold story. Who were the people who featured or guided your research? What did you discover and how were they involved in that discovery? What do you know about how they feel about their story and how it is told?
- Telling the untold story. Discussion of how one can disseminate: e.g. experience of using multimodal presentation of results, what channels you use to tell the story, challenges and possibilities
- The researcher and the untold story. Discussion of researcher positionality & impact; reflection on personal research journeys
For more information: https://www.asist.org/2022/05/11/ist22-cfp/ We are happy to answer any questions you might have regarding this event. Please send an email to: asist.europeanchapter@gmail.com or the IST conference co-chairs Sheila Webber (me!), s.webber@sheffield.ac.uk Dr Sophie Rutter, s.rutter@sheffield.ac.uk Dr Jesse Dinneen, jesse.dinneen@hu-berlin.de
The latest issue of open access journal College & Research Libraries (Vol 83, No 3, 2022) has been published at https://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/issue/view/1617/showToc. Articles include:
- Teacher, Librarian, or Both? A Quantitative Investigation of Instruction Librarians’ Teacher Identity by Lisa Becksford
- “Looking for Pictures of Clouds”: Defining the Unique Research Needs of Creative Communities by Laura Dimmit Smyth, Ian Moore, Kodi Saylor
- Data Literacy Practices of Students Conducting Undergraduate Research by Theresa Burress
- Impact of Undergraduate Students’ Library Use on Their Learning beyond GPA: Mixed-Methods Approach by Jung Mi Scoulas, Sandra L. De Groote.
Photo by Sheila Webber: cherry blossom in the park, April 2022
There is a webinar organised by ACRL Student Learning and Information Literacy Committee (SLIC): Successes and Challenges within OER and DEI at 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. US Central time (which is, e.g., 7pm-8.30pm UK time) on 11 May 2022.
"The webcast features a virtual panel discussion on open educational resources (OER) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Join the panelists as they share their experiences integrating OER and DEI into their professional work, the successes and challenges they have faced, and what they see as the future of OER and DEI in libraries. The presentations will be followed by a Q&A session."
Panelists:
Kristin Conlin (University of Baltimore), Jessica Dai (West Virginia University), Shaundra Walker (Georgia College), and Ariana Santiago (University of Houston). James Neal (Institute of Museum and Library Services/IMLS) will provide information about funding opportunities available from IMLS for OER initiatives.
Go to https://acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/acrl-slic-webcast-successes-and-challenges-within-oer-and-dei/
Photo by Sheila Webber: apple blossom, April 2022
An interesting project was Pause for Thought https://pauseforthought.net/ with aims "to create an interdisciplinary network of scholars, artists, writers, media practitioners, and creative professionals who are invested in the future of media literacy and who might both benefit from and contribute to the formulation of modes of analysis, creative practices, and teaching strategies appropriate for our rapidly shifting media landscape." and " to contribute to the study of how social acceleration and the increasing rate at which media are changing impacts contemporary society and politics." Their website has a bibliography and some short, readable contributions to the symposium they hosted - including one summarising some research involving librarians https://pauseforthought.net/entry/temporal-tension-fields-in-museums-and-libraries/ Worth dipping into (slowly, of course ....)
A priced course, primarily asynchronous, is offered by ACRL, 6 June 2022 to 1 July 2022: 13 Things in Instructional Design for Library Instructors. "Using their prior knowledge and the context of their institutions, learners will identify what components of instructional design that are particularly relevant to them and then develop those skills accordingly.This four-week course will include asynchronous work culminating in a final project that may be completed individually, in pairs, or in groups. Each week, learners will complete two discrete tasks to expand their understanding of instructional design. For their final product, learners will display their work via a digital gallery walk and offer peer review of their cohort members’ work. Instructors will offer one optional live session per week for a mini-lecture and Q&A, which will be recorded for those who cannot attend."
The course leaders are: Christopher Lowder, Online Learning Assistant; Valerie Linsinbigler, Online Learning Specialist; Janna Mattson, Online Learning Coordinator & Instruction Librarian (all at George Mason University Libraries). Cost is: ACRL member: US $135.85 - ALA member: $188.10 - Nonmember: $209.00. More information at https://www.ala.org/acrl/onlinelearning/thirteenthings
Photo by Sheila Webber: apple blossom buds, April 2022
A free webinar from the International Health Literacy Association's Health Literacy Explorers group on 20 May 2022 at 10.30 US EST (which is, e.g., 15.30 UK time): Hot Topics in Health Literacy. This is "a forum to discuss issues currently affecting public health and health literacy practice. Guest speakers from around the world will present the latest research and share insights on trending topics. Join us to hear about the role of libraries, the mis- and dis-information during the COVD-19 and planetary health literacy". Programme and further information at https://drive.google.com/file/d/17_NAiVegeEnVI5Wgo_BtEP8kq7donM9y/view?usp=sharing
Photo by Sheila Webber: mixed bed at Greenwich Park, April 2022
Information Today's Internet Librarian International (ILI) has organised a number of "bite sized" half day sessions. On 11 May 2022, 14.00-16.45 UK time, there are three 1-hour sessions. The one of most interest to this blog is: Jesus Lau, on Information and Media Literacy: An Imperative for Today’s Information Ecosystem. Lau is Co-chair, UNESCO Media & Information Literacy Alliance and award-winning expert on information literacy. He "puts the threat of misinformation and disinformation into perspective, and describes initiatives that will help us all determine good information from bad. "
The other two speakers are: Marshall Breeding on Latest Developments in Library Technology and Jan Holmquist on Look Here! Creating a Library Portal for Video Content. The whole event is chaired by Marydee Ojala.
The programme is here: https://www.internet-librarian.com/2022/Programme.aspx
Registration is here: https://www.internet-librarian.com/2022/Register.aspx
All sessions are recorded to watch later if you can't join live. The cost is £49 (+VAT, for UK delegates)
Photo by Sheila Webber taken in 2017 at the Global MIL conference
