Posters: Tiktok; AI; Rare books; Autistic student voices; Media literacy

There are online posters (a poster or slides, plus videos in some cases) as part of the LILi Conference this week. Each poster has its own Padlet for you to ask questions and receive answers from the presenters. The posters are:
- Dr. ChatGPT or: How One Instruction Librarian Learned to Teach with AI - Elise Ferer
- Centering Autistic Student Voices: How Participatory Action Research and Summer Bridge Programs Inform Neuro-inclusive and Neuro-affirming Learning Environments and Support Student Success - Mercedes Rutherford-Patten & Luna Nombrano Larsen
- Combining Written, Visual, and Interactive Materials to Create a System of Intuitive, Self-guided Information Literacy Skill Development - Sadie Davenport
- Expertise on Demand: Developing Need-Based AI Literacy - Brooke Gross
- Informed by Materiality: Nurturing Information Literacy Skills in Rare Book Instruction - Autumn Johnson
- Media in the Digital Age: Creating and Implementing a High School Media Literacy Course - Julia Lennox
- Navigating the AI Landscape: Insights from Information Literacy Professionals - Natalie Marquez & Emmanuel Te
- TikTok as an Information Source - Reagan Harper
Posters can be found at: https://lili.libguides.com/lili2024/posterpresentations

New Book: Spatial Literacy in Public Health

Newly published: Cantwell-Jurkovic, L. & Parece, T. (Eds) (2024). Spatial Literacy in Public Health: Faculty-Librarian Teaching Collaborations. ACRL.
"A collection of ideas and plans for collaborative spatial literacy teaching and learning initiatives focusing on geographic information systems (GIS)-based and GIS-related instruction through the lens of public health topics."
Full information at https://alastore.ala.org/spatial-literacy-public-health-faculty-librarian-teaching-collaborations?_zs=SUvvg1&_zl=DUMj9
Photo by sheila Webber: goslings in Vancouver, May 2024

Information Science Workout

Dr Jenna Hartel has produced a new video series: Information Science Workout which "helps people to learn concepts of Information Science though their bodies". Each episode is about 2 minutes long and they cover: Introduction to the Series; What Kind of Academic Discipline is Information Science?; What is Information?; What is Social Epistemology? ; What is Information Behavior?; Why and How Did I Make This Video Series.
The playlist is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEFS5x0-2Uk&list=PLZp7Vke_WTVpyeSbT8lnl2LeUqlvJVAKK

African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) workshop

A report of a workshop in Kano, Nigeria, organised by AFRICMIL to urge "women and people with disabilities to join the fight against corruption, emphasizing their important roles in combating corruption and promoting accountability in Nigeria."
Mansir, A.I. (2024, June 28). AFRICMIL encourages women, PWDs to support fight against corruption. https://solacebase.com/africmil-encourages-womenpwds-to-support-fight/
Photo by Sheila Webber: enormous climbing white rose, June 2024

New articles: Course titles; Rubrics; Over-confidence; Black Students’ Experiences

New articles from portal: libraries and the academy (priced publication)
- Adams, A.L., Alexander, S., & Radcliff, S. (2024). Student Perspectives on Information Literacy Course Titles. portal: Libraries and the Academy 24(3), 577-611. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2024.a931772.
- Hobscheid, M., White, A., & Kerbavaz, K. (2024). Strength in Flexibility: Using a Flexible Programmatic Instruction Rubric to Promote Librarian Autonomy and Assess IL Skills. portal: Libraries and the Academy 24(3), 553-575. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2024.a931771.
- van Ingen Lauer, S., & Ariew, S. (2024). Addressing the Dunning-Kruger Effect through Research Logs. portal: Libraries and the Academy 24(3), 633-652. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2024.a931774. (that's the effect where students think they are doing better than they are)
- White, D.E., Munip, L., & Paik, E.J. (2024). Black Students’ Experiences and Perceptions of the Library at a Predominately White Institution. portal: Libraries and the Academy 24(3), 613-631. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2024.a931773.
Photo by Sheila Webber: Bournemouth, June 2024

Is the world’s biggest search engine broken?

An interesting read for Saturday:
Faber, T. 92024, 20 July). ‘Google says I’m a dead physicist’: is the world’s biggest search engine broken?. Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/jul/20/google-is-the-worlds-biggest-search-engine-broken
Image created by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI with prompt: Is the world’s biggest search engine broken? google --v 6.0 --ar 16:9

Global Media and Information Literacy Week Youth Hackathon 2024

Following on from yesterday's post, once again Global Media and Information Literacy week includes a youth hackathon. Teams of 3-6 members aged between 18 and 30 years old can register, with the registration deadline 18 August 2024 and the deadline for submissions 8 September 2024.
"The participants will focus on one of the following topics to design innovative solution and scheme their proposals:
- "Empowering youth to become active participants in shaping the digital spaces they inhabit, finding ways to promote public interest information rather than passive consumers of information.
- "Exploring innovative solutions to address the challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence.
- "Exploring receptive and effective approaches to Media and Information Literacy Education and Capacity Building through Peer education and Feeding Education.
- "Activating Youth Organizations to be agents of change through collaborating with digital content creators."
The proposed solutions can be Games; Applications/Websites; Radio programmes/Podcasts; Educational toolkits; Creative community-based interventions (non-technology focused) or other forms.
The submission takes the form of a 3 minute video plus a descripton of the solution. More information at https://www.unesco.org/en/weeks/media-information-literacy/youth-hackathon-2024
Photo by Sheila Webber: takeaway coffee on the beach, Bournemouth, June 2024

Global Media and Information Literacy week #MILClicks

This year's Global Media and Information Literacy week will again be celebrated 24-31 October 2024. The are aiming to hold the associated main conference (hosted by UNESCO and the Hashemite Kingdom in Amman) in Jordan on 30-31 October 2024. This year’s theme is The New Digital Frontiers of Information: Media and Information Literacy for Public Interest Information.
You can already register any offline or inperson events that you are organising for Global MIL week at https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/celebrating-global-media-and-information-literacy-week-2024
Photo by Sheila Webber: Bournemouth beach, June 2024

UK Government and AI

There is an artificial intelligence section on the UK Government wesite. In particular, there is an interesting report which was produced by an international panel of experts for the Seoul AI Summit in May 2024, the International Scientific Report on the Safety of Advanced AI (published by the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and AI Safety Institute "The interim report restricts its focus to a summary of the evidence on general-purpose AI, which have advanced rapidly in recent years. The report synthesises the evidence base on the capabilities of, and risks from, general-purpose AI and evaluates technical methods for assessing and mitigating them." https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-scientific-report-on-the-safety-of-advanced-ai 

Some other pages on the website are
- stating OfQual's position on use of AI in qualifications (OfQual oversees the agencies that set and mark qualification examinations in England, in particular the qualifications that are awarded in schools). The statement focuses particularly on the use in marking (marking should still be done by humans) and invigilation, as well as some ststements about agencies' responsibility in setting guidelines for use by learners (April 2024).
- saying how they used AI to analyse responses to an (unpecified) government consultation. I think this might make me even more cynical about governemnt consultations. (9 July 2024)
- saying how jolly it is using AI in defence technology https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ai-and-data-science-defence-science-and-technology-capability (June 2024)
It will be interesting to see what is added/removed when the new Government gets round to looking at AI. I noticed that the Seoul Ministerial Statement for advancing AI safety, innovation and inclusivity: AI Seoul Summit 2024 (22 May 2024) is already labelled "This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government"....
Image created by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI

How information Worlds Shape Our Response to Climate Change

A new report from Project Information Literacy: How information Worlds Shape Our Response to Climate Change. This is based on two surveys: a sample of 4,503 members of the general public, aged 16-85 and a sample of 1,593 students (enrolled in nine higher education institutions in the U.S.A.). As well as the report itself, there is a nice data dashboard. I might write more about this when I've had a proper look at it!

Head, A.J., Geofrey, S., Fister, B. & Hostetler, K. (2024). How information Worlds Shape Our Response to Climate Change. Project Information Literacy. https://projectinfolit.org/pubs/climate-study/
Photo by Sheila Webber: Stanley Park, Vancouver, May 2024

Last chance to register: New Horizons! Future-Ready Learning and Lifelong Information Literacy

Registration for the free online conference from LILi (lifelong Information Literacy) closes on 19 July 2024. The theme is New Horizons! Future-Ready Learning and Lifelong Information Literacy and it takes place 25 July 2024 11:30-14:30 US Pacific time (so that is, e.g. starting at 19.30 UK time) and 26 July 2024, 9:30-13:30 US Pacific time. The schedule is here https://lili.libguides.com/lili2024/schedule and the posters will be published on the website about a week before the conference.
Register here https://forms.gle/yCK5MqfTKyEn2UvY7 Note that "registration does not guarantee a space, as attendance will be limited to 300 simultaneous attendees each day on a first-come/first-served basis."

Youth leader training in the Philippines

Rappler, #FactsFirstPH and Deutsche Welle are sponsoring training of youth leaders from Luzon and Mindanao (the Philippines) in media and information literacy in July/August 2024, in a programme called Movers for Facts. After the training they are expected to follow up by hosting workshops or creating media for their communities.There is a "a focus on countering disinformation. Participants will gain a better understanding of the current media landscape and work together to promote digital resilience against disinformation in their own communities. "

Rappler. (2024, June 28). Rappler, Deutsche Welle to train youth leaders to promote media literacy. https://www.rappler.com/moveph/deutsche-welle-training-youth-leaders-promote-media-literacy/ (you have to register (free) to see the whole story, though initially I saw the whole thing without registering; not sure how/why)
Photo by Sheila Webber: sandy beach, Bournemouth, June 2024

Four book reviews: Identity; Learning Theory; AI; Critlib

Book reviews from the latest  College & Research Libraries issue, with links to information about the reviewed books (the reviews are open access, the books are not).

Cicero, S. (2024). Instructional Identities and Information Literacy: Transforming Ourselves, Volume 1, Amanda Nicholas Hess (ed.), ACRL, 2023. 194p. Softcover. 9780838939680 (Review 1 of a 3-volume title). College & Research Libraries, 85(5), 791. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.85.5.791 Here is a link to the book itself.

Haigh, J. (2024). The Librarian’s Guide to Learning Theory: Practical Applications in Library Settings, Anne Medaille. ALA Editions, 2023. Softcover, 192p. $54.99. 9780838939581. College & Research Libraries, 85(5), 792. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.85.5.792 Here is a link to the book itselfor here for those outside North America

Pun, R. (2024). The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI, Fei-Fei Li, Flatiron Books, 2023. 324p. Hardcover, $24.99. 9781250897930. College & Research Libraries, 85(5), 794. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.85.5.794 Here is a link to the book itself.

Setele, J. (2024). The Critical Librarianship and Pedagogy Symposium: Reflections, Revisions, and New Works, Yvonne Mery and Anthony Sanchez (eds.), ACRL, 2023. 220p. Softcover, $65.00. 9780838939529. College & Research Libraries, 85(5), 795. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.85.5.795. Here is a link to the book itself.Photo by Sheila Webber: hollyhock and bee, June 2024

Misinformation and the media

The LSE's impact blog has interesting posts, and last month they made a compilation: "a selection of posts from the LSE Impact Blog’s archives exploring the impact of misinformation and the extent to which the concept itself is a useful way of understanding how evidence is used and abused in the media." The link to posts covering a number of media, including one that addresses Should a TV drama influence public policy (referring to the TV play that finally got some action on the post office scandal) Taster, M. (2024, June 14). Misinformation and the media – An LSE Impact Blog review. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2024/06/14/misinformation-and-the-media-an-lse-impact-blog-review/
Photo by Sheila Webber: astrantia (spot the bee), May 2024

Webinar: Current and Future Literacies: Libraries Leading Literacy Development

A free online panel on 13 August 2024 at 13.00-14.00 BST (current UK time) is Current and Future Literacies: Libraries Leading Literacy Development. It is organised by IFLA's Academic and Research Libraries Section. The speakers are:
Lily Y. Ko (Head, Research & Learning Support, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Library): Advancing Literacy in the Digital Age: The Role of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Library in Global Transitions
Dr. Sarah Kaddu, Dean (East Africa School of Library and Information Science): AI in LIS Education in Uganda: a response strategy
Dr. Alicia Wise (Executive Director of the CLOCKSS Archive): Advancing Biblio-Equity: Digital Preservation and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in a Post-COVID-19 World
More information here and you must register here https://events.zoom.us/e/view/6z64oyt5RBC_qNWkwvaqdA
Photo by Sheila Webber: Steam clock, Vancouver, May 2024

Webinar and report: Towards universal access to reliable healthcare information

On 30 July 2024 at 14.00-15.00 BST (UK time) there is a panel discussing the results from a global survey on the need reliable healthcare information throughout the world: Towards universal access to reliable healthcare information. It is organised by Healthcare Information for All.
Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZModeuprjMpE9NJNhaC62tmfqqJDDB-Y2CU#/registration
"In late 2023 HIFA conducted a global consultation for WHO [Wor;d Health Organization] to assess stakeholder perspectives on universal access to reliable healthcare information and how to accelerate progress. 2410 individuals from 135 countries participated, representing all six stakeholder groups in the global evidence ecosystem (generating, publishing, synthesising, packaging, finding, and applying evidence). Respondents overwhelmingly called for WHO to explicitly champion the goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information, and for WHO and HIFA to convene stakeholders to develop a global strategy to accelerate progress. "
The press release is here https://www.hifa.org/news/press-release-global-health-advocates-call-world-health-organization-champion-universal-access

The full report is here:https://www.hifa.org/sites/default/files/other_publications_uploads/HIFA-WHO-report-final.pdf and the report infographic is here: https://www.hifa.org/sites/default/files/HIFA_infographic_vhires.png

Tomorrow and Monday: Information Science Trends - It's not too late to register!

A feast of fascinating insights await at the online Information Science Trends conference which takes place 14.00-17.00 BST (UK time) on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th July 2024, organised by the Association of Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) European Chapter (of which I am part). It is free to ASIS&T members, US $10 to non-member students and US $25 to others. The programme (and link to registration) is here: https://www.asist.org/2024/07/04/ist24-programme/ 

The conference theme is Living online and offline, in darkness and light. On Day 1 the keynote is Passion + research = letting your light shine through from Amber Cushing and other papers include: Sustainable Management of Social Network Data; Information behaviour of emergency physicians; neurodivergency in academic libraries; virtual field trips.
Image created using Midjourney AI

New articles: AI literacy; Student needs; Student stress; Workloads

The July 2024 issue of open access journal College & Research Libraries (vol. 85 issue 5) includes the following:
- Evaluating AI Literacy in Academic Libraries: A Survey Study with a Focus on U.S. Employees by Leo S. Lo
- Community College Librarian Views of Student Information Literacy Needs by Don Latham, Melissa Gross, Heidi Julien
- Determining Equitable Liaison Librarian Workloads: An Investigation into the Conundrum by Susan Alison Bolton
- Student Stress and the Research Consultation: The Effect of the Research Consultation on Project Stress and Overall Stress and Applications for Student Wellness by LuMarie Guth, Bradford Dennis
- The Faculty Role in College Affordability: Syllabus Creation and Resource Affordability by Sarah Rose Fitzgerald, Christine Turner, Anne Graham
Contents page at https://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/issue/view/1661/showToc
Photo by Sheila Webber: sand on the path next the beach, Bournemouth, June 2024

Online workshops: Lego & learning; Neurodiversity

Some online workshops from Andrew Walsh:
- Basic Introduction to Using Lego in Adult Teaching/Support on 23 September 2024. £85 for those in teh UK £95 for those outside the UK (the cost includes a pack of Lego posted to you, so the overseas fee is higher to cover the extra postage costs). Details and registration at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/basic-introduction-to-using-lego-in-adult-teaching-support-september-24-tickets-920181516687
- Neurodiversity in the workplace on 11 September 2024. Cost is £54.88. Details and registration at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/neurodiversity-in-the-workplace-webinar-tickets-920186902797
Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney with the prompt a sitting dog, it is beside a notice, the notice reads "Polling Station" --v 6.0 (it is voting day today for the UK's General Election and dogs outside polling stations is a meme at election time: I don't have a dog to photograph, though)

New articles: Authority; Emotion & experiences in COVID; literacy in public libraries; Information needs of entrepreneurs

The latest issue of Reference Services Review (priced journal) is vol. 52 issue 2, 2024. The theme is Reference and instructional services for libraries in the digital age (haven't we been in the digital age for a few decades now?) anyway, articles include:
- Rose-Wiles, L.M. (2024). The framing of authority in the ACRL framework on information literacy: multidisciplinary perspectives on truth, authority, expertise and belief. Reference Services Review, 52(2), 202-217. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-02-2024-0003
- Bury, S. (2024). Affective dimensions of academic librarians’ experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic: experiences and lessons learned for information literacy. Reference Services Review, 52(2), 278-295. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-12-2023-0082
- Salubi, O. and Majavu, U. (2024). Toward the development of a framework for literacy support and promotion by public libraries in financially and infrastructurally low-resourced territories. Reference Services Review, 52(2), 218-230. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-06-2023-0056
- Toane, C. and Shujah, S. (2024). Campus entrepreneurs’ research habits and needs: a five-year study. Reference Services Review, 52(2), 257-277. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-01-2024-0001
The whole issue is here: https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/0090-7324/vol/52/iss/2
Photo by Sheila Webber: deckchairs in Bournemouth, June 2024

Election facts and dangers

The UK general elections are on Thursday (4 July).The fact checking Full Fact website has a section devoted to fact checking various aspects of the political election campaigns here https://fullfact.org/election-2024/all/ and today they have summarised a number of them in fact sheets focusing on core issues such as health, net zero and .... potholes.

Also, a topical post highlights the way in which one British politician is aiming to undermine confidence in the media (a la Trump) by claiming that established media are biased and fabricating stories: Why Nigel Farage’s anti-media election interference claims are so dangerous: https://theconversation.com/why-nigel-farages-anti-media-election-interference-claims-are-so-dangerous-233698
Democratic debate in Krakow, October 2023

US Government's new Information Literacy website

The USA's Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has just launched an official Government Information Literacy website with a focus on supporting library and museum professional meet local needs. It "disseminates successful practices, tools, and programs related to financial, health, digital, and other information literacy subject areas. Focusing on resources and programs delivered locally, Informationliteracy.gov supports library and museum practitioners and community-based organizations across the country in their efforts to meet community needs and provide resources and trainings on these subjects." Indeed, the panels on the home page focus on digital, financial and health literacy and the featured resources are mostly ones developed by libraries or museums.
Given the UK Government's narrower focus on media literacy, and the way in which it neglects the contribution of librarians, this website seems to me to be exciting! From a statement on the website, this follows up a requirement in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 for IMLS to support IL development (sadly, we don't have an equivalent to IMLS in the UK either).
Go to https://informationliteracy.gov/

Recent articles: misinformation and misdirection in health information

Traberg, C.S. et al. (2024). The persuasive effects of social cues and source effects on misinformation susceptibility. Scientific Reports, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54030-y "The study examines the mechanisms through which social context impacts misinformation susceptibility. The authors found that social cues only impact individual judgements when they influence perceptions of wider social consensus. Essentially, news consumers are less critical of information from sources they believe are credible" 

Ashraf, A., Mackey, T. & Fittler, A. (2024) Search Engines and Generative Artificial Intelligence Integration: Public Health Risks and Recommendations to Safeguard Consumers Online. JMIR Public Health & Surveillance, 10, article e53086. https://doi.org/10.2196/53086 "With the online pharmacy market growing, search engine providers have started integrating generative artificial intelligence (AI) into search engine interfaces, which could revolutionize search by delivering more personalized results through a user-friendly experience. As such this study looks to identify, determine the prevalence of, and characterize illegal online pharmacy recommendations within the AI-generated search results and recommendations." "19.04% (24/126) of Bing Chat’s and 13.23% (18/136) of Google SGE’s recommendations directed users to illegal vendors, including for controlled substances."
Photo by Sheila Webber: takeaway coffee on the beach, June 2024

New articles (Spanish language): assessment instruments; use of digital libraries

Hernández-Marín, J-L., Castro-Montoya, M.D. & Figueroa-Rodríguez, S. (2024) Alfabetización Mediática, Informacional y Digital: análisis de instrumentos de evaluación [Media, Information and Digital Literacy: analysis of assessment instruments) Investigación Bibliotecológica, 38(99) http://rev-ib.unam.mx/ib/index.php/ib/article/view/58865 

Alvarez-Flores, E.P., Magadaleno Moreno, M. & Núñez-Gómez, P. (2024). Competencia y comportamiento informacionales de estudiantes para el uso de las bibliotecas digitales universitarias [Information competence and behaviour of students users of university digital libraries]. Investigación Bibliotecológica, 38(99) http://rev-ib.unam.mx/ib/index.php/ib/article/view/58881
Photo by Sheila Webber: summer sky, Bournemouth, June 2024

New articles: LGBTQ+ students; IL taxonomy; First years; Peer observation of teaching

Here is the 2nd installment of articles from the latest issue of the open-access Journal of Information Literacy (vol 18 number 1) which marks 50 years since Zurkowski coined the phrase "information literates" (yesterday I listed special-issue contents):
- The self-tracking information literacy practices of LGBTQ+ students: Empowerment through self-knowledge by Pamela McKinney, Corin Peacock, Andrew Cox
- Fostering self-reflection on library instruction: Testing a peer observation instrument focused on questioning strategies by Eric Silberberg
- Building a bridge between skills and thresholds Using Bloom’s to develop an information literacy taxonomy by Amanda Folk, Katie Blocksidge, Jane Hammons, Hanna Primeau
- Moving beyond anxiety: The emotional research experiences of first-year students by Katie Blocksidge, Hanna Primeau
Go to https://journals.cilip.org.uk/jil/issue/view/47
Photo by Sheila Webber: white roses, June 2024

Recent articles: Journal of Information Literacy

There is a special issue of the open-access Journal of Information Literacy (vol 18 number 1) marking 50 years since Zurkowski coined the phrase "information literates". I will present the contents in two parts (as it has the special-issue contents, plus usual content) starting with the Anniversary content:
- before information literacy field notes on the end of IL by nicholae cline, Jorge R. López-McKnight
- A creative future for information and digital literacy by Vicky Grant
- Chasing information literacy into the wild Questions for the Anthropocene epoch by Annemaree Lloyd
- “Do as I say, not as I do…” A present (and future) concern about the pedagogy of hypocrisy and information literacy by Silvia Vong
- Rethinking the teleological essence of information literacy Academic abstraction or real-life action literacy? by Dijana Šobota
- Information literacy after the AI revolution by Noora Hirvonen
- Training school students in information evaluation Reviewing the past, establishing the present and considering the future by Andrew Shenton
- Critical information literacy The challenge, the criticism, and the need for reflection and research by Jess Haigh
- Information literacy now Examining where we are to understand where we are going by Laura Saunders - Investigating information literacy Fool’s errand or new message? by Geoff Walton
- Flourishing in an ocean of information A futures vision for information literacy by Hilary Hughes
- Archives as the prologues of information literacy by Andrew Whitworth
- Beginnings of information literacy in Latin America A recognition of the pioneers by Alejandro Uribe-Tirado, Juan D. Machin-Mastromatteo
- Navigating constant change Exploring information literacies in the context of social media health information by Anna-Maija Multas
- Navigating tomorrow's classroom The future of information literacy and inquiry-based learning in the age of AI by Elizabeth Hutchinson
- The negative spaces of information literacy An alternative research agenda by Alison Hicks
- Cruel optimism, or, this time will be different! by Maura Seale, Karen Nicholson
Go to https://journals.cilip.org.uk/jil/issue/view/47
Photo by Sheila Webber: stump and cone, Bournemouth, June 2024

Information Literacy for societal resilience

An exhibition will be touring libraries in Europe from November 2024: Information Literacy for societal resilience. "A new creative intervention produced by Tactical Tech and DensityDesign Lab at Politecnico di Milano, in collaboration with International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), will address how AI is impacting the ways that media and information is produced, distributed and perceived. The exhibition... will present visitors with engaging resources that will make these issues tangible and visual. It will also provide practical tips for what to do when we are confronted with these issues in our online lives."
More information at https://www.ifla.org/news/il-for-societal-resilience/

New articles: Health information; Information Behaviour; Music Selection; Fake news; Listening practices

The latest issue has been published (Vol. 29 No. 2, 2024) of open access journal Information Research. This is the final issue with Professor Emeritus Tom Wilson as Editor in Chief. He founded the journal in 1995, and it a tribute to his hard work and inspiration that it remains a high quality publication with no charges for either author or reader. 

He notes in his editorial
"I thought when I started the journal that the new technologies would bring about major changes in the scholarly publishing arena: it was now possible for a single academic, like myself, to create a new journal independently of the commercial publishers who dominated the field, much to the economic costs of academic institutions. Sadly, that potential future has not been realised and the commercial publishers are as much in control as ever, and there are even fewer, as a result of mergers and acquisitions.
"There are obvious reasons for this: on one hand academics have increased teaching loads and pressure to research and publish, and the institutions are (at least in the UK) "marketised" and in competition, with a reduction in the possibilities of cooperation. On the other hand, governments are more interested in preserving their publishing industries than in genuine freedom of information. They would rather see publishing companies making massive profits from their so-called "open access" policies than support the development of genuinely open access in universities. How "open" can publishing be if authors and/or their institutions are required to pay?" 

There are two parts to this issue: regular contents and also the proceedings of the 15th ISIC conference. I will cover the latter in a future post. The regular peer-reviewed papers include:
- Reasons to fight: preliminary results on motivations to combat fake news by Wenting Yu
- ‘Alexa, play metal’: exploring music selection and personal information management via voice assistants by Jochen Steffens, Jesse David Dinneen, Sascha Donner, Tom Potthoff
- Cognitive authorities of COVID-19 information: educational differences and outcomes of trust in health experts and social media influencers in Finland Sanna Malinen, Aki Koivula
- Developing expertise and managing inaccessibility: a study of reading by listening practices among students with blindness or vision impairment by Anna Lundh
- Health information-seeking on Reddit, by people who use opioids by Margaret Sullivan, Jonah Hancock, George Shaw, Chaoqun Ni
- Approaching information-seeking habits and their contextual features by Reijo Savolainen
Go to https://informationr.net/infres/issue/view/37
Photo by Sheila Webber: Bandstand (June 2024) in Sheffield, original home of Information Research (that is: the university, not the bandstand)

The NOLA Information Literacy Collective Forum 2024

The NOLA Information Literacy Collective Forum takes place 29 July - 2 August 2024. It is being held online 10:00 – 11:30 US Central time (so that's 16.00-17.30 UK time) each day. The Forum "fosters the development of information literacy instructors, reference librarians, and library professionals in all kinds of libraries (academic, public, school, archival, and special) throughout the Greater New Orleans [USA] area".
There are mostly 2 presentations per day, covering an interesting range of sectors and topics. It starts on the 29th with Post-Covid Paradigms: Perspectives on the Field from Current MLIS Students and Recent Graduates and Communication Ethics Literacy: Why Everyone Should Learn Communication Ethics. For people actually in teh New Orleans area there is also an in-person event on one of the evenings.
For more details go to https://nolailc.wordpress.com/

Recording: Prompt engineering in libraries

There was a webinar on Prompt engineering in libraries: some early observations on12 June 2024, in which Liam Bullingham, Oona Ylinen, and Beth Burnet from the University of Essex, UK, shared some  reflections on engineering prompts for generative AI in libraries. The recording is here https://youtu.be/JUEUkMz_ibo?si=WKoglGTMnXB2SjbM
Photo by Sheila Webber: white climbing roses, May 2024.

Call for articles: generative AI and disinformation

There is a call from the International Journal of Communication on "the intersection of Generative AI and disinformation. As AI technologies advance, so do the capabilities of those seeking to misuse them for synthesising and spreading disinformation. ... Contributions to this Special Section may cover a diverse array of disciplinary perspectives, including but not limited to communication science, computational social science, computer science, psychology, sociology and political science. Authors are encouraged to adopt interdisciplinary approaches that bridge the gap between technical understanding and societal impact. Submissions may range from empirical studies and theoretical frameworks to case analyses and policy recommendations, providing a comprehensive examination of the challenges and opportunities arising from the convergence of generative AI and disinformation. Special focus will be on questions relating to elections, electoral integrity, democracy, and journalism. We would welcome in particular research with a cross-platform approach, cases from the Global South as well as investigations with a multi-modal focus."
Deadline for submissions of full articles is 31 December 2024.
More information at https://edmo.eu/edmo-news/call-for-papers-generative-ai-and-disinformation-ijoc-special-section/

Last call for LILAC Stories!

To celebrate 20 years of the LILAC (UK information literacy) conference there has been a research project LILAC Stories "aiming to evidence and illustrate the impact of conference participation on individuals, services and the wider profession" The deadline for contributions is 28 June 2024, so if you have been meaning to contribute, now is the time!
"The researchers would like to hear stories from delegates on what they have learned or experienced at any LILAC Conference over the 20 years it has been running. We are hoping these stories will add to our understanding of the value of the conference. We are looking to capture stories from a wide range of delegates, including delegates who have not presented or been otherwise involved in the conference planning."
More information at https://www.lilacconference.com/lilac-stories

Mapping of media and information literacy initiatives in Ibero-America - 2023

Available in Spanish and English, Mapping of media and information literacy initiatives in Ibero-America - 2023 (by the Plataforma de Reguladores del Sector Audiovisual de Iberoamérica and published by UNESCO) is just published. It includes Mapping of MIL initiatives in Ibero-Americ; Perspectives on the adaptability of MIL promotion and dissemination practices in Ibero-America; and Recommendations for the Promotion and Dissemination of MIL in Ibero-America
Espanol: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000390030
English: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000390030_eng

New articles on data literacy

The journal Information and Learning Sciences (hybrid as regards open access) has two special issues focusing on Perspectives on Data Literacies Volume 125 Issue 3/4 (2024) includes
- Promoting students’ informal inferential reasoning through arts-integrated data literacy education by Camillia Matuk et al.
- Exploring alternative discourses about datafication in a speculative youth participatory action research curriculum by Ezequiel Aleman
- Using network visualizations to engage elementary students in locally relevant data literacy by Mengxi Zhou et al
- Community college students’ self-assessment of data literacy: exploring differences amongst demographic, academic, and career characteristics by Sarah Amber Evans et al.
- Teen-adult interactions during the co-design of data literacy activities for the public library: insights from a natural language processing analysis of linguistic patterns by Leanne Bowler et al.
- Critical datafication literacy: a framework for educating about datafication by Ina Sander
Go to https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/2398-5348/vol/125/iss/3/4 

Volume 125 Issue 5/6 (2024) includes
- A critical (theory) data literacy: tales from the field by Annette Markham and Riccardo Pronzato
- Teaching data storytelling as data literacy by Kate McDowell and Matthew J. Turk
- Orienting privacy literacy toward social change by Priya C. Kumar
- In my opinion, the TOS… Situating personal data literacy interventions by Juliana Elisa Raffaghelli et al
- Data literacy education through university-industry collaboration by Eylem Taş
- Data literacy in the new EU DigComp 2.2 framework how DigComp defines competences on artificial intelligence, internet of things and data by Leo Van Audenhove et al.
Go to https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/2398-5348/vol/125/iss/5/6

Photo by Sheila Webber of a felled tree trunk in Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada, May 2024: big number of rings to count!

#FanLIS recordings

Not specifically information literacy, but if you are interested in the intersection between library and information science and fandom you will likely be interested in the recordings from the FanLIS one day conference held last month (with the theme Fandom, AI & the Immersive), masterminded by Ludi Price and Lyn Robinson https://blogs.city.ac.uk/fanlis/fanlis-2024/fanlis-2024-recordings/
Image created using Midjourney AI and the prompt Fandom, AI & the Immersive - I was feeling lazy

Webinar: Preparing Future Librarians for Instruction and Advocacy:

On 18 June 2024 at 13.00 US Eastern time (18.00 UK time) there is a webinar Preparing Future Librarians for Instruction and Advocacy: A Panel Discussion.
"The expectation for librarians to teach, including the types of content they are expected to teach, continues to expand. The ACRL's Roles and Strengths of Teaching Librarians (2017) outlines seven different roles, such as teacher, instructional designer, and advocate. Are LIS students prepared for the roles they will be expected to fulfill? This discussion will consider the role that LIS faculty and academic librarians do and do not play in preparing new and future librarians for the challenge of teaching and advocating for information literacy. What types of support do new librarians need for their teaching roles, and how is this best provided? How should LIS programs evolve to prepare librarians in teaching and advocating for information literacy?"
The event is hosted by The Ohio State University Libraries and is a follow-up to Celebrating 50 Years of Information Literacy: A Panel Discussion.
Panelists: Laura Saunders (Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Library and Information Sciences at Simmons University, USA); Mira Scarnecchia (OER Librarian at Columbus State Community College , USA); Merinda Kaye Hensley (Associate Professor in the University of Illinois Library and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Information Sciences, USA) and Eamon Tewell (Head of Research Support & Outreach at Columbia University and part-time faculty in the Department of Library & Information Science at Rutgers University, USA)
To register, go to http://osu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jvzuGrP1TVCTAnYp6Y6WtQ
Photo by Sheila Webber: trees in Stanley Park, Vancouver, May 2024

Based in the EU? Interested in disinformation? Want to visit Italy?

An opportunity only for people in countries in the European Union!
"A civic hackathon is organized in Italy [Perugia] from September 25 to 27, 2024 as part of the European project Gender-ED Coalition. The project focuses on educating the general public on the issues of gender education in the context of disinformation. It focuses on media and information literacy and gender equality, with the aim of highlighting the phenomenon of sexist disinformation and violence in social media.
"The hackathon is aimed at MIL [media and information literacy] stakeholders, artists, activists, designers, content creators, teachers, sensitive to gender and disinformation issues. Those selected must come from a European country [the application form stipulates EU] and be fluent in English."
The registration form is here and this is the project website https://www.genderedcoalition.net/
Image is Midjourney AI's idea of Perugia

Pandemic Preparedness

There is an interesting conversation around what is commonly known as the WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty: changes to the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR). Started in 2021 "The main goal of this treaty would be to foster an all of government and all of society approach, strengthening national, regional and global capacities and resilience to future pandemics. This includes greatly enhancing international co-operation to improve, for example, alert systems, data-sharing, research and local, regional and global production and distribution of medical and public health counter-measures such as vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and personal protective equipment."
I think this is the latest draft.(at least, it is a late draft), and the the opening peroration mentions that signatories are
"Recognizing the importance of building trust and ensuring the timely sharing of information to prevent misinformation, disinformation and stigmatization,"
It was hoped that it would have been finalised in time for a high level conference at the end of May 2024. Then it was agreed at the start of the conference that there would be a statement at the end of the conference (here) with agreement to finalise things in 2025 at the latest. Part of the problem is reaching agreement over information sharing.
My attention was drawn to it by this article, which clains that the process has been delayed by the spread of disinformation: https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/safeguarding-pandemic-agreement-disinformation
There is a useful summary on the UK Government website https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9550/ It seems like a former UK Prime Minister was an early signatory, but last month the UK Government said it wouldn't sign it but "did not explicitly state the reasons for this". The implication seems to be that it has believed some of the misinformation that was spread....
Photo by Sheila Webber: trees in Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada, May 2024

UNESCO MIL podcast

The UNESCO Media and Information Literacy podcast (videos) has 9 episodes, each of 8-9 minutes so far, covering topics such as
- Digital skills for safe navigation in digital spaces
- Media and Information Literacy to address hate speech and discrimination
- Tackling misinformation and disinformation through Media and Information Literacy competencies
Go to https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWuYED1WVJIOKXxgn99Zxwcw18IDKAeVY
Photo by Sheila Webber: chestnut tree in Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada, May 2024

Webinar: Teaching Information Literacy: Considering Current and Future Approaches and Models

A webinar on 9 July 2024 at 13.00 US Eastern time (which is 18.00 UK time): Teaching Information Literacy: Considering Current and Future Approaches and Models
"Librarians have explored multiple approaches for teaching information literacy, including one-shots, embedded librarian programs, credit-bearing courses, and teach the teachers efforts. What is working with our current approaches? What needs to change? Should librarians be the ones teaching information literacy? Are credit-bearing courses the future of IL instruction? Or a faculty development approach? This discussion will explore the role that librarians play in teaching information literacy and consider the ways that this role may evolve as we move forward."
The panellists are: Heidi Julien (Professor in the Department of Information Science at the University at Buffalo (SUNY), USA); Jane Hammons (Associate Professor and Teaching & Learning Engagement Librarian at The Ohio State University Libraries, USA); Matthew Weirick Johnson (Director of Research & Instruction at the University of South Florida Libraries on the Tampa campus, USA); Bill Badke (Associate Librarian at Trinity Western University in British Columbia, Canada).
Register at https://osu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rtdI73pqShu1EAzwYTHY7w
Photo by Sheila: Webber Part of the Komagata Maru memorial, Vancouver, Canada, May 2024

New articles: Top trends; AI; IL framework

- Vong, S. (2024). Incompatible with the Framework: State Laws Targeting DEI, LGBTQIA2s+, and CRT. College & Research Libraries News, 85(6), 247-253. https://doi.org/10.5860/crln.85.6.247 

- Research Planning and Review Committee. (2024). 2024 Top Trends in Academic Libraries: A Review of the Trends and Issues. College & Research Libraries News, 85(6), 231-246. https://doi.org/10.5860/crln.85.6.231 (These include AI & AI Literacy and Open Pedagogy & Instructional Design) 

- Lo, L., & Anderson, V. (2024). AI Reskilling in Libraries: When the Dean’s Assistant Gets an AI Assistant. College & Research Libraries News, 85(6), 258-262. https://doi.org/10.5860/crln.85.6.258 (A useful account of using AI as an administrative tool)

Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI, the prompt AI, meetings, efficiency, impressionist style --v 6.0 --ar 16:9. With my first prompt "administrative assistant, AI, meetings, impressionist style" all the images were of attractive young women at a keyboard (so obviously all assistants are women) whereas "efficiency" brought up a majority of men.

Webinar: digital reading

On 14 June 2024 at 12.30 US Eastern time (which is 17.30 Uk time) there is a free webinar hosted by the Special Libraries Association Education Division and ACRL's EBSS Education Committee on digital reading. It is presented by Dr. Jenae Cohn (Executive Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at University of California, Berkeley).
"Many college and university students struggle with academic reading (Smale 2020, Carillo 2019, Sweeney 2018, Schneps 2013), and this struggle can become compounded when that reading is delivered on-screen. With the rise in usage of Open Educational Resources (OERs), digital textbooks, and websites for academic content, students constantly switch between reading instructional content, academic content, and social content. Strategies to support students’ switching between genres and purposes for reading are well-documented, but less documented are strategies for aligning students’ understanding with reading genre, purpose, and media combined (Sweeney 2018, Coiro 2015). In this session we will consider how we design reading assignments in informed ways to create meaningful, deep, and sustained reading practices with attention to reading media.
"We will examine the need for attention to reading media in the context of students’ lived experiences, particularly in the wake of increased attention to and need for use of affordable instructional materials online and attentiveness to students’ use of mobile phones for accessing academic materials (Gierdowski 2019, Rockey 2023). This conversation will be guided with an exploration of a digital reading framework to align with assignment and activity design (Cohn 2021)."
Register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMvceqtpzwsHtDYWS_rchrX5m7G3s7BG3DS
Photo by Sheila Webber; geese babysitting their friends' goslings, Vancouver, Canada, May 2024

Chatting Info Lit IL@50

There is a new episode of the Chatting Info Lit podcast produced by the CILIP Information Literacy Group New Professionals group. Hosted by Beth Morgan, Josh Rodda, and Ella Wharton, it looks at some of the history of Information Literacy with guests William Badke, Moira Bent, Debbi Boden-Angell, James Elmborg, Jane Secker, and Geoff Walton. "Sharing experiences, influences, and stories across a range of contexts, they discuss the definition of Information Literacy, the formation of the CILIP ILG, the need for librarians to be taken seriously as teachers, and the challenges posed by the rise of generative AI."
You can find it on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/6y3wySgEdARtcwvjquR8WL? on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-8-il-50/id1673423506? and on Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/chatting-info-lit-podcast/episode-8-il-50?

Resources about teaching

For those of you educating in Higher Education, this weekly listing of events and resources is useful, compiled by Dr Mary Jacob (Aberystwyth University, Wales). Generative AI features as a topic at the moment.  https://wordpress.aber.ac.uk/e-learning/category/weekly-resource-roundup/
Photo by Sheila Webber: spring leaves, May 2024

LIRT top instruction articles 2024: list and free webinar

The American Library Association's Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) has publsihed its list of Top 20 instruction articles for 2023. You can find the list, with annotations explaining why each item was chosen at https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/2024-05/LIRT%20Top%2020%202023.pdf 

On 20 June 2024 at 10.00-11.00 US EAstern time (which is 15.00-16.00 UK time) they have a free online webinar with authors from three of the articles:
- Bluemle, S. (2023). A close look at the concept of authority in information literacy. Journal of New Librarianship, 8(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.33011/newlibs/14/1
- Littletree, S., Andrews, N., & Loyer, J. (2023). Information as a relation: Defining Indigenous information literacy. Journal of Information Literacy, 17(2), 4–23. https://doi.org/10.11645/17.2.8
- White, A. (2023). Let 'No' be 'No': When librarians say 'no' to instruction opportunities. In the Library with the Lead Pipe. https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2023/let-no-be-no/
"The authors will share more about the inspiration for their research and how their work has impacted their own practice since publication."
Register at https://forms.gle/2dE6QCGHPG4K48Fq8
Photo by Sheila Webber: water feature, Vancouver, May 2024